Meeting will be held in the Annex of the Richmond Library just off Kew Green {Click here for details} unless occassionally they will be clearly marked as 'Zoom'. Non-members are welcome to attend with a small donation. In fact most of our members now prefer this new library venue to the Vestry rooms that we used pre-Covid.
For Zoom sessions, Stephen will still need to send out invitations to all those on his list, so if you are not on his list then please send him your address (see 'Contacts' tab)

For further information or an abstract, click

Lectures & Events for Spring 2026
9 January, 2026		LiDAR and its use in Surrey The talk will provide an overview of LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging) and how it is used in archaeology as a prospection device, with particular focus on the online citizen science tool, Surrey LiDAR Portal, and the recent discoveries made through it in the local area.		Dr Anne Sassin (National Trust)
13 February, 2026		The Mersea Island Project With each low tide the largest open air archaeological site in England opens to the public. Nestled in the mudflats of Mersea Island, eight miles south of Colchester, Essex, are a wealth of well-preserved sites and features ranging from prehistoric timber trackways to early Saxon fishing structures. Under the guidance of the Coastal and InterTidal Zone Archaeological Network (CITiZAN), a dedicated team of local volunteers have been recording and monitoring this valuable but fragile resource. This talk will explore their work and look at some of the key sites and finds from this fascinating landscape, and examine how a community archaeology project evolved to become an intimate study of what it means to live by an eroding coastline.		Oliver Hutchinson, Project Officer, Museum of London Archaeology
13 March, 2026		The Rise and Fall of Richmond Palace An historical, and lively, talk about Richmond Palace. In a departure from the usual RAS format copies of his books will be available. "After a career in International Corporate IT and Mergers and Acquisitions I am now able to enjoy my passion for history with Richmond Local History Society (RLHS), looking after membership and events. I enjoyed writing The Rise and Fall of Richmond Palace (2025) and Amazing Richmond Bridge (2026) and now support local charities with talks about the Palace, the Bridge and my latest passion, AI and the Historian."		Mark Lucas
10 April, 2026		Amazing Richmond Bridge & other stories In a departure from the usual RAS format copies of his books will be available.		Mark Lucas
8 May, 2026		Life, Death and Worship at HM Tower of London: Excavations outside the Chapel Royal of Saint Peter ad Vincula The Chapel of Saint Peter ad Vincula within the Tower of London is often known as the burial place of famous individuals including Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, John Fisher, and Thomas More. However, its primary purpose was (and continues to be) as the parish church of the Tower. In 2019, small-trial excavations were undertaken outside the western entrance prior to Major excavations undertaken in 2025, in order to install an accessible lift. During these phases of work the complete remains of over 26 individuals were exhumed (3 in 2019, 23 in 2025) and disarticulated charnel, were exhumed. These remains exhumed in 2019 have, through funding via the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Research Fund, become the first excavated from the Tower to be subject to modern radiocarbon and multi-isotope analysis (14C, δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, δ18O, and 87Sr/86Sr) providing new insight into the development of the chapel, the Tower community. This talk explores the results of that analysis, alongside the results of both excavations, and future analysis.
Lectures & Events for Autumn 2026
13 November, 2026		Verulamium		Kris Lockyear (University College, London)