We are delighted to announce that Gloucester History Festival are among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
This award will support the preparations and development of an exciting autumn festival for 2021, making it possible for Gloucester History Festival to present an engaging programme of events.
“We are delighted to have the support of the Culture Recovery Fund.
This grant is the much needed support we needed to develop an inspiring festival for the autumn. A festival for our communities to come together, develop their understanding of the world, both past and present and learn about the Frontiers and Pioneers that have shaped all of our stories.”
Jacqui Grange, Festival Manager
Gloucester History Festival has received a grant of £12.5K from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and develop their future offer.
More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Gloucester History Festival in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.
Gloucester History Festival is committed to bringing history to life for everyone. We present an annual two week festival to celebrate the city’s rich history, heritage and culture. The festival celebrates local, national and international history through a highly acclaimed programme of Blackfriars Talks; the City Voices programme of workshops, performances, tours, parades, exhibitions and digital content; the Heritage Open Days and the much loved Gloucester Day, to give people the chance to learn from the past and shape their life today for the future. During 2020 the festival took place online, providing history and culture to people in their homes.
With the first Culture Recovery Fund grant, Gloucester History Festival has been able to develop an online Spring festival, which will bring history and culture to homes near and far from April 17th-18th. The festival presents a programme of talks from historians including Greg Jenner, Janina Ramirez, Tim Marshall, Robert Pike and Katja Hoyer. The festival also offers an array of special experiences, enabling people to engage with the past in different ways, from rare opportunities to see Gloucester’s historic venues virtually to singing historical songs, and an interview with Vanley Burke.
This second Culture Recovery Fund award will support the Gloucester History Festival to prepare, secure and develop an exciting programme of events for the autumn on the theme of Frontiers and Pioneers, to mark a year which sees a multitude of significant anniversaries of frontiers and pioneers of all kinds. 2021 includes anniversaries of the end of the USSR 30 years ago, the building of the Berlin Wall and Yuri Gagarin’s first manned space flight 60 years ago, the Battle of the Imjin River during the Korean War 70 years ago and, much further back, this May marks the 550th anniversary of Gloucester’s city gates closing against Margaret of Anjou as she approached Gloucester before the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.
The Culture Recovery Fund will support the development of an autumn festival full of stories of crossing boundaries, new discoveries, change and advancements of the past. A festival to re-unite local communities and empower all generations to explore history and develop their understanding of the world, both past and present.
“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced.
Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”
Oliver Dowden, Culture Secretary
Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
The second round of awards made will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.
“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work.
We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England
The funding awarded is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.
Gloucester History Festival are delighted to announce a new Festival this Spring in addition to the much loved autumn events, with a view of deepening relationships with history enthusiasts by offering a year round programme.
This decision is following the success of the 2020 festival that reached nearly 11,000 people at home around the world during the two week festival, and a further 9,500 viewers experiencing the festival by watching the recorded talks on demand.
Akin to the 2020 Festival, the spring festival will be presented online – allowing people from around the world to come together virtually and engage with stories and insights of the past. The festival will include special speakers in a selection of talks and City Voices events, offering a taste of history ahead of the main event in September.
This smaller festival will take place in April, with the programme and dates to be announced.
We are thrilled to announce our 11th annual festival, taking place from 4th-19th September 2021.
This news follows the success of our 2020 festival that reached nearly 11,000 people at home around the globe, within the two official weeks of the festival, and a further 9,500 viewers who enjoyed the Festival’s on-demand content beyond the festival dates.
‘After the success of last year’s festival, I am excited for what Gloucester History Festival has up its sleeve for 2021.
I am thrilled to announce the theme for 2021’s festival is Frontiers and Pioneers, which not only will share world-changing-moments in history, but also feels so relevant to the history we’re living through today. Engaging with history is a constant reminder, that the stories of the past help us to gain perspective and remind us to have hope through challenging times.
Whether we’re welcoming visitors to the history-rich Gloucester venues this autumn or virtually online, we can’t wait to share a programme that will inspire and provide something for everyone.’
– Janina Ramirez, Festival President
This year Gloucester History Festival will run from 4th-19th September, exploring the theme of Frontiers and Pioneers. 2021 sees a multitude of significant anniversaries both close to home and further afield: the end of the USSR 30 years ago, the building of the Berlin Wall and Yuri Gagarin’s first manned space flight 60 years ago, the Battle of the Imjin River during the Korean War 70 years ago and, much further back, this May marks the 550th anniversary of Gloucester’s city gates closing against Margaret of Anjou as she approached Gloucester before the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. All feature frontiers or pioneersat the heart of the story. This year also sees the anniversaries of a host of ground-breaking pioneers including Frank Whittle’s very first jet engine flight in Brockworth 80 years ago and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gloucester-born Herbert Cecil Booth who invented the vacuum cleaner – changing our everyday lives to this day.
Whether crossing new boundaries in the world of science and space, erecting barriers that will echo uneasily through history, manning the barricades and holding the line, or breaking boundaries to unite, work together or gain freedom, 2021’s anniversaries mark frontiers and pioneers of all kinds. As we find ourselves in a memorable yet challenging time in history, these stories also inspire us to look at the changes, hope and advancements through difficult times and the pioneers and breakthroughs which have prevailed.
With events cancelled and postponed across the world in 2020, Gloucester History Festival was one of the first across the country to develop a fully digital festival experience, reaching more people than ever before. This September, we hopes to offer both online and in-person events and will follow guidance on this nearer the time. The Festival is committed to continuing an online programme as well as real-life events where possible, aware of the positive impact that online events have in reaching people near and far. A virtual visitor from Canada said:
‘I am immensely thrilled to be able to attend the festival this year from Canada. The programming was impeccable. I am blown away by the programming!’
The 2020 festival was praised by many for the quality of the talks on offer.
‘I enjoyed viewing the events online, there was a great deal of interesting material in the lectures and the discussions were friendly, stimulating and often thought provoking.’
The full programme and speakers will be announced later in the year.
The 2020 festival included household names such as Janina Ramirez, Mary Beard, Neil Gaiman and David Olusoga.
We are delighted to announce that we have been nominated to receive a £25,000 life line as part of the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage.
This emergency funding will enable us to:
Recoup against financial loss from this year’s festival, which, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, forwent all live events
Future proof against the on-going climate by finding new ways to develop the Festival with online content
This is a great time for Gloucester as three other heritage organisations, as well as us, received financial support from the same fund, totalling almost £300,000.
We wanted so very much to be able to offer live events this year, but at the eleventh hour that the decision was made to digitalise all events. Although this opened many doors of opportunity, and we engaged with more people online than ever before, the financial situation has been an on-going concern, as it has with many arts, cultural and heritage organisations nation wide.
With social distancing conditions remaining in place, we plan to use a proportion of the funding to futureproof ourselves against ongoing restrictions by learning from this pilot year of digital activity, using that learning to guide future festival plans.
“We are so relieved Although we were thrilled to be able to offer the Festival online this year, we lost a massive line of income from ticket sales because we were not able to hold any live events. Its been a massive concern”
Jacqui Grange, Festival Producer
The support that our audiences and subscribers have given us through individual donations has been so gratefully received, and we thank each and every person who has contributed in this way. However, we are still in the position where we rely very heavily on this support fund, if the future of the festival were not to be in jeopardy, and this much needed funding gives us the lifeline that we need to journey into 2021 slightly more confidently.
This vital funding is from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage and the Heritage Stimulus Fund – funded by Government and administered at arms length by Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Both funds are part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund which is designed to secure the future of Britain’s museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues with emergency grants and loans.
Gloucester History Festival is asking the residents of Gloucester to submit some of their favourite Gloucester based memories to be used in a digital memory box as part of the Gloucester Looking Up project.
Celebrating their 10th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of Heritage Open Days, Gloucester History Festival is working with the Heritage Hub on a city-wide digital heritage project, funded by Historic England, entitled Gloucester Looking Up which is a key part of the City Voices programme of the Festival this year.
Written, spoken and recorded, typed or filmed, residents are asked to share some of their most precious memories of Gloucester, with a view of some of them being included within the Digital Memory Box project. Residents will be able to submit memories on the new Gloucester History Festival website, once it launches in August, or in the meantime, by accessing the submission form available on social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), that is sent to the email subscriber list, or by emailing to be sent the link to the submission form.
“Your memory could be about people, places, events, special family moments, celebrations or landmark occasions” says Dan Lusby from Squeaky Pedal, the company commissioned to make the Memory Box. “But really, we are looking for those very special memories, those moments in time, that are not necessarily connected to something big happening else where. It is those small cherished, blink and you miss them, memories that mean the world to you, that we are looking to capture. But they have to be connected to Gloucester.”
Gloucester History Festival celebrates stories of the past that are told around the world, in a way that is relevant to people today, but it is a festival very much rooted in Gloucester. Telling the stories of people from the City, who continue to make it such a vibrant, interesting, colourful and special place to live and work is equally important.
Gloucester History Festival is supported by Gloucester City Council and Historic England.
For more information, further images and to book interviews contact Beckie Smith:
The theme of this year’s festival will be Voyagers and Visionaries to mark the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage to America in September 1620. Telling stories of discovery, migration, identity and discovery it reveals how journeys near and far have shaped our past.
Gloucester History Festival is doing everything it can to deliver some elements of a live programme across the 2 week festival which runs from Saturday September 5 to Sunday September 20 this year, but inevitably, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be much changed with significant online and digital contributions for the first time. A new website (www.gloucester historyfestival.co.uk) will be launched soon, and people are encouraged to check it regularly as content will be added on a rolling basis.
As part of the City Voices element of the festival, Historic England has made a grant to the city to inspire a citywide heritage response to COVID-19.Entitled ‘Gloucester Looking Up’ it will encourage communities to look up at the buildings, look up online, look up their heritage and ensure that Gloucester’s built and lived heritage is part of a shared recovery.
Gloucester’s thriving History Festival makes history of its own this year and announces some of its first ever programme of digital online events.
#everyoneshistory
Following the most recent Covid-19 Government advice Festival managers have made the decision to deliver not only the City Voices element of the festival online, but the renowned Blackfriars talks programme as well.
Festival Manager Jacqui Grange said: “We believe with careful planning we will achieve same level of professionalism expected of the Festival with our online content. We are putting together an extraordinary programme of events which will not only encompass the City Voices programmes, but the Blackfriars talks too, with some elements of the Heritage Open Days programme also being available online.
The impressive and digital City Voices programme includes highlights such as:
Kingsholm Looking Up by artist Ellie Shipman; an illustrated guide to the people and places of Kingsholm where people will be able to visit the area, follow a walking trail map and ‘look up’ to see vinyl illustrations in the windows across the route.
Take it to the Cleaners by artist Hanna Thomson; celebrating the unsung heroes of heritage and ensuring they are recognised for the invaluable work they do. At this online event, audiences will hear about their favourite objects or parts of the heritage sites they clean as well as their own experiences and stories
You called: we came! by Diverse-city; a project that works across the whole festival resulting in an interactive map which people can follow that raises the profile of BAME heritage across the city. This projects also includes a film about the All Nations Community Centre
Gloucester Firsts by Rider Shafique and Tarsier Films; who present two short documentaries which explore Black History through telling the stories of firsts. The first Mosque and first Black Business. The films will include interviews with key community members and will look at the importance and influence of heritage and how people connected to these venues and businesses have continued to support the BAME community today
BSL tour of Gloucester by Deaf artist Olivier Jamin and Christina Wheeler; who present a unique and engaging response to 2-3 sites across the city in BSL with subtitles for hearing audiences
Tales from the Cross by Jarek Adams; who presents an interactive audio experience designed to stimulate individuals into thinking about their city, its past, present and future and their part in its story.
We See Gloucester (Do you see us?): The city through the lens of black photographers; Rider Shafique poignantly explores identity, culture and heritage through face coverings in a series of photographs of Gloucester people taken during lockdown.
This City Voices content will be available on the Festival website (www.gloucesterhistorfestival.co.uk) for festival goers online from the launch of the Festival on Saturday 5 – Sunday 20 September. The new website is expected to launch by mid-August.
Festival Managers are still finalising details of the now online programme of Blackfriars events; details of which will be announced shortly.
The festival will begin as usual with Gloucester Day, masterminded as always by Town Crier Alan Myatt on Saturday 5 September, and the Heritage Open Days programme, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year will still continue in a socially distanced manner.
Despite the consequences of Covid-19 this 10th year of Gloucester History Festival promises to be the best and most innovative year yet.
Gloucester History Festival celebrates stories of the past that are told around the world, in a way that is relevant to people today, but it is a festival very much rooted in Gloucester. Telling the stories of people from the City, who continue to make it such a vibrant, interesting, colourful and special place to live and work is equally important.
Gloucester History Festival is supported by Gloucester City Council and Historic England.
Notes to Editors
For more information, further images and to book interviews contact Beckie Smith:
The theme of this year’s festival will be Voyagers and Visionaries to mark the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage to America in September 1620. Telling stories of discovery, migration, identity and discovery it reveals how journeys near and far have shaped our past.
Gloucester History Festival is doing everything it can to deliver some elements of a live programme across the 2 week festival which runs from Saturday September 5 to Sunday September 20 this year, but inevitably, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be much changed with significant online and digital contributions for the first time. A new website (www.gloucester historyfestival.co.uk) will be launched soon, and people are encouraged to check it regularly as content will be added on a rolling basis.
As part of the City Voices element of the festival, Historic England has made a grant to the city to inspire a citywide heritage response to COVID-19.Entitled ‘Gloucester Looking Up’ it will encourage communities to look up at the buildings, look up online, look up their heritage and ensure that Gloucester’s built and lived heritage is part of a shared recovery.
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Bestselling historian and broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts joins us for a wide ranging discussion about her journeys into the past. Following her acclaimed books Crypt and Ancestors, her latest Domination
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Bestselling historian and broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts joins us for a wide ranging discussion about her journeys into the past. Following her acclaimed books Crypt and Ancestors, her latest Domination takes us on an enthralling investigation into the spread of Christianity and its complex changing relationship to the Roman Empire. Unearthing archaeological clues and challenging established histories, she takes us from remote Welsh valleys to the shores of Brittany; from the turbulent heart of the Roman Empire to ancient Corinth in the footsteps of the apostle Paul; from Alexandria to Constantinople.
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Frank Skinner is one of Britain’s best-loved comedians, broadcasters and writers. In a unique event he joins forces with Janina Ramirez for a witty, warm and fascinating journey into the
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Frank Skinner is one of Britain’s best-loved comedians, broadcasters and writers. In a unique event he joins forces with Janina Ramirez for a witty, warm and fascinating journey into the past. From Sutton Hoo to Viking swords, ancient coins to amazing ruins they share their passion for history – with plenty of laughs along the way.
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Since 1988 BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet has reported from trouble spots all over the world from Bosnia to Gaza, Ukraine to Iraq. Today she tells the turbulent history
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Since 1988 BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet has reported from trouble spots all over the world from Bosnia to Gaza, Ukraine to Iraq. Today she tells the turbulent history of Afghanistan from 1969 to 2021 told through the changing fortunes of Kabul’s Inter-Continental Hotel and its staff who have endured Soviet occupation, multiple coups, a grievous civil war, a US invasion and the rise, fall and rise again of the Taliban. She shares her thoughts on current events in the region.
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‘There’s been more history made over the last 9 months than in the last 70 years.’ David Olusoga.
History is at the very heart of our national identity says bestselling
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‘There’s been more history made over the last 9 months than in the last 70 years.’ David Olusoga.
History is at the very heart of our national identity says bestselling historian and broadcaster David Olusoga. In a powerful event he explores the rising ‘history wars’, the burying of uncomfortable truths and why Western nations are not as immune to the forces of history as we like to believe.
He discusses the crucial role of public historians, the challenges of making documentaries like BBC2’s Empire and the role historians must play in today’s turbulent world, before ending on a lighter note with candid reflections on The Traitors and the unlikely friendships it forged.
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TUDOR AFTERNOON
In her new book, The Stolen Crown, leading historian and broadcaster Tracy Borman exposes the shocking truth behind Elizabeth I’s succession revealing a tale of treachery, deceit and dynastic drama
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TUDOR AFTERNOON
In her new book, The Stolen Crown, leading historian and broadcaster Tracy Borman exposes the shocking truth behind Elizabeth I’s succession revealing a tale of treachery, deceit and dynastic drama at the heart of the Tudor throne. With tales of forged manuscripts and secret plots, her new research rewrites the 1603 handover of power between Elizabeth I and James VI of Scotland and she join us to offer a game-changing new perspective on the Stuart regime.
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TUDOR AFTERNOON
Join acclaimed historian James Clark as he uncovers the dramatic story behind Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, with a vivid spotlight on the friars of Blackfriars Priory and
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TUDOR AFTERNOON
Join acclaimed historian James Clark as he uncovers the dramatic story behind Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, with a vivid spotlight on the friars of Blackfriars Priory and the West of England’s vanished religious houses. Discover intrigue, resistance and unexpected alliances in his “superbly researched and wonderfully told history” of this seismic event (The Times). His compelling talk offers a gripping tale of faith, ambition and loss that changed Gloucester and the nation forever.
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Join us as Janina Ramirez unveils her new book Legenda which sheds new light on the lives of remarkable medieval women whose achievements have been twisted – often by men
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Join us as Janina Ramirez unveils her new book Legenda which sheds new light on the lives of remarkable medieval women whose achievements have been twisted – often by men – for political ends over the centuries. From Lady Godiva to Isabelle of Castile, Olga of Kiev to Joan of Arc she peels back the layers of time to show how, even today, these iconic women have been weaponised to justify the actions of those in power and she reveals their true stories.
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Join bestselling historian Janina Ramirez and Bayeux Tapestry expert David Musgrove to explore the questions you need answered in advance of the biggest historical exhibition of our times: the loan
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Join bestselling historian Janina Ramirez and Bayeux Tapestry expert David Musgrove to explore the questions you need answered in advance of the biggest historical exhibition of our times: the loan of the Tapestry to the British Museum in September 2026. They’ll explain all the things we know (and those we don’t) about the great visual record of the events of 1066. Join them to hear why people say it’s ‘coming home’ next year, find out who’s in the tapestry (and who’s not), why there’s much more to it than the battle of Hastings, and why it has some surprisingly rude bits in it.
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Online premiere of the 2025 Winstone Talk
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Trump’s second term and current conflicts in the Middle East mark one of the most challenging periods in Europe’s history
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Online premiere of the 2025 Winstone Talk
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Trump’s second term and current conflicts in the Middle East mark one of the most challenging periods in Europe’s history since WW2. After the collapse of Soviet Communism, the West convinced itself that liberal democracy would be the dominant system of governance. However the rise of Vladimir Putin proves that it’s often unwise to make such predictions. Former BBC Correspondent and leading historian Martin Sixsmith traces the historical forces and myths shaping Putin’s politics, explores Russia’s influence on current global conflicts and reveals how the Kremlin is rekindling the Cold War.
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Israel, Gaza, Iran…conflicts in the Middle East continue to send shockwaves across the globe. But why has political change been so difficult to achieve? And what could the future hold?
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Israel, Gaza, Iran…conflicts in the Middle East continue to send shockwaves across the globe. But why has political change been so difficult to achieve? And what could the future hold? Join Britain’s top Middle East expert, LSE historian Fawaz Gerges, for a clear, comprehensive guide to the thorny issues. He traces more than a century of the region’s vexed history, from the end of the Ottoman Empire and the European carve-up of the Middle East to the Iranian Revolution, the Arab Spring and Israel’s current conflict with Gaza and Iran. Chaired by Jo Durrant.
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Join award-winning actress Celia Imrie, star of Victoria Wood, Bridget Jones and The Thursday Murder Club, she as she talks about her extraordinary career and her fascination with the resilience
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Join award-winning actress Celia Imrie, star of Victoria Wood, Bridget Jones and The Thursday Murder Club, she as she talks about her extraordinary career and her fascination with the resilience and camaraderie of women during World War II.
Together with actress and co-author Fidelis Morgan, she delves into the real life World War II events behind her recent book which explores the courageous lives of women in the London Blitz. As well as discussing her life as an actor, she shares photographs and news reels of the real women of the Home Front who inspire her.
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Sebastian Faulks’s novels often engage with history at a deep level, whether in the First World War classic Birdsong or his brilliant recreation of the behind-the-lines World War Two espionage
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Sebastian Faulks’s novels often engage with history at a deep level, whether in the First World War classic Birdsong or his brilliant recreation of the behind-the-lines World War Two espionage in Charlotte Gray. His many other acclaimed novels also have a very particular sense of historical place and time and he now turns his attention to his own life in his latest book Fires Which Burned Brightly. He joins Vernon Harwood to discuss his life and writing, and how he puts the past onto the page.
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Join Greg Jenner, Horrible Histories guru, and creator of the smash hit BBC podcast You’re Dead to Me for a lively deep-dive into the Stone Age. Discover how cave paintings
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Join Greg Jenner,Horrible Histories guru, and creator of the smash hit BBC podcast You’re Dead to Me for a lively deep-dive into the Stone Age. Discover how cave paintings were really made, how people cooked, lived and built ritual landscapes, and what the latest archaeological research is revealing about our prehistoric ancestors.
In conversation with historian and broadcaster Janina Ramirez, Greg brings his trademark wit, insight, and storytelling flair to a period that’s often overlooked but bursting with surprises. Expect myth-busting, fascinating facts, and prehistory as you’ve never seen it before.
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Join acclaimed historian Helen Carr, author of the bestselling The Red Prince, as she explores the turbulent 14th century, from the death of Edward II in 1307, when England was
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Join acclaimed historian Helen Carr, author of the bestselling The Red Prince, as she explores the turbulent 14th century, from the death of Edward II in 1307, when England was torn by war, plague and rebellion. Discover a world shaped by the bloody Hundred Years War with France, the Black Death and the Peasants’ Revolt, as powerful monarchs and ordinary people struggled for survival and change. Praised as ‘vivid and compelling’ this is an unmissable journey into one of the most dramatic and transformative centuries in English history. Chaired by Jo Durrant.
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Marking the 1100th anniversary of Aethelstan’s coronation, leading Cambridge historian David Woodman explores the reign of England’s founder king whose achievements of 927, when he conquered the Vikings at York,
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Marking the 1100th anniversary of Aethelstan’s coronation, leading Cambridge historian David Woodman explores the reign of England’s founder king whose achievements of 927, when he conquered the Vikings at York, rival the Norman Conquest in shaping Britain as we know it. Starting in Gloucester, he traces the influence of Aethelflaed on her nephew Aethelstan, the importance of Mercia to the King and the legacy of a visionary ruler. After his talk he’s joined by City Archaeologist Andrew Armstrong who explores the significance of St Oswald’s Priory and chairs your questions.
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Battered by the Vikings, succeeded by King Alfred, the great Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia (AD 630-918) encompassed today’s Gloucestershire and powered the rise of England. Bestselling archaeologist and historian
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Battered by the Vikings, succeeded by King Alfred, the great Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia (AD 630-918) encompassed today’s Gloucestershire and powered the rise of England. Bestselling archaeologist and historian Max Adams explores the golden age of Mercia – its landscapes, peoples, conflicts and power struggles.
He tells the thrilling story of King Offa, described by Alfred as ‘the vigorous king who terrified all neighbouring kings’, explores the building of his great Dyke and reveals the equal status Offa afforded his wife Cynethryth, making them the first real power couple of early Medieval England.
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Trailblazing historian Olivette Otele is a compelling voice reshaping our understanding of the past and its impact today. African Europeans, her acclaimed book, uncovered the long and complex history
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Trailblazing historian Olivette Otele is a compelling voice reshaping our understanding of the past and its impact today. African Europeans, her acclaimed book, uncovered the long and complex history of people of African descent in Europe. Now in her forthcoming book she tells the story of 15 ports ranging from Amsterdam to Bristol, and the Bight of Biafra to the Virgin Islands, each one closely associated with five centuries of exploration, slave trading and empire building. Britain’s first Black female history professor, now a professor at SOAS, is in conversation with Janina Ramirez.
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Founded by Alexander the Great on the Mediterranean coast, the city that bears his name evolved into one of the most dazzling metropolises in history. An intoxicating blend of
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Founded by Alexander the Great on the Mediterranean coast, the city that bears his name evolved into one of the most dazzling metropolises in history. An intoxicating blend of Greek and Egyptian culture, Alexandria was a hub of philosophy, science and history, as well as a city of pleasure, politics and astonishing violence. A city for exiles that belongs to all. Leading historian and broadcaster Islam Issa offers a wonderfully entertaining tale of its history from ancient times to the present day.
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Followers of instagram’s @englishpilgrim will know Luke Sherlock’s passion for the hidden stories of England’s most ancient parish churches from Gloucestershire’s Duntisbourne Rouse to the Kent marshlands and Derbyshire hills.
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Followers of instagram’s @englishpilgrim will know Luke Sherlock’s passion for the hidden stories of England’s most ancient parish churches from Gloucestershire’s Duntisbourne Rouse to the Kent marshlands and Derbyshire hills. From secret symbols carved in stone to centuries-old legends echoing through sacred walls, discover how simple stone churches and ornate gothic abbeys shaped communities and faith. With vivid storytelling and striking images, Luke uncovers the treasures and mysteries waiting in plain sight. Join him for an inspiring pilgrimage into the heart of England’s spiritual heritage. Chaired by Jo Durrant.
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Master stonemason Andrew Ziminski has worked on the greatest Cathedrals in the land from Salisbury to St Paul’s. Church Going, his bestselling handbook to Britain’s glorious medieval parish churches has
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Master stonemason Andrew Ziminski has worked on the greatest Cathedrals in the land from Salisbury to St Paul’s. Church Going, his bestselling handbook to Britain’s glorious medieval parish churches has become a phenomenon, described by Tony Robinson as ‘joyous and Illuminating.’
Grab this rare opportunity as he shares the compelling stories of some of our greatest church art and architecture including the medieval wall paintings at Kempley and the grotesques and gargoyles at Winchcombe.
“Ziminski is a rare and wonderful voice.” – Rory Stewart
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Top historian, BBC Coast presenter and one of Britain’s leading archaeologists Mark Horton made some extraordinary new discoveries last summer which change our view of the activities of Viking settlements
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Top historian, BBC Coast presenter and one of Britain’s leading archaeologists Mark Horton made some extraordinary new discoveries last summer which change our view of the activities of Viking settlements in Gloucestershire and beyond.
Join him as he reveals the very latest research and the ground-breaking discovery of a major new Viking Fort on the banks of the Severn.
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Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
