10th April 2008, Historical Novel Society Conference, York

The Historical Novel Society is holding their conference at the National Railway Museum in York. The programme includes the following authors:

Elizabeth Chadwick
Suzannah Dunn
Jude Morgan
Andrew Martin
Lynne Patrick, publisher at Crème de la Crime

Plus there will be discussion panels. For further details, go to the HNS Conference website.

13th February-17th February 2008 Jorvik Viking Festival, York

The Viking Festival runs for five days in and around York, UK, and there's lots of events to visit. Details here.

13th October: Small towns in North Yorkshire

Small towns in North Yorkshire: orgins and early development.
A day-school held by CBA Yorkshire, at Hambelton Forum, Bullamoor, Northallerton.

Speakers:

• Peter Wilson What happened to Roman towns
• Trevor Pearson The origin of East Coast towns
• Stephen Moorhouse Early commerical centres in Wensleydale
• Robin Daniels Village or town?
• Maurice Turner Ripon
• Chris Hall Helmsley
• Christine Newman Northallerton
• Barry Harrison Thirsk & Yarm

Cost £12.50 (inc. drinks). Further details (please enclose an SAE): Mike Edwards, Secretary XBA, 12 Smithwell Lane, Heptonstall, West Yorks, HX 7NX

Viking Market 2007, Barley Hall

A few pix from the Viking Market at Barley Hall:

Catherine of Curious Works, selling all things textile, including tablet weaving and naalbinding







Chris, Corivm Artificivm, who sells leather (and textile) pouches and bags of all eras, including Roman. Seen here with John of Comitatus, moonlighting as a Rus Viking







Duncan from Aram Merchant Venturers who sell excellent glass and jewellery






Will Styles, the Jolly Box Man, aka History Alive - boxes of all kinds






Terry, who was trading along with Gytha the Weaver, in his superb 11th century Clergyman's garb









Ken, Barley Hall staff member, and historic shoe-maker extraordinaire








'Spikey' Paul, stalwart volunteer at Barley Hall (lifting and shifting a speciality)

2nd June: Mary at Bolton

Mary at Bolton: Mary Queen of Scots in Yorkshire, 1568-9. One day conference, Bolton Castle, Leyburn, Yorkshire. Conference fee £30. Please book by 30th April.

Speakers:

• John Guy (author of My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots) Mary Queen of Scots: sex and spin
  
• Harry Bolton, The ramblings of Mary Queen of Scots
• Emma Watson, Maintaining the faith of their fathers: the endurance of traditional religion in early-Elizabethan Yorkshire
• Krista Kesslering, Mary Queen of Scots and the rebellion of 1569
• Peter Brears, The household organisation and management at Bolton in the 16th century
• Steve Moorhouse, Bolton Castle in its 16th century setting

Further details: Emma Shaw, CRLHR, University of Teeside, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, Tel: 01642 384665, email: emma.shaw@tees.ac.uk

31st March: Hildenley Quarries – Kirkham Priory and Medieval Malton

SPAB Regional Group visit. Hildenley near Malton will be the first of our quarry visits for 2007. The quarry has been worked if not from Roman times at least from the 12th century when Walter l’Espec used the stone to build Kirkham Priory.

Hildenley Limestone in its pure form is a fine grained white porcellaneous limestone with chert bands and forms part of the surrounding Malton Oolite and Hambleton Oolite Late Jurassic landscape. Hildenley was last worked in the mid 1800’s to supply the interior of South Dalton Church (1858-61) but could be re-opened subject to local planning controls.

We meet 10.00am at Kirkham Priory and after a short introduction by English Heritage travel to Hildenley where Richard Myerscough from the Ryedale Vernacular Building Materials Research Group will guide us through the numerous quarry workings. Edward Freedman from the North York Moors NPA and Emma Woodland from Ryedale DC will also be available to enlighten us on the development controls now affecting the possible re-opening of local quarries such as Hildenley.

We travel then to Malton where an optional pub lunch will be arranged for those that wish to participate. (Parking available at Ryedale House, Old Malton Road)

We reconvene at 2.30pm. when Nigel Copsey SPAB member and consultant stonemason to the Fitzwilliam (Malton) Estates will take us on a tour of the vaulted undercrofts of medieval Malton. Nigel will include on his tour examples of conservation and repair involving the use of local stone.

Further information and booking form £6.00 (not including lunch) from Ray Wilson. e-mail rwilson@padside-hall.co.uk

17th March: Craftsmen of Beverley Minster

Craftsmen of Beverley Minster: A Continuing Tradition

The Parish Room, Beverley, 10.00 – 16.30

A day school on the work of craftsmen involved in creating and maintaining this beautiful building. Speakers include:

• Jenny Alexander
• Paul Barnwell
• Nicholas Dawton
• Ian Stewart

Guided tours of the roof, sculpture in the nave, and masons’ marks
Cost: £12 (Friends of the Minster £10) includes morning and afternoon refreshments
To book Email davidjcant@hotmail.com

5th March: Roman Finds Group Meeting, York

The Roman Finds Group will be holding their spring meeting in York on 5th March. The title is: How It's Done in Eboracum, and will be held at the Tempest Anderson Hall at the Yorkshire Museum. It starts at 10.30 am and speakers include:

Simon Holmes: Roman artefacts recorded with the PAS in Yorkshire
Francis Grew: Roman military finds from Bowes
Andrew Morrison: The recent YM exhibition: Constantine the Great, York's Roman emperor
Kelly Powell: Teaching Roman archaeology at the YM using artefacts
Catherine Bearcock: The YM's Roman collections: the future

It costs £4 for non-members. Booking enquiries: E.V.Swift@kent.ac.uk

3rd March: Digging for Brass

Digging for Brass: the impact of the Extractive Industries on the Yorkshire Landscape
University of Bradford. This day school, to be held jointly with the Division of Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences at the University of Bradford, will focus on recent research into the effects of mining and quarrying on the people, landscape and cultural environment of Yorkshire. Speakers will include:

• David Cotton on the Geology of Yorkshire
• Robert White on the uses of Limestone
• Gerry McDonnell on the medieval Ironstone industry
• David Pybus on the Alum industry of north-east Yorkshire
• Eileen White on mining for Stone in Idle
• Rosemary Preece on the disappearing landscapes of the Coal industry
• George Sheeran on a rural colliery and its squire: Colsterdale, North Yorkshire.

There will also be posters and displays, as well as PLACE books for sale. The conference fee (including tea/coffee and sandwich lunch) is £25.00 per head. To book your place, please send a cheque for £25.00 per head, payable to 'PLACE' to: Dr Margaret Atherden, PLACE Office, York St John University, York, YO31 7EX. Tel: 01904 876753. E-mail: place@yorksj.ac.uk

3rd-4th March: The Clarence Household

Barley Hall, York. Come along and discover a medieval household - The Clarence Household - at work and play. £4.50 for adults, £3.50 children & concessions.
11am-3pm.

18th February: Saga and Songs Night

Saga and Song Night, Barley Hall, off Coffee Yard, York. 8.00pm: £20. A special candlelit evening in the beautiful surroundings of Barley Hall. Be entertained by ancient stories, enchanting songs and traditional instruments, whilst sampling delicious Scandinavian food and drink, buffet style. Pre-booking: 01904 543402. Part of the Jorvik Viking Festival.

17th-18th February: Tenth-Century Traders

Tenth-Century Traders, The Guildhall, off St. Helen's Square, York 10.00am - 5.30pm: £1.50 adult, £1 conc, £4 family of four. Join the throng of traders in this ancient hall, selling unique and traditionally crafted items including jewellery, pottery, leatherwork, chainmail and swords. Part of the Jorvik Viking Festival.

14th-18th February Jorvik Viking Festival, York

The 22nd Jorvik Viking Festival. Full details of events here.

14th-18th February Viking Market

Barley Hall, York hosts the Viking Market. Period crafts for sale and Viking skills on display. 10am-5pm. £1 admission. Part of the Jorvik Viking Festival.

10th February: The Society for Creative Anachronism

Barley Hall, York - A living history display of medieval crafts and skills from calligraphy to music and dance, undertaken by the Society for Creative Anachronism. From 11am-3pm. £4.50 for adults, £3.50 children & concessions.

3rd February: CBA Yorkshire Symposium

On 3rd February CBA Yorkshire will be holding its annual symposium at the Tempest Anderson Hall, Yorkshire Museum. It starts at 11am, and Speakers include:

Mike Saunders: Thornborough Henge, a progress report
Dave Heslop: Recent work by the Yorkshire Querns Survey
Bill Bevan: Romans on the Don
Simon Tomson: Recent work of the Pontefract and District Archaeol Soc
Marjorie Harrison and Catrina Appleby: Identifying the Knights Templar Preceptory at Copmanthorpe
Simon Holmes: Results of recent outreach work by the Portable Antiquities Scheme
Marcus Jecock: Recent work in Yorkshire by the English Heritage Archaeol Survey and Investigation Team
Gill Chitty: Community involvement and heritage protection
Alison Armstrong: The historical landscape of Bradleys Both

It costs £8 (non-member) including tea and coffee. Booking enquiries: cbayorkshire@britarch.info

27th-28th January: Residents First in York

It's Residents First Weekend in York on January 27th-28th 2007. This is where residents, on showing their York Card, can gain entry to a bevy of local tourist venues and monuments. Barley Hall will be taking part with its Handy History activities for families - make a crown or a princess hat, 10am-4pm. On 27th January, there will also be a Candelit Evening in the Hall with room guides and a medieval bar, 6-8pm.

At the time of posting this entry, there are no further details of other venues that will be taking part, but hopefully this website will be updated in the next couple of weeks, and a leaflet should also be available locally from the library.

Salutate

Welcome to the Historical Adventures blog

Here is where I'll detail the events I get involved in. They can range from a medieval fayre at Barley Hall, an event with Late Roman re-enactment group Comitatus, toattending a lecure at the Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society (YAYAS). The history scene in York is pretty varied. We've got the university and its archaeology, history and medieval departments, the Council for British Archaeology, Jorvik, DIG, archaeological units, historic monuments by the ton. So there's always something historical going on. I'll try to cover some of them, but will doubtless fail. So if you have an event you want included, leave a comment and perhaps a web link, and I'll make my way there.