Covington and Keyston History Group was formed with the aim of researching, recording and presenting the history of both villages. Meetings take place on the second Monday of the month from October to March at 7:00pm alternating between Covington and Keyston Village Halls. The programme for each 'season' can include visiting speakers, primary document research, identification of archaeological finds. Visitors are very welcome to come along to Group meetings.  We also go on interesting summer outings, which usually include a very good lunch!

Recent topics have included talks on Kimbolton Airfield during WWII and another on American forces in our area during that period, the Manchester Family, the diary of Cornelius Binns, and details regarding an active Archaeological dig in Norwich.  Some summer highlights have included visits to the Northamptonshire Archives and Hemingford Grey Manor House along with the continuance of the archaeology activities including metal detecting, field walking and test pits.

With help and guidance from Jigsaw (Cambridgeshire), the Covington and Keyston History Group has found evidence of people living continuously in both parishes since the Bronze Age. There was an impressive Romano British settlement, with several families of ordinary people living in roundhouses and farming the pastures pretty much as has continued for the intervening 2000 years. In Saxon times, it would appear there was iron smelting activity in Covington – possibly with the ore coming from nearby Raunds. Covington really expanded in medieval times and plenty of utilitarian pottery from the Lyveden area has been excavated. The Group has had enormous fun learning archaeological skills and has put together reference collections of pottery and bone found in the area (see links below). Reports of the excavations have been lodged with the Archaeological Data Service.  Investigations continue!