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.
All our monthly talks are free for members unless specified otherwise.
UPCOMING NEW TALKS ON THIS WEBSITE
PROGRAMME OF SPEAKERS
From September 2026 to June 2027
All the talks at Winchester College will start at 7.30pm (unless indicated otherwise) in:
The Parish Centre, Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8RY
September 2026 to June 2027
September 2026
PROFESSOR RYAN LAVELLE
University of Winchester
'Winchester, Wessex & England in the Early Middle Ages'
The relationship between England's early capital and the kingdoms of Wessex and England before the time of Alfred the Great to the Norman Conquest.
To be held at the Parish Centre on Wednesday 16th September 2026 at 6.30 pm
October 2026
Dr MELANIE McDONAGH
'Converts: Why did so many Extraordinary People become Catholics in the 20th Century?'
This book examines the phenomenon of the conversions to Catholicism between the 1890s and the 1960s. It focuses on 16 notable British writers, artists and intellectuals including Oscar Wilde, Evelyn Waugh, Muriel Spark and G K Chesterton.
To be held at Winchester College on Wednesday 14th October 2026 at 7.30pm
November 2026
Stuart Hervey
'Raphael in Rome'
An in-depth look at the works of Raphael Sanzio, The Prince of Painters. His prolific output left a legacy that influenced artists for centuries, until his untimely death at the young age of 37. We finish at his monumental tomb in the Pantheon.
To be held at Winchester College on Wednesday 18th November 2026 at 7.30 pm
December 2026
AGM at 5.30 pm
Professor John Mcleer University of Southampton
'The End of the East India Company'
At it's peak the East India Company was the largest corporation in the world with an army larger than Great Britain’s. It was synonymous with wealth and power. This talk includes the Indian Mutiny and concludes at the Partition of India in 1947.
To be held at The Parish Centre on Wednesday 9th December 2026 at 6.30 pm
