What's On
Our Programme of Talks
January to June 2026
Talks will be held in the
Parish Centre, Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8RY
at 6.30pm (unless indicated otherwise)
and others at Winchester College, starting at 7pm.
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'
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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
APRIL
As part of the Centenary Celebrations of St Peter's Catholic Church, the Winchester Catholic History Society is pleased that its President, Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, has kindly agreed to give the Centenary Talk.
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.
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To be held at: Winchester College on Friday 24th April 2026
and starts at 7.30pm
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
Look ahead for our Summer Events
April to July 2026
Monday 27th April 2026
Winchester Cathedral
Heroes & Villains: The Great, The Good and The Ghastly
As part of our Summer of events for the History Society we have organised a private guided tour of Winchester Cathedral
on Monday 27th April at 2.00 pm.
Who had to escape from the Cathedral hidden in a dung cart?​​
Who spent millions on stained glass windows - and who smashed them two centuries later?
Who locked his monks in the Cathedral without food and water?
Who met King Arthur?
Who refused lodgings to King Charles II's 'trollope'
Who stole the left hand of St James from Reading Abbey?
​​​
To find out and learn more about The Great, The Good and The Ghastly,
and who over the centuries has played an important part in the history of Winchester Cathedral. Join our tour!​
This tour takes about an hour and is all inside the building.
Please be aware there are uneven surfaces and steps.
​
The price per ticket is £17
To book your place please email: win.cath.history@gmail.com
Please do NOT send any money until you have reserved your place.
Monday 18th May 2026
The Palace of Westminster
A private guided tour of the Houses of Parliament including Westminster Hall, St Stephen’s Hall, the Central Lobby, the House of Lords,
the King’s Robing Room, the Royal Gallery and the House of Commons with it’s famous green benches.
​
After the tour there is free time for lunch, or visit Westminster Abbey,
St Margaret’s Church, the Jewel Tower, the Churchill War Rooms
and Westminster Cathedral, all within easy walking distance.
The ticket price is £48 to include coach travel.
All enquiries: win.cath.history@gmail.com​
Tuesday 21st July 2026
The Hidden Waterways of Winchester
An evening walk around Winchester looking for the hidden rivers.
​
Soon we will supply futher information and your bookings will be able to be confirmed.
October 2026
The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
Date and booking information to be confirmed.
A private guided tour of the amazing Royal Opera House including many of the areas that are normally off limits to the public, including rehearsal studios, costume and production workshops.
Learn about the history of one of the world’s most renowned opera houses.