Our programme of monthly TWHAS Talks is curtailed at the present time due to the Covid-19 emergency. However, we are endeavouring to broadcast our Talks by Zoom, live to TWHAS members, and then sometimes recorded for public viewing on this website. Please check below for the 2021 programme of Talks; and also for information the 2020 programme.
2021 Programme
Monthly Meetings
Meetings take place on the second Wednesday of each month (except August and December) at St Mary's Church, Wallingford.
Meetings are at 7.45pm for 8.00pm
Parking is available nearby in the Waitrose car park - free at that time of the evening.
Visitors welcome (£4)
Meetings take place on the second Wednesday of each month (except August and December) at St Mary's Church, Wallingford.
Meetings are at 7.45pm for 8.00pm
Parking is available nearby in the Waitrose car park - free at that time of the evening.
Visitors welcome (£4)
13 January (Weds)
Stephen Wass: 'Voyages to the House of Diversion: Garden Urns and the Destruction of the seventeenth-century Gardens at Hanwell Castle, Oxfordshire'
In 1675 a family dispute lead to the destruction of the extraordinary garden that had been created at Hanwell Castle in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. Its celebrated water gardens had been visited by royalty and were commented on by Robert Plot in his Natural History of Oxfordshire of 1677as 'the real New Atlantis'. Excavations over the past three years have revealed the remains of an elaborate garden feature known as 'the house of diversion' together with a unique assemblage of complete seventeenth-century pots. See also :-http://www.polyolbion.org.uk/Hanwell/Project.html
Our Speaker, Stephen Wass is undertaking a programme of doctoral research at the University of Oxford based on the gardens at Hanwell and their links to the early scientific community in Oxford. He also works as a commercial archaeologist specialising in historic gardens and is currently project archaeologist for the latest round of restoration at Stowe Landscape Garden.
10 Feb (Weds)
John Painter, ‘Reading Abbey – 900 years and still going’ (deferred from Sept 2020)
A review of the impact of Reading Abbey on the town of Reading, both in its heyday as a royal Abbey and one of the 10 leading monasteries in the country, through the dissolution and its subsequent use as a royal palace, to the destruction of the Civil War and the subsequent re-development of the Abbey Quarter and preservation of the Abbey Ruins up to the present day.
The talk will give a sense of what Reading lost with the Abbey's dissolution, and what it has gained from the subsequent re-uses of the site. It will also show what is still left of the monastic foundation, and the rich architectural heritage of Victorian and C20th developments in the Abbey Quarter.
John Painter retired from local government following 28 years working for Reading Borough Council. He has been actively involved in the Friends of Reading Abbey (FORA) since 2011, and Secretary since 2013. He joined FORA to support the council's efforts to consolidate the Abbey Ruins and get them re-opened to the public, which happened in 2018, in good time for the celebration of the 900th anniversary of the Abbey's foundation in 2021. He is co-author, with Peter Durrant, of the illustrated guide to Reading Abbey and the Abbey Quarter, published by Two Rivers Press in 2018 to coincide with the re-opening of the Abbey Ruins.
10 March (Weds)
Bill King: 'The Thames At War' (deferred from April 2020)
The River Thames has always played an important strategic role throughout British history. From the time of the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Normans, through the English Civil Wars and into modern times the River has proved to be both a key transport route and major obstacle to the movement of armies across southern England.
Following a brief outline of its historic role this talk explains why the river was such an important strategic feature in World War Two and its role in defence of the country. Industry along the Thames was adapted to serve the country in its hour of need and the Thames Valley became a centre for boat building, aircraft production and the site of numerous airfields.
Bills’ main interest is in the Second World War with particular reference to the role of Airborne and Special forces and in clandestine warfare. Bill has conducted extensive research on the role of the British Resistance Organisation (Auxiliary Units) and has contributed to the books ‘With Britain in Mortal Danger’ and ‘Churchill’s Underground Army’.
He has acted as historical adviser and appeared in the television programmes ‘Countryfile’ on BBC1, ‘History Mysteries’ on BBC2, the Channel 4 series ‘Dads Secret Army’, the Channel 5 series ‘Secrets of the National Trust’, and 'The Thames, Britain’s Great River’ with Tony Robinson.
14 April (Weds)
Julian Munby: 'Oxford Castle'
Our speaker, Julian Munby, will describe the project at Oxford Castle where an archaeological investigation was carried out between 1999 and 2009, and the results have recently been published.
Built in 1071, Oxford Castle was an imposing fortification with one of the largest mottes in the country. Largely abandoned by the late 16th century – though it was briefly refortified in the Civil War – the castle ultimately evolved into a prison that operated until 1996. When this institution closed, redevelopment of the site gave Oxford Archaeology the opportunity to carry out a decade of investigations between 1999 and 2009 – uncovering finds spanning the 11th century to the present day.
Julian works at Oxford Archaeology, as Head of Buildings Archaeology. He has worked on medieval houses, castles, cathedrals, and country houses, and is interested both in the archaeology of buildings and the link between documentary history and extant remains of the past.
12 May (Weds)
Richard Oram: ‘Wallingford: Oxfordshire’s Oldest Town?’
The talk will review the emerging evidence of settlement patterns and field systems within the environs of Wallingford from the prehistoric through to the Roman periods, focussing on the planned Bronze Age and Iron Age precursor to the Saxon Burgh.
Richard is the Planning Archaeologist for Oxfordshire County Council.
9 June (Weds)
Elizabeth Popescu: 'Excavation of the cemetery of St Augustine's, Stoke Quay, Ipswich'
Our speaker is the ‘Post-Excavation & Publications Manager’ at Oxford Archaeology.
Ipswich is one of England’s oldest urban centres, but has previously suffered from a lack of archaeological publication. It has long been understood to have been a trading place of royal power within the eastern kingdom. Excavation of a substantial site at Stoke Quay, immediately south of the River Orwell and adjacent to one of the ancient arterial routes leading into the town, was carried out by Oxford Archaeology and Pre-Construct Archaeology, during 2012.
An entirely unexpected discovery was the presence of a 7th to early 8th-century barrow cemetery that stretched along a bluff facing towards the river. Other cemeteries surrounded the primary core of settlement to the north known as Gipeswic (which lay at the junction of the Rivers Orwell and Gipping).
This talk will summarise the results of analysis, which have recently been published in the East Anglian Archaeology monograph series.
14 July (Weds)
Steve Capel-Davies: 'The River Thames - How it Shaped our Region'
The talk will look at how the Thames has influenced settlement in the region from earliest times to present. This will include considering the role of the river as a boundary / line of defence; crossing the boundary; the working river including navigation trade and mills, followed by its use for leisure.
Steve Capel-Davies (our TWHAS Chairman) is a river engineer, with strong links to Wallingford Museum. He has been involved with the Wallingford Historical and Archaeological Society for more than 30 years. Steve has had a lifetime's involvement with the Thames, during which time he developed a great interest in all aspects of its history.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ no TWHAS talks in August ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8 Sept (Weds)
Andy Hood: Archaeological investigation at the Cross Keys, Wallingford
Excavations in advance of a residential development (in St. George's Road, Wallingford) revealed part of the Burh western defensive ditch, as well as a later substantial chalk bank. Other features included a further probable ditch to the west, as well as pits and gullies, some of which appeared to be relatively early. Somewhat unexpectedly, the presumed defensive ditch terminated within the site, which suggested that the military earthworks in this area are more complex than previously thought.
13 Oct (Weds)
Chris Boyce: Benjamin Disraeli - Life and Times
Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881) was a politician and a novelist during the Victorian age. The only British Prime Minister of Jewish descent, who became a favourite of Queen Victoria during a time when the country underwent significant change and became a world power. Although often considered something of an outsider during his life, he became Prime Minister twice and Chancellor of the Exchequer three times. The Primrose League was formed shortly after his death and was one of the biggest political movements of the 19th Century.
10 Nov (Weds)
Stephen Barker: 'Five Indian Pilots of the Great War'
In November 1916, the Royal Flying Corps began an experiment to recruit for the first time, Indians resident in Britain. Prior to that, men such as these were unable to enlist owing to a 'colour-bar'. Why was there a change of policy and what would be the experiences of these five men? The presentation is fully illustrated and includes both audio and video clips.
Stephen Barker is a Heritage Adviser, specialising in consultancy for those applying to fund projects with military history themes. He specialises in work relating to the First World War and British Civil Wars. His interest lies in promoting people’s understanding of their military heritage, making the past interesting, relevant and exciting for a variety of different audiences.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ no TWHAS talks in December ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last year's programme (2020) - just for info
Jan
Marie-Louise Kerr (Curator Without Museum): ‘Oxford's Penicillin’
Think penicillin is just thanks to Fleming? Think again!
Feb
Dr Elaine Jamieson (Reading University): ‘Medieval Castles and the Reuse of Ancient Places’
Was the siting of medieval castles influenced by the remains of landscapes and monuments of the prehistoric and Roman periods?
March
Tim Allen (Oxford Archaeology): `New light on Wallingford's southern suburb: excavations at the former Police Station, Reading Road'.
April no meeting - talk POSTPONED until March 2021
Bill King: The Thames At War
May no meeting - talk given online 14th Oct 2020 - see links below
Dr Edward Peveler (Landscape Heritage Officer, Chilterns Conservation Board): 'Beacons of the Past: Citizen Science and LiDAR shedding light on the history of the Chilterns landscape'
June no meeting - talk POSTPONED until later date
John Smith: The Battle of Britain
July no meeting - talk POSTPONED until Oct 2021
Tim Smith: 'Youth grows pale and spectre thin and dies - a history of tuberculosis'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ no TWHAS talks in August ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sept no meeting - talk POSTPONED until Feb 2021
John Painter (secretary - Friends of Reading Abbey): 'Reading Abbey - 900 years and still going'
Oct TWHAS' first Zoom Talk - 14th October
'Beacons of the Past: Citizen Science and LiDAR shedding light on the history of the Chilterns landscape'
- presented by Dr Edward Peveler (Landscape Heritage Officer, Chilterns Conservation Board)
The results of the UK’s largest ever archaeological LiDAR survey have recently been made publicly available for citizen science analysis. The 1400 km2 survey, covering the Chilterns AONB and its surroundings, records the topography of the landscape in great detail. Any archaeological sites surviving as earthworks, even just a few centimetres high, will be detected, giving us evidence of people living and working in the region from the Neolithic to the 20th Century. The technique is particularly powerful in wooded landscapes, able to show up sites beneath the tree canopy where archaeological survey has traditionally been very difficult; with more than 20% tree coverage, the Chilterns AONB has many secrets to reveal. In this talk Dr Ed Peveler will be introducing this Lottery-funded project, explaining more about the survey, letting us know how we can access the data to do our own archaeological exploring, and showing us some of the exciting results that are already emerging.
Dr Ed Peveler is the Landscape Heritage Officer at the Chilterns Conservation Board, responsible for the technical elements of the Beacons of the Past project, and for the development and delivery of volunteering opportunities such as skills workshops. Prior to joining CCB, Ed completed his AHRC-funded DPhil at the University of Oxford, investigating the process of construction and building materials in Roman Oxfordshire. He also worked as Assistant Director of the University of Oxford excavations at the Roman small town of Dorchester on Thames between 2014 and 2017, and has excavated at sites in Britain, Italy, Albania, Tunisia, and India.
Ed's recorded talk is HERE
After viewing the Talk, if you would like further information please look at this link:- https://chilternsbeacons.org
Up-to-date news (more being added regularly) is available on:- https://chilternsbeacons.org/wp/news-blog
Nov a TWHAS Zoom Talk
Dr Jane Harrison: Early Anglo-Saxons in the Upper Thames Valley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ no TWHAS talks in December ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marie-Louise Kerr (Curator Without Museum): ‘Oxford's Penicillin’
Think penicillin is just thanks to Fleming? Think again!
Feb
Dr Elaine Jamieson (Reading University): ‘Medieval Castles and the Reuse of Ancient Places’
Was the siting of medieval castles influenced by the remains of landscapes and monuments of the prehistoric and Roman periods?
March
Tim Allen (Oxford Archaeology): `New light on Wallingford's southern suburb: excavations at the former Police Station, Reading Road'.
April no meeting - talk POSTPONED until March 2021
Bill King: The Thames At War
May no meeting - talk given online 14th Oct 2020 - see links below
Dr Edward Peveler (Landscape Heritage Officer, Chilterns Conservation Board): 'Beacons of the Past: Citizen Science and LiDAR shedding light on the history of the Chilterns landscape'
June no meeting - talk POSTPONED until later date
John Smith: The Battle of Britain
July no meeting - talk POSTPONED until Oct 2021
Tim Smith: 'Youth grows pale and spectre thin and dies - a history of tuberculosis'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ no TWHAS talks in August ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sept no meeting - talk POSTPONED until Feb 2021
John Painter (secretary - Friends of Reading Abbey): 'Reading Abbey - 900 years and still going'
Oct TWHAS' first Zoom Talk - 14th October
'Beacons of the Past: Citizen Science and LiDAR shedding light on the history of the Chilterns landscape'
- presented by Dr Edward Peveler (Landscape Heritage Officer, Chilterns Conservation Board)
The results of the UK’s largest ever archaeological LiDAR survey have recently been made publicly available for citizen science analysis. The 1400 km2 survey, covering the Chilterns AONB and its surroundings, records the topography of the landscape in great detail. Any archaeological sites surviving as earthworks, even just a few centimetres high, will be detected, giving us evidence of people living and working in the region from the Neolithic to the 20th Century. The technique is particularly powerful in wooded landscapes, able to show up sites beneath the tree canopy where archaeological survey has traditionally been very difficult; with more than 20% tree coverage, the Chilterns AONB has many secrets to reveal. In this talk Dr Ed Peveler will be introducing this Lottery-funded project, explaining more about the survey, letting us know how we can access the data to do our own archaeological exploring, and showing us some of the exciting results that are already emerging.
Dr Ed Peveler is the Landscape Heritage Officer at the Chilterns Conservation Board, responsible for the technical elements of the Beacons of the Past project, and for the development and delivery of volunteering opportunities such as skills workshops. Prior to joining CCB, Ed completed his AHRC-funded DPhil at the University of Oxford, investigating the process of construction and building materials in Roman Oxfordshire. He also worked as Assistant Director of the University of Oxford excavations at the Roman small town of Dorchester on Thames between 2014 and 2017, and has excavated at sites in Britain, Italy, Albania, Tunisia, and India.
Ed's recorded talk is HERE
After viewing the Talk, if you would like further information please look at this link:- https://chilternsbeacons.org
Up-to-date news (more being added regularly) is available on:- https://chilternsbeacons.org/wp/news-blog
Nov a TWHAS Zoom Talk
Dr Jane Harrison: Early Anglo-Saxons in the Upper Thames Valley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ no TWHAS talks in December ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Additionally, you may wish to learn about two local archaeological projects which have recently posted updates online.
Click HERE
Click HERE
Katharine Keats-Rohan is the TWHAS Speaker's secretary. If you have suggestions for future talks, please contact Katharine
If other local history societies would like to notify us of their events for possible inclusion (subject to space) in the monthly publication, TWHAS Now, then please send details to the TWHAS Now editor
If other local history societies would like to notify us of their events for possible inclusion (subject to space) in the monthly publication, TWHAS Now, then please send details to the TWHAS Now editor