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 WEA 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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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 15/05/2024 -
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

History: The Architecture of Six Great University Cities

Some of the most remarkable English city architecture outside London in to be found in centres where university development has helped shape the character of building. We will look at representative examples - York, Oxford, Exeter, Cambridge, Durham and Norwich.
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Course Information

Dates:
Fri 17/05/2024 -
Fri 17/05/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
The Ambrose Allen Centre (Tadley)
2 Franklin Avenue
Tadley
RG26 4ET
Tutor:
Keith Hasted
Course code:
Q00009876
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

History: Towards the Establishment of the NHS

Was the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948 a new and revolutionary model of universal health care, or the natural conclusion of a long process of growth in the understanding of illness and disease, and the development of professional skills and infrastructure to treat and support those who were sick? In this course you will discover the background to the decision to provide health care ‘free at the point of delivery’, and learn how we can trace the story from medieval charity to 20th century social investigation and political developments.
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Course Information

Dates:
Sat 18/05/2024 -
Sat 18/05/2024
Times:
10:00am - 3:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Swaffham Community Centre (Swaffham)
Iceni Partnership
Campingland
Swaffham
PE37 7RB
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00015292
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.00

History: Memories and Myths- Why Does History Matter

Does history matter? How does your view of the past affect your approach to the present? Whose interpretations can you trust? As debates rage about the legacy of the British Empire and the pulling down of statues, this course gives you an opportunity to take a more nuanced look at some of the issues involved. You will be able to look at case-studies, and to explore questions about the nature of history and the way we discuss it. The course will help you to form your own views on these controversial topics.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 22/05/2024 -
Wed 26/06/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Symon Hill
Course code:
Q00012194
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
2 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

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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),
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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
WEA Membership

History: Art and About: The Cato Street Conspiracy – A Walk

Part of the WEA Art and About Festival 2024! We will take a gentle stroll through a historic part of London focusing on the Cato Street Conspiracy of 1820. Starting at Edgware Road Underground Station and finishing at Grosvenor Square, we will take in the sites of the plot including the miraculously surviving hayloft in which the plotters met. We will consider the evidence for the plotter’s intentions and the many theories that have been advanced over the involvement of the government, the police and the military. We will consider the men involved and the political atmosphere, culture and setting in which they operated. We will meet at Edgware Road Underground Station, Chapel St, London NW1 5DH
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Course Information

Dates:
Fri 24/05/2024 -
Fri 24/05/2024
Times:
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Edgware Road Underground (London)
Chapel Street
London
NW1 5DH
Tutor:
Laurie Johnston
Course code:
Q00014852
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £15.00

History: The Paintings of Raphael

The course will evaluate the major painting works of Raphael, and consider them in relation to other instances of Italian High Renaissance art. As far as possible, we will place the works back into their original contexts. We will evaluate Raphael’s distinctive contributions to the art of Central Italy (especially in relation to his rivalries with other leading artistic figures, such as Michelangelo), and will analyse a number of key works in detail, paying particular attention to issues of patronage, of original purpose and Raphael’s careful construction of an individual style. The course will be discussion-based, so that together as a group, we will test out and consider a variety of ways of interpreting how the paintings would have worked, and what they would have meant for viewers, in the contexts of their own time.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 28/05/2024 -
Tue 18/06/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Peter Finch-Sieg
Course code:
Q00015324
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Care 2: Visit Hebden Bridge and Hardcastle Craggs

A virtual visit to a small Mill Town in West Yorkshire, and the nearby historic woods. Join me for a virtual visit to a Hebden Bridge a small Mill Town in West Yorkshire, and the nearby Hardcastle Craggs, now woodland with a historical past of its own. This course is for carers who are caring or have cared for people. Take some time for yourself and discover the history around this area of the UK. You will have chance to contribute and ask the tutor questions, while enjoying friendly discussion with new people. Come along and join the tour, all from the comfort of your own home!
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 30/05/2024 -
Thu 30/05/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Wilcock
Course code:
Q00015076
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

History: Art and About: Eynsford Castle – An Overlooked Gem

Part of the WEA Art and About Festival 2024! On this site visit we will take a gentle stroll around the ruins of Eynsford castle, a little remarked upon gem of a Norman castle dating from the 12th century or possibly earlier. After a thorough look at the remains, we will consider the documentation that survives for the castle and consider some of the big questions that remain about the building. Why was it built here, who did it belong to, why did it fall into disrepair, what were the influences on its construction and most important of all – what can it tell us about life in Medieval Kent. We will meet at the castle drawbridge! Postcode is Eynsford, DA4 0AA
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Course Information

Dates:
Fri 31/05/2024 -
Fri 31/05/2024
Times:
10:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Eynsford Castle (Dartford)
Eynsford Castle
High Street, Eynsford
Dartford
DA4 0AA
Tutor:
Laurie Johnston
Course code:
Q00014851
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £15.00

History: The Egypt of Empire and Conquest - Ancient Egypt and Nubia

In a Study Day suitable for all we will consider how ancient Egypt treated a neighbour. Nubia is the area immediately to the south of ancient Egypt encompassing the south of Egypt today and much of modern Sudan. Nubia itself developed significant cultural entities especially the Kerma civilization and the later Napatan and Meroitic cultures. However much of the history of Nubia is inter-twined with ancient Egypt. The relationship between ancient Egypt and Nubia is a fascinating one and an ever-changing story. This day school explores the Nubian experience with Egypt from trade, through conquest, to the ‘Black Pharaohs’ of the Kushite period.
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Course Information

Dates:
Sat 01/06/2024 -
Sat 01/06/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Reading International Solidarity Centre
35-39 London Street
Reading
RG1 4PS
Tutor:
John Billman
Course code:
Q00013791
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £36.00

Care to Find Out About What Lies Beneath - A History of Ladies Underwear

This course is for Carers, former carers and the cared for, join me for a light hearted look to find out about what actors are wearing underneath in historical dramas on television and on film.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 03/06/2024 -
Mon 24/06/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Alison Warren
Course code:
Q00012219
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
9 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free