A Date with History

Tudor England: a rogue state cut off from Europe, politically allied with various Muslim kingdoms. Writer and broadcaster Jerry Brotton reveals a whole new version of the Tudors.

Join experienced guide Rob Andrews for a walking tour of two of York’s most historic churches – Holy Trinity, Goodramgate and All Saints North Street.

Join archaeologist Christopher Scull of UCL as he guides you through the 15-year investigation into the 7th-century East Anglian royal centre at Rendlesham.

Historian Pat Cullum considers the devotional, communal and commemorative purposes of the magnificent East Window of Holy Trinity, Goodramgate.

Join writer John Robb for a comprehensive history of goth music and culture, as he explores the origins and legacy of this enduring scene.

Learn more about our city’s fascinating heritage on a guided walk with Neil Redfern, Executive Director of the Council for British Archaeology.

Paul Cooper, host of the hit podcast Fall of Civilizations, explores how a range of ancient societies rose to power and sophistication, and how they tipped over into collapse.

Discover the literary, historical and cultural richness of the Apennine region of Italy as author Nick Havely explores the power of mountains on the imaginations of writers.

Learn more about our city’s fascinating heritage on a guided walk with Neil Redfern, Executive Director of the Council for British Archaeology.

Discover how British administrations used food denial measures in Kenya to ensure loyalty in the 1950s, and the suffering and hardship this caused.

Join us for StreetLife's 'Queer Walk of York', an LGBTQI+ heritage trail of sites of significance to the city's queer communities.

Historian Laura Beers reveals how revisiting George Orwell’s own age of rapid change and urgent crossroads can shed unique light on our recent past and current upheavals.

Join the York Conservation Trust team for a lunchtime tour of Herbert House and the chance to see areas previously inaccessible to the public.

Join James Cooper and Ian Horwood of York St John University and discover how the losers of US presidential elections have had transformative impacts on American political history.

Historian Peter K Andersson explores the life of Henry VIII’s court fool William Somer, a legendary entertainer and one of the most intriguing figures of the Tudor age.

Kate Giles and Dav Smith of the University of York use Herbert House as a case study to explore some of the distinctive architectural and conservation heritage of our city.

Join architectural historian and former diplomat Mossadeq Khalili as he discusses the current state of conservation in Afghanistan after decades of conflict and the Taliban takeover.

Who wrote the Bible? Join William Schniedewind of the University of California, Los Angeles, for a groundbreaking new account that tells the story of the scribe who wrote the Hebrew Bible.

Writer Gretchen Gerzina and actor and author Paterson Joseph bring to light the dramatic and often moving stories of Georgian England’s forgotten Black community.

Join the York Conservation Trust team for a lunchtime tour of Herbert House and the chance to see areas previously inaccessible to the public.

Join historian Martin Thomas as he tells the story of decolonisation and its intrinsic link to globalisation.

Are war and inequality inevitable, because evolution made men competitive and dominant? Writers Nancy Lindisfarne and Jonathan Neale challenge you to think again about ‘true’ human nature.

Discover how maps have affected societies, influenced politics and economies, and impacted the environment, as writer Mike Duggan uncovers their incredible power.

Historian Colin Elliott provides a wide-ranging and dramatic account of the Antonine plague, the mysterious disease that struck the Roman Empire at its pinnacle.

Join the York Conservation Trust team for a lunchtime tour of Herbert House and the chance to see areas previously inaccessible to the public.

The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2024. Visit their offices to find out more about archaeology and the work they do across the UK.

Discover the power of archives and objects to tell the story of the Normandy Landings at a special D-Day exhibition.

Join medievalist Professor William Chester Jordan of Princeton University, USA and discover what the lives of three saints reveal about the moral universe of the medieval aristocracy.

Join writer and researcher Peter Forshaw as he decodes the key practices, figures and symbols of alchemy, astrology, mysticism, magic and divination.

For too long Africa’s history has been dominated by western narratives of slavery and colonialism or simply ignored. Writer Zeinab Badawi sets the record straight.

Discover the pivotal role of the Jewish community in York’s history with our walking tour and talk led by Louise Hampson of the University of York.

Join us deep in the York Cold War Bunker for a special screening of the film Cold Warnings, which explores the impact of including the Cold War in the new GSCE Curriculum introduced in 1986.

Find out about trailblazing York archaeologist Mary Kitson Clark (1905-2005), a former Curator of Roman Archaeology at the Yorkshire Museum.

Join the York Conservation Trust team for a lunchtime tour of Herbert House and the chance to see areas previously inaccessible to the public.

Author Guido Alfani offers a history of the rich and super-rich in the West over the last thousand years. Who were they and what role did they play in society?

From great houses such as Chequers, to pots and pans, writer Viki Holton explores the changing lives of British women told through the things they left behind in their will.

Find out about the Company of Merchant Adventurers archives project and hear some of the fascinating stories that can be found in the collection.

Join us deep in the York Cold War Bunker for a special screening of the film Cold Warnings, which explores the impact of including the Cold War in the new GSCE Curriculum introduced in 1986.

Join the York Conservation Trust team for a lunchtime tour of Herbert House and the chance to see areas previously inaccessible to the public.

Following its renovation, the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral reopens this year. Using this event as the starting point, our panel of experts reflects on how to preserve our heritage.

Hear how York Conservation Trust is ensuring properties under its ownership are made more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Hear a true story of romance, sacrifice, loss and resilience, as journalist Keren Blankfeld chronicles the lives of two people held in history’s most infamous death camp.

Why do some images spark intense controversy? Historian Huw Foden explores how early Christian ideas about the power of images created a diverse spectrum of attitudes towards art.

How did Romans cope with the anxieties and risks of childbirth? Anna Bonnell Freidin of the University of Michigan examines childbearing and its risks in Imperial Rome.

Learn about the Medieval and Tudor masons’ marks on Fishergate Postern Tower, before exploring the building to find them using torches and guides.

Join Lucy Johnson and Ian Milsted of York Archaeology and discover how three important archaeological investigations have illuminated our understanding of Fishergate in York.

Archaeologists Penny Bickle, Jennifer French and Rachel Pope reveal how, from hunting to trading, prehistoric women were often the ones who led and discovered the way.

Learn about the Medieval and Tudor masons’ marks on Fishergate Postern Tower, before exploring the building to find them using torches and guides.

Learn about the Medieval and Tudor masons’ marks on Fishergate Postern Tower, before exploring the building to find them using torches and guides.

Learn about the Medieval and Tudor masons’ marks on Fishergate Postern Tower, before exploring the building to find them using torches and guides.

Learn about the Medieval and Tudor masons’ marks on Fishergate Postern Tower, before exploring the building to find them using torches and guides.

Find out how the discovery of a group of four cemeteries near the Humber estuary is shedding new light on the changes that took place during the early Anglo-Saxon period.

Learn about the events of 1541 when Henry visited York with Catherine Howard on his northern journey or ‘progress’. Join us for talks and tours.

Learn about the Medieval and Tudor masons’ marks on Fishergate Postern Tower, before exploring the building to find them using torches and guides.

Accusatory, libellous or just bizarre, historian Emily Cockayne unveils the history of anonymous letter-writing from 1760-1939.

Learn about the life and world of Bede (c.673–735), one of the greatest scholars of the post-Roman world and ‘the father of English history’, with author Michelle P. Brown.

China’s great tombs are a marvel of the ancient world. Eminent art historian Jessica Rawson explores how they provide a route to the past and to China today.

Poignant, modest, often humorous – discover the personal accounts of the men of the 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment with author Tracy Craggs.

Ancient historian and author Jean Menzies discusses how Greek myths are being reclaimed and reimagined by LGBTQ+ writers and readers to explore modern day queer joy and queer struggles.

Hear the stories of the Indian men and women who were brought to the Caribbean to work on sugar and cocoa plantations during the period of Indian Indentureship.

People of all faiths and none are invited to learn more about Evensong and to experience the inspirational power of devotional music in the beautiful historic setting of All Saints North Street.

Join art historian Janina Ramirez and see the medieval world with fresh eyes as she introduces remarkable women whose names have been struck out of historical records.

Meet the East Yorkshire Regiment Living History Group to discover more about the regiment's role in D-Day.

Your challenge should you choose to accept it, is to travel from port to port in Tudor Europe adventuring your money in a bid to become a successful Tudor merchant.

Get up close to nature under the tree canopy and enjoy crafting replicas of historical pottery or prehistoric stone beads at a workshop designed to promote wellbeing.

Join archaeologist and broadcaster Julian Richards as he brings history to life at a family-friendly artefact-handling workshop.

Join writer Tosh Warwick as he tells the story of the lost football stadiums at the heart of ‘The Beautiful Game’ from the Victorian period until the 21st century.

Uncover the ancient, natural and scientific secrets of the city as expert guides bring little-known stories and forgotten characters to life on a York’s Hidden History tour.

Get up close to nature under the tree canopy and enjoy crafting replicas of historical pottery or prehistoric stone beads at a workshop designed to promote wellbeing.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Archaeologist Barry Crump highlights how things become very interesting after they stop being useful for their original purpose.

Get up close to nature under the tree canopy and enjoy crafting replicas of historical pottery or prehistoric stone beads at a workshop designed to promote wellbeing.

Uncover the ancient, natural and scientific secrets of the city as expert guides bring little-known stories and forgotten characters to life on a York’s Hidden History tour.

Join Graeme Green, curator for The Royal Dragoon Guards Collection at the York Army Museum, and discover the role of tanks during the Normandy Landings.

Neil Redfern, the Council for British Archaeology’s Executive Director, reflects on the changes in archaeology over the last 80 years.

Peter Addyman, founding Director of the York Archaeological Trust, shares the incredible story behind the creation of the iconic Jorvik Viking Centre in York and its impact worldwide.

Uncover the ancient, natural and scientific secrets of the city as expert guides bring little-known stories and forgotten characters to life on a York’s Hidden History tour.

Uncover the ancient, natural and scientific secrets of the city as expert guides bring little-known stories and forgotten characters to life on a York’s Hidden History tour.

Join Graeme Green, curator for The Royal Dragoon Guards Collection at the York Army Museum, and discover the role of tanks during the Normandy Landings.