A Summary of our Local History on this web site
History around Bidford and Salford Priors extends back to the late Neolithic period. Extensive archeological excavations undertaken during 1993 were published in 1999 by the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archeological Society. An extraordinarily comprehensive report reveals avery aspect of ascertainable plants, materials and living style from about 2,400BC to 600BC. John Alexander-Head has a copy of the report, available for short term loan.
During 2016 excavations were undertaken into a Cult site in Bidford. These were subject of a presentation to the Society in January 2017. The draft report is available suggesting the site was active about 5,000 years ago.
Excavations entitled "Buried under Bidford" were funded through English Heritage. They accessed Roman and Medieaval sites in the village. The following page reproduces information boards produced through that programme.
In the Journal of Warwickshire Local history Society Vol XV, Number 3 September 2012 Professor Christopher Dyer published a paper. Entitled "Was Bidford-on-Avon a town in the Middle Ages?, It provides a comprehensive overview of the village from before the Normans invasion until 1500AD. Copies of the document are available from Warwickshire Local History Society for a nominal fee.
In 2016 the Society research group published an historic walking guide of present day Bidford. The guide briefly summarises older features of the village, such as the bridge and the church, and looks at how buildings use has changed over the last 100 years.
The Society has produced a number of modern historic (1850-1970) studies on Bidford. You can find them under Recent publications.
In 2023 the Society republished Avon Almanac. Origiannaly published by Jack Moore in 1972 the book tells of a schoolboys observations in Bidford in the 1920s. See the link in Publications.
Other publications in Bidford Library also provide historic overview of Bidford.
An electronic copy of "Bidford History Trail" is available by clicking on the link.
During 2018 the Society commenced digitisation of documents and files of local historic relevance. So far over 3,000 have been captured. They can be accessed with specific permission from the web site editor, John Alexander-Head
A large selection of Photographs of Bidford are available from Our Warwickshire website. Click on http://www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/ to view them and to access other files. You can also view pictures showing contemporary C20th. events and some historic views. The Society has no input to the editorial material provided by the Parish Council.Click on: http://www.bidfordonavon-pc.gov.uk/yourphotos.htm