Keeping our village history alive...
Codsall & Bilbrook History Society is a registered charity with a current membership of over 140.
We hold regular meetings and events and sell numerous publications chronicling the history of the area, written by our own members. We hope you like our new and expanding website.
Our next programme of events starts in Autumn 2026 and will be published on our Events page shortly.
And that means it’s time to renew your membership - or join us!
A year’s subscription costs just £15 and entitles you to free entry to all our monthly meetings at which visiting speakers give talks on a wide range of fascinating topics. Non-members are always welcome to come along for a payment of £5 on the night.
It’s never been easier to pay for membership of Codsall & Bilbrook History Society. Just use the QR code which will take you to our payment service or click on the following link:
CBHS Membership 2026-2027
Existing members (but not new members) can also pay via bank transfer, quoting their membership number as a reference. Our details are as follows:
Codsall & Bilbrook History Society
Sort Code: 30-99-83
Account No: 0 2 2 3 3 2 4 1
Alternatively, you can pay the old-fashioned way by posting a cheque for £15 to the Membership Secretary - use the form at the end of the latest Newsletter, which you can download in PDF format here.
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Quarterly Newsletters can be found in Latest News. A printer-friendly version in PDF format of the August 2026 Newsletter can be found here.
We recently launched our latest publication: Codsall Village History Trail with DV Walls. This is a 45-page book fully illustrated throughout with archive photographs which takes you on a walking tour of the village as it used to look in the 1930s and War years, drawing on 95-year-old Don’s remarkable memory of the era. We sold out but have had 100 copies reprinted which will be on sale at Tuesday’s meeting for £5 each. More details about the book will be published shortly.
Our feature on the overgrown Leper Well at Gunstone between Codsall and Brewood plus an additional page charting its history is now available to read on this site. Click here. And don’t forget to download the free online version of our out-of-print book Codsall In Wartime,marking the 80th Anniversary of D-Day in 2024. You’ll find it here.
Calling all keen local photographers: History never stands still and there are numerous changes taking place in this area at present. We welcome offers of photographs chronicling these developments for publication in our online galleries.
Street names often tell a story: Why were the roads in Codsall and Bilbrook given their names? Would you be interested in volunteering to find out the story behind the name?
Remember that our website is about much more than providing details of future meetings. We want it to offer a means of sharing memories of life in the region, from schooldays to interesting jobs and hobbies. We look forward to hearing from you.
Judy Davies
Chairman
A warm welcome!
A charabanc is about to leave Codsall Square for a trip out - circa 1914-18. Where were they off to and what did they see? It would be interesting to know. Their present day is now our history.
Get involved:
Do you have an interesting tale to tell about the Codsall and Bilbrook area from years ago which you think might be of interest to others - possibly with a photograph or two? If so, get in touch and we will publish your account on this website.
Members of Codsall & Bilbrook History Society come from all walks of life but have one thing in common - a passion for local history and a desire to ensure that the past is not forgotten. Each year (when there isn’t a global pandemic to spoil things), we run a programme of talks in Codsall Village Hall from September through to May on the third Tuesday evening of each month. We invite guest speakers to discuss a wide range of topics - some but not all, with a local theme. Recent subjects include the history of pub signs; RAF Cosford; how Almshouses helped the poor, and an appraisal of Admiral Lord Nelson. The talks are free to members and £5 on the night for non-members (see details below).
Our publications: Over the years, members of the Society have given their time for free to research the history of the Codsall and Bilbrook area and undertake interviews with longstanding residents. This material has been turned into a number of books, serving as a valuable archive for the community. Some content is available for free, exclusively on this website. See our Publications pages for more details.
Would you like to join us?
Codsall & Bilbrook History Society
Annual membership: £15
Free admission to the full programme of monthly talks
Three newsletters a year
The opportunity to attend ticket-only events
For further information, get in touch with the Society’s chairman Judy Davies by email at CBHSenquiries@gmail.com or via the Contact Us page.
“One of the deepest impulses in man is the impulse to record, to scratch a drawing on a tusk or keep a diary. The enduring value of the past is, one might say, the very basis of civilisation.”
— John Jay Chapman, Author (1862-1933)