Meetings
Our meetings are held in York House on Friday evenings. Quarterly Garden Walks are on Friday mornings.

Joining
We welcome new members; single members are £15 and couples are £30. To join, complete the membership form and send it to the Hon Treasurer, Andrew Stanley, whose address is on the form.

The Society was formed on 4 June 1924 from a committee of councillors and residents, led by local resident Noel Viner-Brady.

The group was originally set up in 1922 as the York House Committee. They persuaded the Urban District Council to buy York House for conversion into a town hall, as part of the campaign to secure borough status for Twickenham.

 Plaque to Noel Viner-Brady
Noel Viner-Brady

 

L to r: Bill Eadie, Maureen Payan, Chairman Paul Leonard
Bill Eadie, Maureen Payan MBE, Chairman Dr Paul Leonard (r)		 The York House Society is the oldest amenity society in Richmond upon Thames. It has no political allegiance. It is concerned with York House and the central area of Twickenham and its river frontage. Among the objects of the Society are preservation of the historic character of the neighbourhood, its architectural qualities, public gardens, parkland and riverside.

 

The Society is proud to have initiated the restoration of the statues in York House Gardens. In 1962 it helped to set up the Borough of Twickenham Local History Society. It has also fought to preserve and improve the Embankment, to revive and maintain the character of Church Street, and bring new life to the central area of Twickenham. History
l to r: Bill Eadie, the Deputy Mayor Cllr Benedict Dias, Chairman Paul Leonard

 

The York House Society looks towards the future, preserving only what is best from the past. Recognising the need for extra vigilance, greater activity and a constructive approach, we welcome all who wish to support our aspirations.

The Detailed History of the Society with members' recollections, details of meetings and speakers, and a map of its achievements is here.

IN MEMORIAM Listing some members of the Society, particularly those who we lost in recent years and are much missed, is here. We are the poorer without them.

Prof Michael Lee's talk on The Origins of the York House Society on 19 September 2003

The Society's activities in 1937 from the Richmond and Twickenham Times.

Except where noted, the photos on this site are by Yvonne Hewett and Paul Leonard, and Society members. Special thanks to Colin Cooper, Habitats & Heritage; and Debbie Boreham and Andrew Duncan, LBRuT.