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: 350th Anniversary of the Royal Observatory

This Saturday Lecture traces the creation and development of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich through its long and eventful existence. We consider why the Observatory came into existence, what contributions it has made both in terms of scientific knowledge and in the history of our island nation and why it continues to hold a fascination for people. We will explore the advances in navigation, cartography and timekeeping made under the Observatory’s direction and consider some of the great personalities associated with it, John Flamsteed and John Harrison among them. Finally, we will consider the Observatory as it appears in Cultural History and reflect on its current incarnation.
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Course Information

Dates:
Sat 05/04/2025 -
Sat 05/04/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
St John's United Reform Church Orpington
Lynwood Grove
Orpington
BR6 0BG
Tutor:
Laurie Johnston
Course code:
Q00017696
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £10.00

History: Women, Queenship and Power in Medieval England

In this talk, we will explore attitudes towards women in the Middle Ages, especially to women as rulers. In the Middle Ages, just one woman – the Empress Matilda, daughter of King Henry I – inherited a claim to the English throne. Yet, on her father’s death, her cousin, Stephen, seized control of England, so that Matilda was never crowned as queen. For many medieval people, the idea of a woman ruling in her own right was foreign to contemporary minds. We will look at why this was and why queens consort, such as Matilda of Boulogne, King Stephen’s wife, and Eleanor of Aquitaine, King Henry II’s wife, represented more acceptable (if still occasionally controversial) figures of female political power.
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Course Information

Dates:
Sat 05/04/2025 -
Sat 05/04/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
The Minster (Grimsby)
St James Square
Grimsby
DN31 1EP
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00017922
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £10.50

History: History of Ideas: The Big Questions Part 2

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 6-week course we’ll focus on a 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.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 22/04/2025 -
Tue 27/05/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Enfield Baptist Church (Enfield) (Enfiel
Cecil Road
Enfield
EN2 6TG
Tutor:
Brandon Robshaw
Course code:
Q00017976
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £72.00

History: Famous Russian Women Shaping World History & Culture

This course will aim to explore the lives of some extraordinary Russian women and their contributions to World History and Culture through various mediums. The women mentioned is this course not only contributed heavily to Russian history and culture but also the world.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 23/04/2025 -
Wed 18/06/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
The Priory (Ware)
High Street
Ware
SG12 9AL
Tutor:
Marina Burrell
Course code:
Q00019079
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £67.20

WEA Membership

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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

History: 'Wish you were here’ – a history of holidays through the ages

What did it feel like to be a holiday maker in the past? Originally holidays were just Holy Days and a chance to make merry but they didn’t involve you leaving home. Travel for leisure really does not start until the 17th century with trips to a spa or seaside town for health reasons and to enjoy the social life. Later the Grand Tour is available for the wealthy. Change comes with the railways and cheap day trips, and in the 20th century paid holidays, seaside towns and holiday camps. Over the last 50 years overseas holidays, have been within the reach of many but what do current environmental and social concerns mean for the future? Join the class to find out more.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 24/04/2025 -
Thu 05/06/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Caterham Baptist Church (Caterham)
4 Beechwood Road
Caterham
CR3 6NA
Tutor:
Kate Antoniou
Course code:
Q00013710
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £58.80

History: Essex Buildings, People and Places

Join us to investigate buildings across the county and discover the stories they tell. From when they were built and why, to what and who they were for, this course takes a selection of historic buildings including houses, shops, public buildings, places of industry and entertainment to start our exploration of the history of Essex people and places. By the end of the course you will have new places to visit and a starting place to investigate a building of your own.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 30/04/2025 -
Wed 25/06/2025
Times:
7:30pm - 9:30pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Billericay Reading Rooms (Billericay)
73 High Street
Billericay
CM12 9AS
Tutor:
Claire Parker
Course code:
Q00017709
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £67.20

History, Napoleon: Citizen to Emperor

Explore the life and legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte with our History: Napoleon: Citizen to Emperor course. Learn about his rise to power, his impact on Europe, and the controversies surrounding his reign. Ideal for history enthusiasts and students of European history.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 30/04/2025 -
Wed 11/06/2025
Times:
11:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Barking Enterprise Centre CIC (Barking)
50 Cambridge Road
Barking
IG11 8FG
Tutor:
Amy Miller
Course code:
Q00017373
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £70.00

History: Advanced History : Byzantium - the Great Age

How did the Roman Empire survive the great challenges it faced at the dawn of the 9th century? We will examine How the Empress Irene was able to not only maintain her status at court but also continue to pursue her own policies. We will go on to consider the difficulties posed by her irregular methods of maintaining imperial authority and how they in turn ultimately created the circumstances of her own downfall. Thereafter, we will look at the efforts made by her immediate successes to stabilise Roman interests both in the East and the West.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 01/05/2025 -
Thu 17/07/2025
Times:
11:45am - 1:45pm
Duration:
12 sessions
Location:
WEA (Derby)
The Mill
Lodge Lane
Derby
DE1 3HB
Tutor:
Gary Slator
Course code:
Q00016041
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £88.80

History: Architectural Pomp, Trauma & Resurgence, Berlin, 1800 to 2000

This course studies how the architecture of the dynamic Berlin that we see today has been shaped by the events of its troubled history and by the ambitions and styles of its leaders. From 1740 to 1945, Berlin saw a series of aggressive war leaders who sought to make Prussia and then Germany the dominant force in the world, eventually styling Berlin as the capital of the world. Utterly destroyed by 1945, Berlin was reborn as two distinct cities, one rebuilt in Western and the other in Communist styling. Since the Wall fell in 1989, the united city has flourished, embracing grand city plans and modern, hi-tech architecture.
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Course Information

Dates:
Sat 07/06/2025 -
Sat 07/06/2025
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Reading International Solidarity Centre
35-39 London Street
Reading
RG1 4PS
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00018042
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20