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.  

Skip to courses

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. 

Please enter your postcode

In order for us to give you accurate results for your courses, please click on the Search options and enter your postcode and the mile radius for your search.

Refine search

How you'll learn

Your location

Please enter your postcode or town for your search in the boxes below.

We have defaulted the search to ten miles, but you can change this number in the box as you wish.

Got it!

Sort by start date

Choose to sort the course start date in ascending order (furthest away dates first) or descending (most recent dates first)

Got it!

Results per page

Days

Other Filters

Part of day
Level of study
Availability
Search for the branch name/location, without adding branch e.g. Barnet

History: The Origins of the Second World War

The second world war shaped the world for years to come and still resonates today. How did it come to take place so soon after "the war to end all wars" (the Great War 1914-18) , with a world wide agency (the League of Nations ) commissioned to keep the peace. This course attempts to explain this and more
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 16/01/2025 -
Thu 13/02/2025
Times:
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
British Legion Hall (Felsted)
Bury Chase
Felsted
CM6 3HA
Tutor:
Roger Cooke
Course code:
Q00020842
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £42.00

History: Silence in Court: four 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 four famous trials from British history, with a view to understanding their political, social and legal significance.
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 17/01/2025 -
Fri 07/02/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Caterham United Reformed Church (Caterha
Harestone Hill
Caterham
CR3 6SX
Tutor:
Peter Blood
Course code:
Q00017735
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60

History: Leisure and Entertainment in Twentieth Century London: A Social History

The course will examine the varied opportunities for leisure and entertainment in twentieth century London. Shorter working days, two day weekends, paid holidays and higher living standards all created opportunities for more leisure. Leisure activities constantly evolved throughout the century. Cinema replaced the music hall. Radio survived but was overtaken by television, which in turn became a form of home cinema. The public house, the public park, the public library and professional football remained popular throughout the century, as did the West End theatre, but other activities like grey hound racing and speedway faded away. The course will outline the social history of many of these activities.
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 17/01/2025 -
Fri 14/02/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Enfield Baptist Church (Enfield) (Enfiel
Cecil Road
Enfield
EN2 6TG
Tutor:
George O'Reilly
Course code:
Q00019999
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £60.00

History: Cleethorpes' Theatre History from the Victorian Era to the Present Day

See images and hear about the history of three of Cleethorpes’ entertainment venues. The Empire Theatre is now an amusement arcade, so does anything of its former life exist today? The Coliseum Cinema building is now a Wetherspoons public house on Cleethorpes High Street, but what was its history prior to this? The Theatre Royal is sadly an eyesore and the site is awaiting further development, but what was this site used for before and after its theatre days? Join us on an adventure through time and discover local treasures from a bygone age. Suitable for anyone with a little curiosity.
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 18/01/2025 -
Sat 18/01/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
The Minster (Grimsby)
St James Square
Grimsby
DN31 1EP
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00017919
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £10.50

WEA Membership

WEA membership is changing: more information is coming soon!

Add to basket

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

History: The Decline of the 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.
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 20/01/2025 -
Mon 07/04/2025
Times:
2:15pm - 4:15pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
The Drive Methodist Church (Redbridge)
Eastern Avenue
Redbridge
IG4 5AB
Tutor:
Laurie Johnston
Course code:
Q00019982
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £100.00

An Introduction to Twentieth Century History: International Relations in the 1930s and World War 2

By the 1930s there were three competing ideologies: Liberal Democracy, Soviet Communism and Fascism.. the latter in various national forms. Broadly the first two accepted the status quo and the latter in Japan, Germany and Italy were determined on revision. This set the scene for the ensuing conflicts in the Pacific and Europe. The course will examine how and why the world went to war during the 1930s. We will look at the role of individuals and consider how much difference it made that it was Hitler or Mussolini in charge rather than someone else. We will examine how it took time for the USA to emerge from isolation and how that tipped the balance when she did.
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 20/01/2025 -
Mon 03/03/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
The White house (Hampton)
45 The Avenue
Hampton
TW12 3RN
Tutor:
Julian Roberts
Course code:
Q00017583
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £60.00

History: The Big Questions

One of the most fascinating aspects of the history of ideas is learning how ideas have a life of their own, influencing society and culture through successive generations in different ways. In this 10-week course we’ll focus on an different important and influential question each week. We cover philosophy, literature, science and history. We’ll read and discuss selected extracts which will be circulated beforehand. The course covers a sweep of over 2000 years, from the ancient Greeks to modern times. This course is funded by Greater London Combined Authority.
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 23/01/2025 -
Thu 03/04/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
The Drive Methodist Church (Redbridge)
Eastern Avenue
Redbridge
IG4 5AB
Tutor:
Brandon Robshaw
Course code:
Q00019811
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £100.00

History: Highlights Of British Archaeology: Viking (800 AD) To High Middle Ages

Recent fieldwork allows us to define three distinct phases of Anglo-Scandinavian occupation: raiding, conquest and settlement. Sites at Repton and Torksey provide evidence of Viking Age winter camps from the Conquest Period, whereas spatial analysis of both artefact scatters and place names vividly demonstrate the areas of Norse settlement. We shall be looking at major developments in shipping technology from the Saxon through to the High Middle Ages, without which none of these invasions, including 1066, would have been possible. As part of our Medieval studies we shall examine the eclectic Medieval “Voynich Manuscript”. Using the illustrations we shall try to make some sense of it.
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 27/01/2025 -
Mon 31/03/2025
Times:
1:45pm - 3:45pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Grimsby Central Hall & Arts Community Ce
Duncombe Street
Grimsby
DN32 7EG
Tutor:
Simon Tomson
Course code:
Q00018374
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £84.00

Art Appreciation: The Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is indeed a jewel box of great painting. With works by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Perugino and Michelangelo, some of the greatest works of the Italian Renaissance are to be found there. But this is more than just a collection of great works. It is also the pope’s private chapel and so these works were created not just for display but to relay a greater message to the world, But how many of the thousands of visitors really understand that message or what these works are about? In this study day we shall seek to decode the 'messages' contained in these great works and see what Sixtus IV and Julius II and their artists were really saying to us.
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 04/02/2025 -
Tue 04/03/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
The Cornerstone (Wokingham)
Norreys Avenue
Wokingham
RG40 1UE
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00017593
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
0 places remaining
Status:
Waiting list
Fee:
£30.00

History: Understanding the Holocaust

The course will examine the background to one of the defining events of the C20th. How and why did the German people come to perpetrate arguably the largest crime of a troubled century? Was this the actions of a relatively small number of antisemitic zealots or did the responsibility go much wider within German society? How far were the populations in the countries where the Holocaust took place active participants in mass murder. As we pause to remember on each Holocaust memorial day, to what extent is our perception and remembrance partial and distorted? These are some of the questions this course will address. The subject matter is inevitably difficult but it remains important to understand how these events came to pass. This course is funded by Greater London Combined Authority.
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 04/02/2025 -
Wed 05/02/2025
Times:
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Julian Roberts
Course code:
Q00019820
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £14.80