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About Halling Historical Society . . . . .

Halling Historical Society (HHS) is for anyone of any age in the village of Halling, Kent, England, and surrounding areas, who is interested in local history, especially about Kent and the Medway Valley.

HHS organises a public programme each year of talks, walks and visits of local historical interest. Talks are usually free to members and take place at least every two months mostly on a Monday evening at the Jubilee Hall, Browndens Road, Upper Halling, ME2 1JH. Some talks take place at the location of the subject so check carefully in the programme. See the programme page for details.

The Society was formed in 1985 and is run voluntarily by its members who appoint a committee annually. Annual membership is £12.00, payable from February. Visitors to talks pay £3.50. Talks usually include a break for refreshments and a raffle.

A Society project in 2021 was to place a historic blue plaque on the house in Halling High Street from where the village local World War 1 hero, Sergeant Thomas Harris VC MM enlisted in 1914, aged 22 (see https://www.hugofox.com/community/halling-historical-society-18475/sergeant-thomas-harris-vc-mm/ ). The unveiling was on Saturday, 7 August 2021, followed by tea in Halling Community Centre kindly put on by Halling Sapphires WI. The date was two days short of 103 years since Thomas was killed. As well as many Harris family, there were representatives of Thomas's successor regiment and of the VC and GC Association and the grandson of Sidney Upfold who was with Thomas when he died and recommended the VC. See full details and photos on the News page.

In 2022 the Society is hoping to place historic plaques on the oldest buildings in the village and to develop a Halling History Trail.

If you'd like to share your story of growing up in Halling before 1980 - see Villagers' Reminiscences page at: https://www.hugofox.com/community/halling-historical-society-18475/villagers-reminiscences-of-old-halling / - please email hallinghistorical@gmail.com .

If you can add any other historical detail to this website, or see an error, please email hallinghistorical@gmail.com

The Society is affiliated to Kent Archaeological Society and members can use the KAS study facilities free of charge, using a membership card available from the Secretary.

This website is dedicated to the memory of Ted Gowers, a founder member of the Society, who did so much to record the history of Halling and especially in his book, co-written with Derek Church, 'Across the Low Meadow - a history of Halling in Kent’ (1979), sadly out of print but available from local public libraries. Much historical detail on this website is sourced from Ted's book.

Thanks are also due to Frank Smith, Stu Cunningham and Paul Bullivant for their help in putting this website together, with their many historical resources about the village.