Waterside Heritage, Hythe

Waterside Heritage, Hythe The Waterside Heritage Centre in Hythe; a local record office for the whole of the Waterside.

For three short but extraordinary months during WW2, peaceful farmland south of Buckler’s Hard became RAF Needs Oar Poin...
25/05/2026

For three short but extraordinary months during WW2, peaceful farmland south of Buckler’s Hard became RAF Needs Oar Point - a busy frontline airfield packed with Typhoon fighter bombers, vehicles and young airmen preparing for war. Some have even claimed it was the busiest airfield on D-Day… but was it?

Join us for an illustrated talk by Marc Heighway exploring the remarkable, little-known story of RAF Needs Oar Point, featuring rare photographs and film, stories of bravery and tragedy, and the young men who flew from these local fields.

📅 Thursday 11 June
🕖 Doors open 7.00pm | Talk starts 7.45pm
🎟 Visitors £4
📍 Hythe & District Historians, Brinton Ln, Hythe, SO45 6DU

Hope to see some of you there.

21/04/2026

Don't forget, this coming Thursday, April 23rd 2026
We will be holding our Annual General Meeting, at 7.30 p.m. in Hythe Community Centre (Brinton Lane, Hythe, SO45 6DU).
After a short AGM, there will be an illustrated talk by Colin Williams, on the history of the Williams Shipping Company, founded at Ashlett Creek - a fascinating talk.
Entry (for non-members) £3 on the door - or join on the night and get in free!

An article by WH member Robin Somes, in the latest Herald magazine, on the Myrtle Inn at Hill Head, what's now Calshot:h...
09/01/2026

An article by WH member Robin Somes, in the latest Herald magazine, on the Myrtle Inn at Hill Head, what's now Calshot:
https://www.herald-e-issue.co.uk/23/
(Photo, Hill Head Road, Fawley, by E. W. Mudge).

Elsewhere in the same issue, an account by Marc Heighway of the bravery of ATS Private Nora Caveney during an air raid in 1942:
https://www.herald-e-issue.co.uk/27/

An exhibition of the findings from 2025's archaeological dig at Bucklers Hard:
https://www.herald-e-issue.co.uk/28/

Another tale from the graveyard of All Saints church, Fawley; the life and death of William George Waterman, by Patricia Hedley-Goddard:
https://www.herald-e-issue.co.uk/32/

(After January 29th the articles will be available in the Herald archives at:
https://www.herald-e-issue.co.uk/issue485/ )

08/01/2026

UPDATE: We're happy to announce that, after some plumbing repairs and a couple of days drying out, we will be open again as normal from Saturday (Jan. 10th). Sorry for any inconvenience!

07/01/2026

We regret that the Centre will be closed until further notice, as we've had an issue with the heating and plumbing. We'll make a further announcement when we're able to open again.

Don't forget our open weekend on June 28th & 29th; come along, have a chat, a cuppa and a slice of cake - and why not be...
11/06/2025

Don't forget our open weekend on June 28th & 29th; come along, have a chat, a cuppa and a slice of cake - and why not become a member while you're there?

Colin van Geffen will be presenting "The Story of the Schneider Trophy" on Saturday 7 June in Dibden Purlieu. There is a...
02/06/2025

Colin van Geffen will be presenting "The Story of the Schneider Trophy" on Saturday 7 June in Dibden Purlieu. There is a small handful of tickets left, link in the comments if you wish to attend.

08/04/2025

Hythe Market, Tuesday April 22nd
We have a stall on the market that day, selling a wide range of our own books, and other quality 2nd-hand books, as well as dispensing information on our activities. Come along, buy a book, become a member of WHC, or just have a chat!

Save the dates! The first date to save is the AGM of Waterside Heritage which will be held on Monday 28th April, 7.30pm ...
07/04/2025

Save the dates! The first date to save is the AGM of Waterside Heritage which will be held on Monday 28th April, 7.30pm in the Hythe & Dibden Community Centre (Brinton Lane, Hythe, SO45 6DU). After a short AGM, Robin Somes will give a talk on Ashlett Creek and Mill in the early 20th Century.
Entry for non-members, £3 per person - or join on the night and get in FREE!

The next date to save is the weekend of 28th - 29th June when the Heritage Centre will be hosting an Open Weekend – keep an eye out for further details in the Herald.

We are still making progress, helped by our marvellous volunteers, with digitising our archives with the intention of making them available to members on the internet. So far, we have digitised about 25% of our photographs and a greater percentage of documents.

Friends of Lepe Country Park are hosting a talk in the Lepe Classroom on Tuesday 11th March, 2pm about the nearby wartim...
07/03/2025

Friends of Lepe Country Park are hosting a talk in the Lepe Classroom on Tuesday 11th March, 2pm about the nearby wartime D-Day airfield, RAF Needs Oar Point. If you would like to go, email Rose on the flyer.

Address

Heritage Centre, Dominy Close
Hythe
SO456HA

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 12pm
Thursday 10am - 1pm
Saturday 10am - 1pm

Website

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