About Us


Aston-cum-Aughton History Group

The Aston-cum-Aughton History Group was originally formed in 1970, meeting in Aston Reading Room and then in a local junior school.   We researched the history of Aston Parish, going back to Saxon times when the village was a cluster of thatched timber buildings around a timber church.   Many hours were spent poring over the Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, as well as the Accounts of the Parish Constables, Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor.    Interest in the work gradually dwindled and only four members remained.    These four continued to meet and in 1977 produced the book “Some Aspects of the History of Aston-cum-Aughton”.   Two members of the group then moved away and the History Group was disbanded.

In 1998 the group was re-formed in conjunction with the Workers’ Educational Association and the two remaining members of the original history group joined the new group.    One of the two re-typed the first book onto a computer and re-printed it for the millennium year.

We then began further research into the parish, with more emphasis on local people’s recollections of the villages:  the church, the shops, post offices, public houses, chapels, mines and houses.   The work was assembled and in 2001 a new book was produced called “Top O’T’ill—Further Aspects of the History of Aston-cum-Aughton”.

We turned our attention to gathering the memories of local parishioners and in 2005 a collection of these were published in a book called “Memories:  Aston, Aughton, Swallownest, North Staveley, Fence and Ulley”.

The Group has been involved in local heritage issues, such as support for the renovation of Aston Reading Room and the reinstatement of the Verelst cenotaph in the grounds of Aston Hall Hotel.

We continue to meet on the first and third Mondays of the month in the William Layne Reading Room, Aughton Lane, Aston and new members are welcome to join us.