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: Keep Calm and Carry On! - The Ministry of Information in the Second World War

This eight-week course will examine the trials and tribulations of the Ministry of Information between 1939 and 1945, giving an insight into the murky world of wartime propaganda.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 30/09/2024 -
Mon 18/11/2024
Location:
Online
Course code:
Q00009462
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £59.20

History: High Treason and Treachery

Why do we view treason as the ultimate crime? If you are interested in how ideas about treason have changed and how the crown and government have used treason trials over the centuries as a way to achieve their own ends this is a good place to start.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 03/10/2024 -
Thu 21/11/2024
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Caterham Baptist Church (Caterham)
4 Beechwood Road
Caterham
CR3 6NA
Tutor:
Kate Antoniou
Course code:
Q00009400
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £58.80

History: 17th Century Fashion

Fashion reflects the influence of politics, trade, social exchange and foreign encounter. In this course, we will explore the changing fashions of seventeenth-century Britain. Alongside sessions that consider the history of fashion are practical, hands-on sessions that explore the materials used, and construction techniques employed by makers of the period. You may not be an expert by the end, but you will have first-hand understanding of how, and with what, clothing of the 17th century was made.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 05/10/2024 -
Sat 14/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Redbridge Institute of Adult Education (
Gaysham Avenue
Gants Hill
Ilford
IG2 6TD
Tutor:
Amy Miller
Course code:
Q00017282
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £100.00

History: China 1796 to the present – Fall of the Qing – 1796-1912 (Part 1)

From the zenith of the Qing Empire in 1796 we trace the decline of China’s imperial reach through the 19th century. Western incursions and humiliations, the role of religion and opium, wars, reforms and rebellions will all be covered up to the fall of the dynasty in 1912 and the formation of China’s first republic. Major personalities such as the Empress Dowager Cixi, Sun-Yat-Sen, the Last Emperor and many more will be considered. We will consider the nature of court rule, the development of society and the economy as well as art, literature and philosophy.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 07/10/2024 -
Mon 25/11/2024
Times:
10:15am - 12:15pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Petts Wood Memorial Hall (Petts Wood)
200 Petts Wood Road
Petts Wood
BR5 1LA
Tutor:
Laurie Johnston
Course code:
Q00017270
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £80.00

WEA Membership

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),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
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Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
WEA Membership

History: The Decline Ottoman Empire 1800-1892

The once mighty Ottoman Empire lost some of its lustre during the 18th Century. After its armies reached the walls of Vienna in 1683 the boundaries of the Sublime Porte contracted in a series of military, diplomatic and economic reverses. This course considers the ways in which the Ottomans responded to a changing world in the 19th century, seeking to preserve their position within it. We examine questions of politics, religion, language, culture and economics whilst all the while having an eye towards the consequences for the region, Europe and the world then and now

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 09/10/2024 -
Wed 27/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Ripley Arts Centre (Bromley)
24 Sundridge Avenue
Bromley
BR1 2PX
Tutor:
Laurie Johnston
Course code:
Q00017441
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £80.00

History: America from Reconstruction to Roosevelt

The course will examine American history from the ending of the Civil War to America’s entry into the Second World War.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 11/10/2024 -
Fri 15/11/2024
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Bourne Hall (Epsom)
Spring Street
Ewell
Epsom
KT17 1UF
Tutor:
Julian Roberts
Course code:
Q00009440
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £42.00

History: A Trial from British History - The Stephen Lawrence Murder Trials

In this course you will study the people, issues and outcomes from a famous trial from British history, with a view to understanding the political, social and legal significance. In 'Justice on Trial' you will learn about the trial that have resulted from the murder of Stephen Lawrence, with a view to understanding thier political, social and legal significance.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 15/10/2024 -
Tue 15/10/2024
Times:
10:30am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Bourne Hall (Epsom)
Spring Street
Ewell
Epsom
KT17 1UF
Tutor:
Peter Blood
Course code:
Q00009430
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £12.60

Architecture: The Architecture of the Greenhouse

We will look into the design of greenhouses and glasshouses – a diverse subject that embraces the Crystal Palace in London, the Eden Project in Cornwall and a recently completed spectacular project in Singapore. The development will take us from Oxford’s Botanic Garden to Paxton’s “Great Stove” at Chatsworth and the Temperate and Palm Houses of Kew.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 17/10/2024 -
Thu 17/10/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
The Christ Church Centre (Henley-on-Tham
46 Reading Road
Henley-on-Thames
RG9 1AG
Tutor:
Keith Hasted
Course code:
Q00017601
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
£25.20

History: A Cultural Tour of Istanbul

Settled by the Greeks in the 7th century BC, the city which is now called Istanbul, became Emperor Constantine’s ‘New Rome’ in AD 330 and it was named Constantinople. In 1453 the city was overrun by Mehmed II and it became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The study day explores the rich architectural and artistic legacy left by both Byzantine and Ottoman rulers in a city which was shaped by being for centuries the meeting point of Europe and Asia.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 19/10/2024 -
Sat 19/10/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
The Cornerstone (Wokingham)
Norreys Avenue
Wokingham
RG40 1UE
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00017281
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

History: The USA in the 1920's - A Nation of Contrasts

The decade that shaped and defined modern America. The Jazz Age, or the Roaring Twenties, was a time of plenty and poverty, radical change and intolerance. A decade of excess, indulgence, crime and xenophobia. The USA 1920 – 1930.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 28/10/2024 -
Mon 02/12/2024
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Friends Meeting House (Berkhamsted)
289 High Street
Berkhamsted
HP4 1AJ
Tutor:
Michael Long
Course code:
Q00010425
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £42.00