Mark Anthony Smith will tell us of some of the more surprising facts that he has discovered about the area in his years of researching the history of the Forest… Continue reading The Forest of Knaresborough
By Gillian Waters - The infamous Murder in The Cathedral when the Archbishop of Canterbury was murdered in 1170. Who were the men who committed the act and why?Gillian is… Continue reading Who Killed Thomas Beckett?
By Tony Morgan - Explaining the history of York in Tudor times, the people who lived there and the people who influenced their lives. Expect Royal visits, rebellions, religious unrest,… Continue reading True Tales of Tudor York
On Palm Sunday 1461, in atrocious weather – howling wind, driving sleet and snow – the armies of two disputing Kings of England fought all day on a plateau of… Continue reading 1461 – The Battle of Towton
By Jackie Glew - The story of the 11 men from Knaresborough charged and jailed for rioting and the extraordinary response of the people of the town.Jackie researched the story… Continue reading The Knaresborough Riot 1865
By Peter Finan - The infamous First World War engagement which took place in Northern France from July to November 1916. 3 million men fought in the battle of which… Continue reading A Walk on The Somme
By Gillian Waters. ----- The famous outlaw Robin Hood, has been the subject of books, TV series and Films. We all know the stories of Robin and his band of… Continue reading Was Robin Hood A Yorkshireman?
By Alex De Gier. ----- Mother Shipton - Knaresborough’s own one woman tourist attraction. She forecast the end of the world and aeroplanes. Didn’t she? Alex, will guide you through… Continue reading Mother Shipton- The Myth and The Truth
By Tim Neale Its 1066 and England is being threatened from North East and South. King Harold must face down those that would claim his throne. Tim will explain the… Continue reading The Battle of Stamford Bridge
Last year Rob took a look at the reputations of Mary of Anjou. This year Rob’s subject is Mary Tudor, another Queen that history may have painted in an uncomplimentary… Continue reading Mary Tudor
By Brian Forshaw We all know that Knaresborough is an ancient and historical market town but what do we actually know of the place and its people from 400 years… Continue reading 18th century Knaresborough
By Pete Finan From prehistoric times people have settled in the Nidd Valley. With its prominent position on a crag the town became strategically important in early times and its… Continue reading The people who settled in Knaresborough
By Claire Joia The Castle Mills are prominent on Waterside but there was more to this industry than one mill and one company. Claire will talk us through the development… Continue reading The Linen Industry in Knaresborough
Gillian Waters will speak to us about “Place Names & Peoples". We were invaded by thousands of Celts, Romans, Anglo Saxons and Vikings or does the place name evidence tell… Continue reading Place Names & Peoples
By Maria Grazia Leotta Maria will talk to us about Richard III – Monster or Martyr? Richard was King of England from 1483 until his death in 1485. He was… Continue reading Richard III – Monster or Martyr?
By Kathy Allday Kathy will introduce us to twenty Knaresborough people and their interesting war stories. Kathy studied for an MA in Archaeological Heritage Management at York University and her… Continue reading Twenty Knaresborough People
By Alex De Gier Alex is our own chairman and will be telling us about the Poor Law and the Workhouses of Knaresborough.
By Rob Snow Rob is one of our regular members and last year talked to us about Mary Tudor. This year he will explore the Not so Golden Years of… Continue reading The Not so Golden Years of Elizabeth
By Suzanne Coulson This follows the interesting talk presented last year by Claire Joia, who introduced us to the Knaresborough Linen Industry. Note! This meeting will be in the Challoner… Continue reading Dark Threads: Child Exploitation in the 19th Century Textile Industry.
By Peter Finnan Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Putin and Ukraine. Pete is a retired Head of History at King James’s School and a member of our… Continue reading Between a Rock and a Hard Place-Putin and Ukraine
