The Architecture Group meets at Bayston Hill Methodist Centre Hall for its monthly meetings. These are usually on the first Tuesday afternoon of each month. In the winter meetings are 13.30 to 15.30. In the summer meetings are 14.00 to 16.00.

To pay for the hire of the hall group members at present contribute £6 each every six months or so. With a significant number of new members in recent months the group is quite full, but still room for one or two more new members.

The group studies buildings and gardens, architects and architectural styles through different periods of history. This includes building techniques, methods and materials. We also look at developments such as energy efficiency and Passivhaus designs. The works of individual architects and movements are explored, and in the warmer months we may undertake local field trips organised by group members. Participation is the key and, if possible, group members are expected to contribute presentations (which might be joint presentations by two or more members) or to help arrange and support meetings, events and activities in our programme.

There is time for refreshments and discussion after presentations.

Our 2026 programme started with a talk about the wide range of styles of hearths, from the primitive to the very ornate.

The Architect Clough Williams-Ellis was the subject of February's talk with a broad look at his work as well as the well-known Italianate Portmeirion village in Wales. A few more famous architects were unveiled in March in the context of the Prairie school. These were Frank Lloyd Wright working in collaboration with Mary Mahoney and her husband Walter Burley Griffin.

The talk in April was about beautiful Italian Renaissance buildings, a 15th/16th century revival of the classical Greek/Roman. Then in May the title of our talk was the Influence of Geography on Tradition Architecture where the availability of building materials and environment were important. A presentation about iconic British Rail Railway Stations in June reminded us of our great railway heritage.

Our July meeting was a field trip to Much Wenlock. The member who led the trip was a long term resident and arranged for the group to visit the Guildhall. Some houses in Much Wenlock were farmhouses with working farms until quite recent times.

September's meeting evoked some nostalgia as several members (as young children) had actually visited the Architecture & Design Festival of 1951, which was the subject of the meeting. This festival brought joy and hope to the thousands of visitors after the hardship of the war years.

Our next meetings include another look at Kingsland's Edwardian architecture and Almshouses.