29/10/2026
Definitely one to get your calendar out and mark up these dates - and if you’re not a member already, why not join the Richmond and District Civic Society?
Mark your calendars! Our programme for 2027
Wednesday 6th January
Richmond and Brittany in the Middle Ages: An Enduring Connection
Professor Fiona Edmonds (University of Durham)
Professor Fiona Edmonds returns to Richmond to provide an update on her ongoing research into the link between Richmond and Brittany during the medieval period. This link was forged in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest and lasted until the fourteenth century. The talk will consider themes ranging from the practicalities of travel to the languages spoken and the wider impact of this enduring connection.
Wednesday 3rd February
Big landowners in North Yorkshire: a focus on the Marske Estate
Stephen Clark
A talk about the history of the Marske Estate from the 1590s to the 1960s, in the context of other North Riding estates. The estate grew to over 10,000 acres the 1800s, but then declined, until its eventual sale in the 1960s. Find out what its fortunes had in common with other large estates in Richmondshire.
Wednesday 3rd March
A Village Headmaster
John Ridley
Set against a backdrop of rapid and unrelenting educational change following the 1988 Education Reform Act, the establishment of Ofsted, the National Curriculum and compulsory testing for primary school children redefined what was expected of teachers. Even with these pressures, village primary schools continued to nurture their pupils and provided first-class education, which allowed children to grow and yet retain their individuality. John spent twenty-one years in a small village primary school and, through his stories, told with gentle humour, takes us through his experiences as a village headmaster.
Wednesday 7th April
Exploring the Monastic sites of North Yorkshire with an emphasis on the Cistercians
Paul Andrews, Professor Emeritus, Stockholm University, Sweden
North Yorkshire offers a wealth of monastic sites. Many of these are of international importance and are well-known by visitors and locals alike. Others are less prominent, but have played an equally important role in shaping the landscapes that surround us. In this talk, with a particular emphasis on the Cistercians, my aim is to offer a summary of monasticism in our county, the ways in which monastic lives were enacted and, ultimately, how they were brought to an end.
Wednesday 5th May
Theatre in the community and on the road.
Nobby Dimon
A brief and ridiculously superficial history of community theatre from the stone age to the space age, from caveman dancing round the fire to Last Dance of a Dalesman, Richmondshire’s 2004 Community play. Theatre director and playwright Nobby Dimon sets his own small-scale experiences and some of his hilarious touring tales in the context of the vast sweep of dramatic history.
Thursday 13th May
Thorp Perrow - Visit
Wednesday 2nd June
Richmond’s Solar Eclipse: 100th Anniversary
Mike Wood
On June 29th 1927 at 0620hrs Richmond was perfectly positioned on the line of totality. Thousands flocked to the town to witness the event. Amongst them were members of the Bloomsbury Set, headed by Virginia Woolf. The talk includes first-hand accounts, as the event unfolded, from people who were there and experienced the 24 seconds of total darkness.
Thursday 15th July
Rievaulx Abbey and Helmsley - Visit
Wednesday 1st September
Ten Facts You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Durham University’s History
Dr Jonathan Bush (Archivist, Durham University)
Established by an Act of Parliament in 1832, Durham University holds the distinction of being the third oldest university in England. It has a rich and often surprising history, from its close connection to the Church of England in its early days to its present-day incarnation as a globally recognised organisation. This talk, accompanied by images from its archive collection, will explore ten facts about the University’s story that you (probably) weren’t aware of, and trace the evolution of a unique institution.
Wednesday 6th October Note: Venue RICHMOND TOWN HALL
Lady Viva Nussey
Dr Joan Heggie
From 2008-2010, Joan was the Project Manager of the British Steel Archive Project, where she discovered an album of wood engravings depicting industrial scenes by an unknown artist called Viva Talbot. Over the past two decades, Joan has pieced together the life of this talented woman, who later became Lady Nussey of Rushwood Hall, West Tanfield. This presentation demonstrates the methods used to reconstruct Viva’s history and is illustrated throughout by her wood engravings.
Wednesday 3rd November
Brough Hall and Park
Alix Borthwick
Brough Hall is one of Richmondshire’s few surviving Grade I country houses. This talk will uncover the story of the hall and the wider Brough Park estate, from its origins and historic family occupants to its many architectural reinventions and more recent redevelopment as a group of private residences.
Friday 10th December
AGM - Town Hall
