ADMISSION IS FREE - VOLUNTARY DONATIONS WOULD BE WELCOME

Sheringham & District Society

Sheringham & District SocietySheringham & District SocietySheringham & District Society
Home
The Fishermen's Lifeboat
Peter Coke Shell Gallery
Opening Times
The Buildings History
News and Events
Coffee Morning Talks
The Heritage Trail
Sheringham Lifeboat Trail
S&DS Page
Useful Website Links
Postcard Gallery

Sheringham & District Society

Sheringham & District SocietySheringham & District SocietySheringham & District Society
Home
The Fishermen's Lifeboat
Peter Coke Shell Gallery
Opening Times
The Buildings History
News and Events
Coffee Morning Talks
The Heritage Trail
Sheringham Lifeboat Trail
S&DS Page
Useful Website Links
Postcard Gallery
More
  • Home
  • The Fishermen's Lifeboat
  • Peter Coke Shell Gallery
  • Opening Times
  • The Buildings History
  • News and Events
  • Coffee Morning Talks
  • The Heritage Trail
  • Sheringham Lifeboat Trail
  • S&DS Page
  • Useful Website Links
  • Postcard Gallery
  • Home
  • The Fishermen's Lifeboat
  • Peter Coke Shell Gallery
  • Opening Times
  • The Buildings History
  • News and Events
  • Coffee Morning Talks
  • The Heritage Trail
  • Sheringham Lifeboat Trail
  • S&DS Page
  • Useful Website Links
  • Postcard Gallery

About The Sheringham & District Society

The Sheringham & District Society

Our society, the formal title of which is The Sheringham and District Society, was founded in 1979 as a result of a relatively small boundary dispute. This acted as a catalyst which brought together a group of likeminded people who were conscious that there were many things waiting to be done which would not be done without co-operation and determination. The initial energy and enthusiasm has kept the Society active as it now looks to recruiting a younger generation to continue the same work and find new avenues to explore as it responds to changing requirements. It is the civic society for the areas covered by the civil parishes of Sheringham Town, Upper Sheringham and Beeston Regis. It is subject to a written constitution administered by an Executive Committee made up of Trustees and is registered with the Charity Commission (No. 280951).


The Society’s principal achievements are summarised below:


Contributing approximately £80,000 from the Society’s own resources to a wide variety of local projects which have improved and conserved the local environment and made life more pleasant for residents and visitors


Securing a further £100,000 in grants from external sources for local projects


Opening the Henry Ramey Upcher (HRU) lifeboat shed to visitors on behalf of the town since 1983 

and successfully renovating the Fishing Sheds, open from 2006, to provide further exhibition space. This enabled us to accommodate the Fishermen’s Lifeboat Museum (incorporating the HRU lifeboat in its shed with information about the fishermen who made up the crew, their families and the Upcher family who provided the finance), the Peter Coke Shell Gallery (containing shell artworks generously donated to the Society by Peter Coke) a small craft shop which the Society rents out and the garden adjacent. (For details of the renovation see The Buildings History page).


Mounting an annual art exhibition since 1979, providing a showcase for local artists and an attraction for residents and visitors


Initiating environmental conservation projects (clearing of undergrowth and litter, planting of trees, shrubs and bulbs) which have improved the appearance of the area (and led to the formation of Sheringham in Bloom); within this category are included the massive task of clearing Upper Sheringham Churchyard after years of neglect, participation by members in the formation of the Beeston Common Management Group and initiating periodic cleaning of the beach and beck


Agitating for a town museum which led to the formation of Sheringham Museum Trust, to which the Society has contributed generously


Being on the alert for problems and deficiencies in and about the town (e.g. missing street signs, lights which don’t work, where benches are needed, curbing vandalism) by alerting the authorities and also taking direct action


Scrutinising planning applications, acting directly and through persuasion to conserve historic buildings, protesting against overdevelopment and contributing to planning policy


Setting up a heritage walk with blue plaques on significant historic buildings and encouraging research into the history of Sheringham and Beeston Regis

WOULD YOU LIKE Join?

The Fishermen’s Lifeboat Museum & The Peter Coke Shell Gallery


We work closely with the Sheringham Museum Trust, which runs The Mo (Sheringham Museum). 

The Mo contains extensive displays on the history of Sheringham as a fishing village and later, especially during the Edwardian period, as a fashionable resort. It also contains many of the town’s former 

RNLI lifeboats. Since being established in 1979 as the Sheringham and District Preservation Society (Registered Charity No. 280951) we have been involved in (and contributed £150,000 towards) a wide variety of local projects which have conserved the local environment and made life more pleasant 

for residents and visitors. We are affiliated to the Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England, the Association of Historic Towns and Villages and other similar bodies. 


Download Membership Form - PDF

Would you like to be a Volunteer?

Join Our Team of Volunteers

If you're interested in volunteering, please apply here. Tell us if would like to help in the 

Peter Coke Shell Gallery or the The Fishermen's Lifeboat Museum

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Copyright © 2025 Sheringham & District Society - All Rights Reserved.


Powered by GoDaddy

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

DeclineAccept