City of Bath Heraldic Society About Us

The City of Bath Heraldic Society celebrated its 60^th Anniversary in 2008.   We can attribute its longevity to several things.  

• Firstly, the fact that Heraldry is a subject which, once delved into, is totally fascinating.  

• Secondly, that the Society has always been made up of enthusiastic and friendly people.

• Thirdly, that those people are generous with their time and their expertise. 

• And fourthly, that we serve excellent teas with fresh sandwiches and home made cakes.  

Our membership is open to all – whether expert or beginner. Some of our Members are the best known names in the Heraldry world while others simply come to our meetings because every aspect of Heraldry opens up knowledge on many other subjects. Anyone interested in history or genealogy needs at least a basic knowledge of Heraldry.

Until people begin to understand Heraldry, they tend to think that a Coat of Arms is simply a colourful pattern.  It is not. A Coat of Arms can tell you many things about a person; about that person’s family and history.  Local historians neglect Heraldry at their peril – one Coat of Arms on a church memorial or on an Heraldic funeral hatchment, can often tell them something that would take many hours of research to discover any other way.

The interests of our Members range from Medieval History to Air Force Badges. From Railway Heraldry to Encaustic tiles. From Bookplates to Medals.

Our meetings usually involve a talk with slides, many given by Members themselves (several of our Members lecture to other Societies around the country) but we also have outside speakers at some meetings.

Although we meet in Bath, our Membership base is wide – members travel from Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, Glamorgan, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.  Our venue, the Manvers Street Baptist Church Hall, is only a few strides from both the railway station and the bus station.  Bath is always worth a visit, so a Saturday in Bath can include sightseeing, shopping and a pleasant lunch as well as an interesting talk and friendly conversation at one of our meetings.

Visitors and new Members are always welcome so why not take a look at our Programme page and join us one day?

Arline Fisher