The Society produces and sells a variety of publications on topics relevant to the Kington Area. Please email for a current list of publications, costs and availability.

Memories of Kington

A collection of memories of Mr W Edwards born in Kington in 1855,  originally published in the Kington Times in 1938. Some stories factual, many humorous and some poignant.

 

 

 

The Further Recordings of Richard Parry

Richard Parry is known as The Kington Historian. His first book entitled The History of Kington was published in 1845. This second volume complements that publication and documents interesting facts and stories about Kington.

 

 

The Diaries of Thomas Carleton Skarratt

Thomas Carleton Skarratt was born in Kington in 1818, the son of Thomas Carleton a Kington clockmaker. In 1848 he and his brother William set up a Drapery business in the town but in 1853 William and his family emigrated to Australia, as did many of the Skarratt family about this time. The diaries, started in 1853, appear to be a record of communications between the families in Australia and those left back in Kington. The diaries tell of events happening in the town between the years of 1853 and 1893.

 

 Kington and Surrounding Areas

Compiled and edited by Vera Harrison this booklet is a selection from the Papers of the Kington History Society. The history of Kington is the focal point of this booklet with additional interesting historical information about the villages and hamlets surrounding Kington also included.

 

 

 Kington Camp

This comprehensive document compiled by John Higginbottom for the Kington History Society details the history of Kington Camp. In the early part of WW2 the site, just outside Kington, was used by the military as barracks for soldiers. It was used for returning soldiers following the Dunkirk evacuation and later used as an American Hospital for casualties following DDay. After the war the camp was used by the Polish Resettlement Corps and finally closed to the military in 1947. Due to the shortage of housing after the war the wards were used for housing and some of the remaining buildings are now used as industrial units.

 

 

Nutshell Series

A series of booklets, each brief but informative, about local characters or topics.

• Local Tramroads by John Southwood

Published in 1981, John provides information and a wealth interesting facts about the old Tramroad which ran through Kington. From its opening in 1820 to its closure in 1875, its construction and financial particulars, all are covered in the handly little booklet.

 

• The Legend of Silver John

Silver John was a local bonesetter who had gained a healthy reputation in the area for the quality of his skills. The booklet reveals why he was called Silver John and tells of his sad demise.

 

 

• The Red Book of Hergest

The Red Book of Hergest is a large vellum manuscript written shortly after 1382, which ranks as one of the most important medieval manuscripts written in the Welsh language. Strongly bound in red morocco it is now kept safe in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Clearly this publication is not the original however the little tome provides interesting information about the history and contents of the original manuscript.