Formed in 1962, the Society is a Registered Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee working to preserve the best of the heritage and fabric of the historic town of Faversham and its surrounding parishes. Created in response to modernization and the loss of historic buildings in Faversham, the Society aims to ensure that Faversham’s individual sense of place and outstanding heritage features are not lost and to ensure it is there for our children and our children's children to enjoy.

Our town has a rich architecture and a vibrant community. Almost 60 years of growth and development have shaped the Society into a complex business with many different aspects, most of which engage directly with the general public as well as with specialist researchers and enquirers. With over 800 members and run entirely by volunteers, the Society is one of the oldest civic societies in the UK and much of its early work has since been replicated by other civic organizations.

The steady collection and preservation of physical evidence from Faversham’s rich, historic past – archaeological discoveries reflecting many centuries of human activity, recent artefacts from everyday life, relics of Faversham’s diverse industrial and maritime past, and supporting documentary archives – endow the Society with a central role in the research and presentation of Faversham’s history to the widest audiences.

We aim to interpret our historic buildings and streetscapes to enable residents and visitors alike to appreciate what we have and when it is threatened to campaign to preserve it. 

Mission

The Society aims to:

• promote high standards of planning and architecture in or affecting the area;

• educate the public in history, architecture, geography and natural history of the area;

• and to secure the preservation, protection and improvement of features of historic or public interest.

Area Served

The Society takes an active interest in Faversham and its outlying villages, an area defined by the boundaries of the following Parishes:

Badlesmere, Boughton-under-Blean, The Brents, Buckland, Davington, Doddington, Dunkirk, Eastling, Goodnestone-next-Faversham, Graveney, Hernhill, Leaveland, Luddenham, Lynsted, Newnham, Norton, Oare, Ospringe, Otterden, Preston-next-Faversham, Selling, Sheldwich, Stalisfield, Stone-by-Faversham, Teynham, Throwley and Wychling

Who We Are and What We Do

Key people at the Faversham Society

Meet our Trustees and Board members Faversham Society Trustees - The Faversham Society

Correspondence to any of the above should be sent to the Society offices at:
10 -13 Preston Street, Faversham, Kent ME13 8NS

Society Activities

• The Fleur de Lis Museum, an outstanding FREE TO EVERYONE local history museum and archive
• Faversham’s Visitor Information Centre, including a bookshop and a gift shop. We welcome visitors to our town and provide information about the local area, serving Swale as well as Faversham and the surrounding villages
• The Fleur second-hand bookshop is a treasure trove of pre-loved books on every imaginable topic
• Management of Chart Gunpowder Mills
• Guided town walks: Walking with History led by knowledgeable local historians
• A very wide range of Society publications of local interest relating to Faversham and the surrounding area
• Family history and local history enquiry service
• Town planning, conservation and environmental care
• Local archaeology Faversham Society Archaeological Group is very active and has done much to dig up our past and add to our understanding of the development of our town from the earliest times
• Monthly Newsletter sign up online to receive a copy, full of information about what is happening in the town

AGM and Annual Reports

Read the latest Annual Report to members of The Faversham Society AGM 2025 - The Faversham Society

Articles of Association

The Society's Articles of Association can be found in our Governance section

Faversham Society Strategy

Download The Faversham Society Strategy

We have established four ‘management groups’ to run the day-to-day activity of the Society. These are set out below, including a list of the areas of work for which they will be responsible, and the Trustee who will lead each. The Society’s current sub-committees will remain in place under the relevant management group. The groups chairs will meeting monthly, and each will report on activity to the Board and implement Board decisions that pertain to their area of work.