HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
Gloucestershire Branch

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We were pleased to welcome Professor Beat Kumin from the University of Warwick for our final talk of 2023 held at the Exmouth Arms. We all greatly enjoyed hearing about The World of the Tavern in Early Modern Europe while enjoying mince pies and a few drinks!

We were very pleased to have our 2023 branch outing in July.

Despite an extremely wet day 16 of us visited Woodchester Mansion, near Stroud, an amazing unfinished and haunted Grade I listed Gothic Revival masterpiece. Our guided tour took us around the building and grounds providing insights into the origins of the building and the reasons for its current unfinished state. Most of us discovered that it was far more ‘finished’ than we expected! We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and only took a short while to dry off!

It is a fascinating building in a lovely valley, and worth a visit if you haven’t been, opening times: 11am – 5pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, also Bank Holidays, until 5 November this year.  See https://www.woodchestermansion.org.uk

Our 2023-2024 programme will start in September

For this programme we are hoping to offer a mix of face-to-face and on-line events. Updates will be put on the programme page and emailed out when details are confirmed.

Updated August 2023

A number of talks from previous programmes can be found on YouTube here

Are you interested in history?
Then our activities are for you!

The Historical Association has been supporting the study and enjoyment of history since 1906. It currently has over 6000 national members; many more people are associate members of local branches. The very early activities of the HA mainly involved history teachers looking to support one another, but as early as 1917 a revision of the HA constitution explicitly provided for the membership of anyone ‘interested in the study and teaching of history’. 

Today our local branch is just one of more than 45 around the UK. In keeping with the HA’s aim of bringing together all those who are interested in history, whether professionally or just for interest and enjoyment, the branch’s talks are open to all: to national HA members and our associate members in the branch, and also to the general public who can pay a very small entry fee – currently £3 (free for students) – to attend individual events. 

Our talks cover many aspects of history in all historical periods and all areas of the world (click here for details of the latest programme). Local history is not forgotten, though we try to set any local topics in their wider geographical and historical contexts.

We also organise a summer outing for our members and their family and friends to a place of historical interest.

The HA remains the major national organisation representing the case for historical education to policy makers and ministers. It advises on curriculum issues at all levels and campaigns for access to specialist historical knowledge and collections. Support for history teachers, too, is still an important part of its activities.