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: Silence in court: five famous trials from British history

Every famous trial is a snapshot of history in the making. We see the cast of characters strutting on the stage that is the court room, acting out their roles against the backdrop of forces that are often beyond their control - the letter of the law, the power of the state, the force of prejudice, the facts of the case. Their focus is the outcome of 'their' trial, but ours is more than that; why is this trial famous, how did it change things, what lessons does it teach us? Join Peter Blood to study the people, issues and outcomes in five famous trials from British history, with a view to understanding their political, social and legal significance.
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Course Information

Dates:
Fri 08/11/2024 -
Fri 06/12/2024
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Bourne Hall (Epsom)
Spring Street
Ewell
Epsom
KT17 1UF
Tutor:
Peter Blood
Course code:
Q00017737
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
0 places remaining
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £42.00

History: Queer History - An Introduction

This short course will take you through a whistlestop tour of places ranging from Victorian Britain to ancient Greece to give a snapshot of just a few of the attitudes to sex, sexuality and gender that have existed across centuries and cultures. We will see how such issues relate to power, politics and religion and how they are affected by social change. You will be able to explore the lives and ideas of queer people in past centuries through diaries, newspaper reports and court records. Throughout the course, we will explore what it means to “queer” history – and how a queer approach to history can affect our attitudes today.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 11/11/2024 -
Mon 09/12/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Symon Hill
Course code:
Q00017285
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
4 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

History: How Renaissance Art Interpreted Christmas

This five week course will explore the art of the Renaissance and its depiction of the Nativity and Epiphany. We will explore a number of artists but our principal focus will be on works by Giotto, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Breughal and Caravaggio. Each artist’s work will be well illustrated by reproductions on Canvas, allowing you to view the works under discussion. The course will appeal to all those with an interest in the Renaissance and art more generally, and will provide context and interpretations of each major work under discussion. There will be ample opportunity for you to exercise your own interpretations and views in what will be lively and informative sessions.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 12/11/2024 -
Tue 10/12/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00019615
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

History: Nottingham's Inner Suburbs

Nottingham became a City in 1877. It was a hugely significant milestone in its development but how did the city’s growth impact surrounding areas, the Inner Suburbs? This course will explore how once green fields and tiny hamlets were transformed into industrial suburbs that grew into their own bustling communities, with distinctive characters and personalities. How did Forest Fields come into existence? What was the impact of the 20th century on Hyson Green? How did Radford evolve into an industrial community? What created these new communities and how do their landscapes reflect their histories?
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 13/11/2024 -
Wed 04/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
The Grange Community Centre (Radcliffe-o
Vicarage Lane
Radcliffe-on-Trent
NG12 2FB
Tutor:
Christopher Weir
Course code:
Q00016046
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60

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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

History: How we used to Live – Social Housing

This course will give you an outline of the history of social housing in Britain over the last 200 years. Housing became a huge issue as a result of the Industrial Revolution as Britain’s industrial cities expanded and thousands of low-paid workers looked for somewhere to live. We will look at a range of ‘answers’ to this problem from cheap housing that rapidly turned into overcrowded slums to model villages built by some factory owners to house their workforce. Then we will explore the development of slum clearance and council housing schemes in the 20th century, before looking at possible causes and solutions for the current housing shortages.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 13/11/2024 -
Wed 04/12/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
St Olave's Church Hall (York)
Marygate Lane
York
YO30 7BJ
Tutor:
Katherine Croft
Course code:
Q00018368
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60

History: Women of Astronomy and Space

Join us to take a look at the amazing yet unsung women of astronomy and space who were pioneers but often overlooked or ignored. From ancient times to the modern era it is time to shine a light on their amazing achievements. From Aganice of Thessaly, a Greek astronomer of the 2nd or 1st century BC, Hypatia of Alexandria 370 – 450 AD, Elisabeth Hevelius (17th century), Caroline Herschel (18th Century) to ‘Pickerings Women’ at Harvard and into the modern age of spaceflight with such luminaries as Annie Easley, Katherine Johnson, Astronauts Sally Ride and pioneering Mae Jemison amongst many others.
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Course Information

Dates:
Sat 16/11/2024 -
Sat 16/11/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
The Minster (Grimsby)
St James Square
Grimsby
DN31 1EP
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00017920
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £15.00

History: Jesus as a Historical Figure - What can we know?

A chance to ask historical questions about the most famous individual in history. Did Jesus even exist? What historical sources do we have about him? Are the gospels reliable? What was Jesus’ attitude to the Roman Empire? Why was he crucified? On this introductory course, you will find out what historians say about Jesus – from the issues on which most scholars agree to those on which they are bitterly divided. You will have chance to apply historical scrutiny to some early texts about Jesus – including from the New Testament – and to draw your own conclusions about what we can know and whether it matters. This course is open to people of any religion and none.
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Course Information

Dates:
Sat 23/11/2024 -
Sat 23/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Reading International Solidarity Centre
35-39 London Street
Reading
RG1 4PS
Tutor:
Symon Hill
Course code:
Q00017286
How you'll learn:
In venue
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £25.20

History: A Social History of Christmas Food in Britain: Its Significance & Meaning

This four week course will explore the history of Christmas food and feasting from the Mediaeval Era to the High Victorian Age. We will examine the foodstuffs associated with the Christmas Festival throughout these centuries, and descriptions and recipes of various Christmas staples and delicacies will be provided on Canvas, accompanied by illustrations and other forms of mixed media. As far as possible we will refer to contemporary documents from each period to support our conjectures and conclusions regarding the British Christmas, discussing how there isn’t a single Christmas, but instead many Christmases depending on social position throughout the span of centuries addressed.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 25/11/2024 -
Mon 16/12/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00019623
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

History: ‘Happy Christmas’ – celebrating the big day through the ages

Join us to find out more about how people celebrated the ‘big day’ in the past. This course will explore the history of Christmas celebrations, focusing on three distinct periods: Medieval and Tudor Christmases, Victorian Christmases, and Christmas in the last 50 years. Learners will find out more about the cultural, social, and religious influences that have shaped Christmas traditions over the centuries. We will have a comprehensive look using documents, films and contemporary sources at how Christmas traditions have evolved over time, influenced by religious, cultural, social, and economic changes.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 28/11/2024 -
Thu 12/12/2024
Times:
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Kate Antoniou
Course code:
Q00017452
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £22.20

History: Happy Christmas - celebrating the big day through the ages

Join us to find out more about how people celebrated the ‘big day’ in the past. This course will explore the history of Christmas celebrations, focusing on three distinct periods: Medieval and Tudor Christmases, Victorian Christmases, and Christmas in the last 50 years. Learners will find out more about the cultural, social, and religious influences that have shaped Christmas traditions over the centuries. We will have a comprehensive look using documents, films and contemporary sources at how Christmas traditions have evolved over time, influenced by religious, cultural, social, and economic changes.
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 28/11/2024 -
Thu 12/12/2024
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Caterham Baptist Church (Caterham)
4 Beechwood Road
Caterham
CR3 6NA
Tutor:
Kate Antoniou
Course code:
Q00018092
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20