WELCOME TO
WINCHESTER CATHOLIC HISTORY SOCIETY
The aim of our Society is
‘to develop and foster an interest in, and an appreciation of history, especially in Catholic, local and English history’.
We achieve this by holding monthly talks by speakers who are experts in their field. We aim to cover a wide range of topics each season and, in addition, we arrange at least one trip to a place of historical interest.
We look forward to welcoming our members and visitors
to our meetings.
​
Please note all talks at Winchester College are pre booked only.
Please do not attend if you are feeling unwell or have any symptoms relating to Covid-19.
UPCOMING NEW TALKS
2026
PROGRAMME OF SPEAKERS
January to June 2026
The talks will take place at 6.30pm (unless indicated otherwise) in:
The Parish Centre, Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8RY​​
January to June 2026
January
CARDINAL TIMOTHY RADCLIFFE
​'An evening with Cardinal Radcliffe'
He was ordained in 1971 as a Dominican and was created Cardinal by Pope Francis in December 2024. He is a Honorary Doctor of Divinity at the University of Oxford he has 12 other doctorates including Georgetown, Fribourg and the Angelicum.
To be held at:
Winchester College on Thursday 29th January 2026 at 7pm​
February
PROFESSOR ANNA
WHITELOCK
​'The Sun Rising: James 1
& The Dawn of a Global Britain'
Professor Whitelock is a historian, author and a well known broadcaster. Her latest book is an extraordinary account of the arrival of the Stuarts and the foundation of a Global Empire.
To be held at: Winchester College on Thursday 5th February 2026 at 7pm​
March
ANNA WITHERS
​'Medieval Monastic Gardens'
_WEBP.webp)
Monastic Gardens were prominent in the Medieval period. They were carefully planned to serve as a source of food, medicine and a place of peace and spiritual reflection.
Wednesday 18th March 2026
Starts at 6.30 pm
SPECIAL EVENT IN APRIL
To Celebrate the Centenary of St Peter's Catholic Church in Winchester
THE REVD PROFESSOR DIARMAID MACCULLOCH
Kt, MA PhD Camb, MA DD Oxf, FBA​
​
​'Smashing Images during The Reformation: why did they do it, and why did they stop?'
Professor MacCulloch is Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church at Oxford and a prize winning Author who has written extensively on the sixteenth century. The Reformation was the seismic event in European history which tore the medieval world apart. The Reformation is where the modern world began.
.jpg)
To be held at: Winchester College on Friday 24th April 2026 at 7pm​
May
PROFESSOR MARIA HAYWARD
University of Southampton
​'Dressing for the Restoration Court: Fashion in the reign of Charles II'
This talk will explore fashionable dress at the Court of Charles II by focusing on the clothes of the King, his Queen Catherine of Braganza and his mistresses. It will draw on Royal Collection accounts and the portraits of the leading Court artists including Peter Lely and John Michael Wright.
Wednesday 20th May 2026 - Starts at 6.30pm
June
PROFESSOR MICHAEL WHEELER
​'William Ewart Gladstone: The Heart and Soul of a Statesman'
Professor Michael Wheeler is a leading historian of the nineteenth century and currently a Visiting Professor of English at the University of Southampton. William Gladstone was one of the most important statesmen of the Victorian Age. This new book explores the spiritual dimension of his complex inner life.
‘His longest crusade was the enemy within’.
Wednesday 17th June 2026 - Starts at 6.30pm
