Welcome to the Langport Heritage website
This website is presented by the Langport & District History Society. We aim to celebrate the rich history of the Langport area in words and images, and for each topic we try to give a bit of context. We have a special focus on Walter Bagehot, Langport’s most famous celebrity. He was born in Langport, worked in the Bank here, and is buried here, but his career in banking and journalism brought him not just a national, but an international reputation that endures to this day.
Read our latest news items below
This month's featured image
This month's featured artefact
Walter Bagehot died on 24 March 1877 at Hurds Hill. Never in robust health, a cold had turned into ‘congestion of the lung’, but he had promised his father that he would return to Langport for Easter, and so he travelled down by train. He took to his bed and died some time later with his wife Eliza at his side.
The briefcase opens out to provide a writing slope and compartments for pens and notepaper. You can see an image of it and read more about Walter Bagehot here.
How the pages are organised
Apart from Home and News, there are three main sections:
- About the Society – which gives information about the Langport & District History Society
- Langport History – which illustrates aspects of the history of the area, arranged in subjects
- Walter Bagehot – which gives details about his life, his family, his work and his legacy
Disclaimer: It is our understanding that we either own, or have been granted permission to display, the images on this site. If you feel that we do not have this right, please contact us and we will, of course, investigate.
Recent News
WEDDING BELLS
A new section has been added to the website which contains a detailed account of how Walter Bagehot met, wooed and wed the
GUY BARRINGTON
A new section has been added to the Walter Bagehot pages about his nephew, Guy Barrington, who can be described as the last
A CRIMINAL QUIZ
Our latest quiz, It’s Criminal, is out now! It’s available in the following outlets: Langport Library, Shear Class and Art-Tea-Zen in Langport, as
BAGEHOT ONLINE
We are proud to announce the online publication of The Collected Works of Walter Bagehot. By kind permission of the copyright holder, The
I SPY ANSWERS
The answers to our ‘I spy S’ quiz are now available here. We had a total of 61 entries, of which 44 came
NEW FEBRUARY TOPIC
In a change to our advertised programme, our February talk will be given by David Sutcliffe, a local historian with a special interest