St Orison Historical Society

Keeping the harbour’s memory alive

The St Orison Historical Society preserves and shares the layered story of the town — from harbour life, family histories and old photographs to priory folklore, recovered archive material and the mysteries that still cling to the coastline. Part local record, part living conversation, it brings together the people, places and events that have shaped St Orison across generations.

Through talks, exhibits, archive projects and community events, the Society invites visitors to look more closely at the town’s past. Some stories are well documented, others survive in fragments, rumours and half-remembered accounts — but all form part of the world that makes St Orison what it is.

Preserving the history, folklore and lived memory of St Orison.

YOUNG HISTORIANS

Keeping St Orison’s stories alive

Led by Dr Edmund Bell, the St Orison Young Historians programme gives younger residents the chance to explore the town through old photographs, maps, family stories and visits to historic landmarks.

Sessions encourage children to ask questions, compare different accounts and discover how ordinary objects can reveal something about the people who lived here before them.

From archive afternoons to lighthouse visits and harbour walks, the emphasis is on curiosity, confidence and making local history feel alive.

Part walking group, part local history club, Young Historians is designed to make St Orison’s history feel active, welcoming and alive for a new generation.

ST ORISON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

History belongs to everyone

From guided walks and archive afternoons to talks, local research and the Young Historians programme, the Society exists to keep St Orison’s stories alive — and to encourage new ones to be discovered.

→ Explore the St Orison Archive
→ Discover more of St Orison