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
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Saturday 10 October 2026 – Forging Fraternity in Late Medieval Society: The Palmers’ Guild of Ludlow
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 26th September 2026 – Montgomery 1644: Civil War in the Marches
Saturday 26th September 2026 – Montgomery 1644: Civil War in the Marches, by Glenn Foard. The Montgomery Civil War project, begun in 2023, is currently the Battlefields Trust’s largest survey project, and has become one of the most comprehensive studies of any battlefield or siege site of the period in Britain. Glenn Foard’s lecture will combine primary accounts of the action, evidence of the historic terrain, and the archaeology of the fighting, to tell a detailed story of the two weeks in September 1644 when events at Montgomery made national news. Following Dr Foard’s lecture it will be possible to visit the site of Montgomery castle itself.
This is a meeting of the Powysland Club. Attendance at the lecture is free, but as we anticipate considerable interest in this event it would helpful to know if you are planning to attend, and also if you would like to join a tour of the castle. Please email the Powysland Club Programme Secretary, Dr Mary Oldham, momilford@hotmail.com or telephone 07713 111583. 1.30pm, Montgomery Town Hall, Montgomery, Powys
FLOREAT SALOPIA – A Celebration of Shropshire’s History and Archaeology
FLOREAT SALOPIA – A Celebration of Shropshire’s History and Archaeology
100th volume of the Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society
To mark the 100th volume issue of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society’s Transactions, we have commissioned a collection of new research papers into Shropshire’s archaeology and history. This volume offers snapshots of Shropshire’s past, from the earliest prehistory to the end of the twentieth century. It presents both archaeological and historic perspectives and demonstrates the importance of the county in the wider context of the United Kingdom. This is the first comprehensive overview of Shropshire in over 50 years, showcasing the research going on in the county.
You can order your copy of Floreat Salopia from Oxbow Books by following this link: Oxbow Books – Floreat Salopia
