Winter Programme 2026-27
Our winter talks are open to all and are usually free, but donations are always welcome! Please note that all meetings will be at the The Darwin Suite, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, 193 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AH. Parking is available next door at Abbey Foregate Council carpark if you need it. The Winter Social Event in December this year will be held in Alberbury (see below)
Saturday 19th September 2026 – AGM and Annual Lecture. The Society’s AGM is on Saturday 19th of September 2026. The AGM will start at 2pm, and will be followed at c 2:30pm by our Annual Lecture, presented this year by Dr Andy Howard and entitled The Geoarchaeological Resource of Shropshire: harnessing its potential. 2.00pm at The Shropshire Wildlife Trust, 193 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AH..
Saturday 10 October 2026 – Forging Fraternity in Late Medieval Society: The Palmers’ Guild of Ludlow by Rachel Harkes. Rachel will be talking about her recent book Forging Fraternity in Late Medieval Society which is an ambitious and innovative study of the social, political and religious histories of medieval England and Wales. Using the Palmers’ Guild of Ludlow as a prism, it sets out to consider the almost ubiquitous membership of religious guilds in both urban and rural society on the eve of the Reformation. With over 18,000 members recorded in the guild’s massive extant archive, drawn from across the social spectrum and spread throughout Wales, England, Iberia, Ireland and France, the Palmers offer a unique opportunity to investigate the interplay between institutions and individuals in the Middle Ages. Rachael Harkes is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Bristol on the ERC Advanced Grant/UKRI project ‘Mapping the Medieval March: Wales and England, c. 1282–1550’. Her research focuses on processes of decision-making in medieval society, with a specific interest in border regions and digital humanities. 2.30pm The Darwin Suite, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, SY2 6AH
Saturday 14 November 2026 – Shropshire in AD 1155-58: The evidence from the Pipe Rolls of the Exchequer by Paul Sutton. The Pipe Rolls are amongst some of the earliest surviving records of the English state’s administrative machinery and which list, county by county, debts owed to the Crown and revenue collected by the sheriff of the shires. This talk will discuss what the Pipe Rolls are, what they contain, and how they can be used to provide a fascinating insight into some aspects of Shropshire in the mid-twelfth century. 2.30pm The Darwin Suite, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, SY2 6AH
Saturday 12th December 2026 – Winter Social Event. Join us for our regular informal seasonal get together for a chat, tea and cake. This year we will be meeting in Alberbury. Meet at Alberbury Village Hall for a 2.30pm start for tea, snacks, cake and a natter. Judith Everard and Nigel Baker will give a brief presentation on the history and archaeology of Alberbury Church: Judith Everard: Medieval Alberbury: The French Connection Nigel Baker: Alberbury Church, excavation and investigation in 2020. We have asked for the Church to be opened from 1pm for any members that want to visit it beforehand. You can park at the hall.
Saturday 9 January 2027 – Fifty years and counting: what I’ve learnt about Wroxeter by Roger White
Roger has been excavating at and writing about Roman Wroxeter for half a century. In this lecture he will recount his experiences there, what has been found, what has been learned and what the future might hold for this important historic site. 2.30pm The Darwin Suite, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, SY2 6AH
Saturday 13 February 2027 – Trained Bands at War: Shropshire’s Royalist Militia during the English Civil War, 1642–46 by Dr Jonathan Worton. Jonathan is a lecturer in history at the University of Chester and has written extensively about the English Civil War in Shropshire and along the Welsh boarder. The role of the country trained bands, that is the citizen part-time militia, during the Civil War has been seriously negleted by historians and their contribution to the war effort of both Royalist and Parliamentarians has often been understated. Recent research undertaken by Jonathan concerning the role of the Royalist militia in Shropshire has meant a re-evaluation of its contribution is needed and this talk will present some of his findings. 2.30pm The Darwin Suite, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, SY2 6AH
Saturday 13 March 2027 – The Portable Antiquities Scheme in Shropshire by Peter Carey. Peter is the new Finds Liaison Officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme and is based at the Birmingham Museums. He will provide an update on recent finds in Shropshire and surrounding areas. 2.30pm The Darwin Suite, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, SY2 6AH
