Delve into history

Explore the events of the past, and how they’ve shaped the world we live in today. Immerse yourself in different eras, marvel at historic achievements, and examine how different things could have been.  

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All of our courses are designed to help develop your skills in historical research and analysis, encouraging you to look beyond the surface of key historical moments. From the history of King Arthur to World War I and II, you’ll develop a better understanding of key historic customs, beliefs, and ways of life.   

Whether you consider yourself a history buff with decades of experience, or someone just starting out that wants to learn more, you can choose from a wide selection of topics.   

Attend a ܽƵ history course near you  

A variety of our history courses are taught in-person or are delivered online - it all depends on what suits your needs best. From the comfort of your own home to a space in your local community. Whichever option you choose, you’ll be taught by a talented tutor who is vastly experienced.   

The support you’ll receive on our history courses  

They'll help you develop an understanding that goes beyond just what's on the surface, all within a friendly and encouraging environment that ensures you attend each session with the excitement to learn.   

It’s our learning experience that sets us apart too, with many of those attending our courses going on to achieve incredible things. You’ll learn at a pace that’s comfortable for you too, with a friendly supportive tutor on hand to answer any questions you might have. 

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Architecture: Medieval Architecture of the English Cathedrals

Recognising the main architectural styles of the medieval cathedrals is key to being able to appreciate the periods of their construction. From the great Anglo-Norman building programme, whose surviving architecture can be seen in Ely and Winchester, through the Early Gothic of Canterbury, the Early English of Salisbury, the Decorated Style of Exeter and on to the Perpendicular of York, this is a story of continuous stylistic and technical progress.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 25/04/2024 -
Thu 09/05/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Keith Hasted
Course code:
Q00014954
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
£16.65

History: Philosophy Behind the Headlines

The course will briefly introduce the principal ideas of a selection of philosophers and apply these to the discussion of the news headlines and the controversies that lie behind them. This course will encourage discussion and sharing of ideas about current affairs and will involve reflecting on how to make philosophy a part of this discussion.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 25/04/2024 -
Thu 30/05/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Blue Beetle Room (London)
Hendon Lane
Finchley
London
N3 1TR
Tutor:
Daniel Williams
Course code:
Q00012137
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £60.00

History: Byzantium : Bulwark of Christianity?

How did the Roman Empire survive the great challenges it faced during the 8th century, and yet arise ultimately stronger? We will examine how the reign of Leo III not only ushered in a time of stability but also brought about key developments within mediaeval Roman society, and how, during that time, the Arab threat was confronted and ultimately weakened. Finally, we will examine the issue of iconoclasm manifested itself during the first half of the eighth century, and how that impacted on Roman society at large. This course will examine those events in a friendly and supportive online group.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 25/04/2024 -
Thu 11/07/2024
Times:
11:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Gary Slator
Course code:
Q00014178
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £81.40

History: The House of Lancaster: Intermediate

The emergence of the House of Lancaster could have led to a major decline of the English realm, yet it achieved its greatest success against the old enemy of France. A consideration of the later reign of Richard II will be made, and what particular factors ultimately led to his overthrow. We will then go on to provide a major analysis of the reign of Henry IV, dealing with the various problems and rebellions faced by the English and how he in turn was able to contain those problems. This course will analyse the course of those events, in a supportive online environment.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 25/04/2024 -
Thu 11/07/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Gary Slator
Course code:
Q00014354
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
3 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £81.40

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For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
ܽƵ Membership

History: British Folklore: Beginners

How did some of the characters and images of British folklore come to be so widely recognised as key elements of British society? We will go on to examine some of the key figures of English folklore tradition, including the main characters of Arthurian and Robin Hood stories, as well as considering the evidence for their origins and historical basis. We will also examine some of the early English and Celtic pagan cults and gods in order to shed light on how those early practices may have gone on to affect habits and customs in later times. We will also identify animals with a British Folklore tradition.
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Course Information

Dates:
Fri 26/04/2024 -
Fri 12/07/2024
Times:
11:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Gary Slator
Course code:
Q00014176
How you'll learn:
Online
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £81.40

History: Aphra Behn: Poet, Playwright, Prisoner, Spy. Her Life & Times

Join tutor Michael Long on this fascinating one-off session, presented as part of Women's month, looking at the life of Aphra Behn. Aphra Behn was a playwright, poet, translator and royal spy. She was a woman in a world of men, a staunch Royalist, a spy, and condemned as a scarlet woman with loose morals. She was also the first woman in England to identify herself as a professional writer. She wrote to suit the occasion, and she wrote to make money. This is a brief look at her life and times rather than a focus on her literary achievements.
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Course Information

Dates:
Fri 26/04/2024 -
Fri 26/04/2024
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Michael Long
Course code:
Q00014708
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40

History: The Past We Remember

In 1930, W.C Sellar & R.J. Yeatman ‘s 1066 And All That was published. The authors claimed that “History is not what you thought. It is what you can remember.” Starting from their premise, we will explore the ways that our memory and understanding of British history are influenced by fiction and the arts, as much as by teaching and text-books. We will look at how authors, playwrights and artists have depicted the past, both through deliberately looking backwards or by describing their own times in an enduring way. Can fiction help us understand the past more than factual accounts?
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 29/04/2024 -
Mon 24/06/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Katherine Croft
Course code:
Q00014921
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £51.80

History: The First World War (Part 1)

The First World War is thought to be the most written-about war in history, and yet to many of us it can seem utterly beyond comprehension – its geographic scope, its length, the lack of clearly defined war aims, the seemingly endless offensives and the terrible casualty bill all conspire to make this seem an impenetrable and at times futile conflict. And yet real issues were at stake, which mattered to many of those who fought, on both sides.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 30/04/2024 -
Tue 21/05/2024
Times:
3:00pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00015009
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £30.00

History: Smuggling in Essex- the Romance and Reality

How do the popular representations of smuggling in novels, songs, poems, paintings and film match up to the reality of the trade on the Essex coast in the 18th century? We will look at some of the enduring romantic depictions alongside official records and reports to consider the reality of life for people up and down the Essex coast whether engaged in smuggling or the fight against it.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 01/05/2024 -
Wed 22/05/2024
Times:
7:30pm - 9:30pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Billericay Reading Rooms (Billericay)
73 High Street
Billericay
CM12 9AS
Tutor:
Claire Parker
Course code:
Q00013750
How you'll learn:
In venue
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £33.60

History: Britain In Ireland - From The Act Of Union To The Irish Free State

This six week online course will look at the history of the Ireland as it gradually established itself as an independent nation state. Beginning with the Act of Union, which brought the country into the United Kingdom for the first time, we’ll examine the history through the tragedy of the Famine and resultant growth in republicanism, the attempts to introduce Home Rule to give Ireland autonomy within the Union, and then outbreak of violence with the Easter Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War, whose repercussions are still being felt today.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 01/05/2024 -
Wed 19/06/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
David Price
Course code:
Q00014382
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40