What's new

Please check the relevant websites and social media for confirmation and last-minute changes to the events listed here.

Olney Archaeological Society Talks

Tuesday 16 December My Roman Britain by Patrick Lambert.
Tuesday 6 January 2026 Roman Kings & Gentlemen by Oliver Gilkes.

Lectures are at the Olney Centre, Olney in Buckinghamshire, 10.00am-12.00 noon. Note that some lectures are remote and will be shown on screen. Price £4 for visitors, go to www.mkheritage.org.uk/oas/ for more information and membership.

Northampton Museum & Art Gallery Talks

Thursday 18 December Music, Musicals and a Merry Christmas by Frances Coombs.

Thursday morning talks start at 10.30am, price £3.50, booking essential. Go to www.northamptonmuseums.com for more information and tickets.

Rushden & District History Society Talks

Friday 19 December Christmas Customs by Sharn Matthews.

Talks start at 7.30pm at Whitefriars School, Boughton Drive, Rushden NN10 9HX. Visitors welcome, £2.50 on the door. Go to www.rdhs.org.uk for more information.

Higham Ferrers 2025 Events

Saturday 20 December Christmas Coffee Morning in the Bede House.

Go to the Higham Ferrers Tourism website, Facebook and highamferrers-tc.gov.uk for for more information about these events. Farmers' markets on the last Saturday morning of the month on the Market Square.

Delapré Abbey Events and Tours

Monday 22 December Unusual Happenings Experience.
Friday 13 March 2026 Delapre Abbey Ghost Hunt.

Go to www.delapreabbey.org for more information and ticket details for the tours, Family Fun Days, Friends of Northampton Castle Play Days, and other events. Delapre Abbey is on the outskirts of Northampton, NN4 8AW, car parking is FREE.

ISE-Dig Talks

Wednesday 14 January What do we see in the Shadows? by Peter Masters.

Talks start at 7.30pm and are held in St Andrew's Church Rooms, Crown Street, Kettering, NN16 8QA. ISE members £4, visitors £5, all welcome. Go to www.ise-dig.co.uk for more information.

Wellingborough Civic Society Talks

Thursday 15 January Nostalgic Cine Films by Northants Film Archive Trust.
Thursday 16 April The Great Fire of Northampton by Kate Wills, Northampton Civic Society.

Talks are usually at 7.00pm in the Dulley Rooms, Wellingborough Museum, 12 Castle Way, Wellingborough NN81XB. Visitors £3.

The Higgins Bedford

Wednesday 28 January 1.00pm-3.00pm Portable Antiquities Scheme for Bedfordshire session. FREE but booking essential.
Friday 27 February Lunchtime Talk Noel Carrington by Joe Pearson.
Wednesday 25 March 1.00pm-3.00pm Portable Antiquities Scheme for Bedfordshire session. FREE but booking essential.

The Higgins Museum, Castle Lane, Bedford MK40 3XD. Go to www.thehigginsbedford.org.uk for more information.

Raunds & District History Society Talks

Thursday 5 February From Blacksmith to Dental Surgeon by Dr Mike Muncaster.
Thursday 5 March Northamptonshire Railway Talk by Andy Dyks.
Thursday 2 April History of the Pork Pie by John Paul Carr.
Thursday 7 May Lotions, Potions and Dubious Cures by Susan Copperwheat.

Talks start at 7.00pm in Raunds Library, £3 includes refereshments, all welcome.

Northamptonshire Record Society

THE NRS hold document workshops in the NRS Library at Northamptonshire Archives, Wootton Hall Park, Northampton showcasing and explaining some of the records. Go to www.northamptonshirerecordsociety.org.uk for more information and to book a place as numbers are limited. Price £10 per person, sessions start at 10.00am. 

Saturday 7 February A brief history of English maps and how to read them by Bill Franklin.
Saturday 7 March Looking at manorial records of Northamptonshire by Wendy Raybould.
Saturday 4 April Eighteenth Century Poor Law and Settlement records by Deborah Hayter. 

Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group Talks

Friday 13 February History of the 384th Bombardment Group by Matt Smith.
Friday 13 March Bookbinding Past & Present by Graham Lampard.

Talks are held in Garden Room at St Matthews Church Hall, off Kettering Road, Northampton at 7.30pm. FREE to NIAG members, visitors welcome £3. Go to www.niag.org.uk for more information.

CBA Council for British Archaeology

Saturday 21 February 2026 AGM and de Cardi Lecture by Dr Anwen Cooper in York.

Go to www.archaeologyuk.org for more information about the Council for British Archaeology online talks.

Northampton Museum & Art Gallery

Now until Sunday 22 February 2026 Exhibition: A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects.

Go to www.northamptonmuseums.com for more information.

Finedon Local Historical Society Talks

Monday 23 February 2026 The History of the Osborne Toy Shop in Rushden by Will Osborne.
Monday 23 March The Battle of Naseby by Len Holden.
Monday 27 April The Great Fire of Northampton by Ruth Thomas.
Monday 18 May The Last Days of the Northants Iron and Steelworks Railways by Mike Dix.
Monday 22 June Bridges of the River Nene by Dan Reid.
Monday 27 July When the Land Ships came to Town by Helen Frost.
Monday 26 October Northampton's County Buildings by Richard Blacklee.

Talks are at 7.30pm in the Mission Room, Well Street, Finedon, NN9 5JP. FLHS members £2.50, visitors £3.50. Go to www.tingdenetofinedon.co.uk for more information.

Sulgrave Manor & Garden

Closed for Winter now, opens again in Spring 2026.  Sulgrave Manor, Manor Road, Sulgrave, Banbury, OX17 2SD. Go to www.sulgravemanor.org.uk for more information.

Wrest Park

Events start again in April 2026 Archaeological Collections Store Tours starting at 11.00am and 1.00pm.

Wrest Park is in Silsoe, Bedfordshire, MK45 4HR. Go to www.english-heritage.org.uk for more information, prices and opening times.

Heritage Fair Northamptonshire 2026

Sunday 26 April 10.00am-4.00pm

At Wicksteed Park, Kettering NN15 6NJ. A partnership event supported by Wicksteed Park, Northamptonshire Family History Society and Discover Northamptonshire.

Oundle Museum

Museum opens again in Spring 2026, Saturdays and Sundays only, 1.00pm-4.00pm.

Oundle Museum is in Mill Road, Oundle PE8 4BW. Go to www.oundlemuseum.org.uk for more information.

British Museum Exhibitions

Until 25 May 2026 Hawaii: A kingdom crossing oceans.

British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG. Go to www.britishmuseum.org for more information.

Peterborough Museum 2025

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday Priestgate Vaults Tours.

Go to www.peterboroughmuseum.org for more information about events and tours.

Irchester Field School Learning Programme

Summer 2026, dates tbc

Go to www.chesterhouseestate.org for more information about the Irchester Field School run in partnership with the ARC and the University of Leicester. Bookings already being taken.

Irchester Parish Historical Society Talks

Society usually meets the second Thursday of each month, members £2, visitors £4. Go to www.irchester.org for more information.

Discover Northamptonshire Visitor Hub at Rushden Lakes

Next date tbc Finds Day with Northamptonshire Finds Liaison Officer Eleanore Cox.

FREE drop-in session at the Tourism Hub near the entrance to Cineworld, Rushden Lakes.

Earls Barton

Next date tbc Earls Barton Heritage Group meet in the library.

Kimbolton Castle: Public Open Days

Next date tbc 1.00pm-4.00pm. Go to www.kimboltoncastle.com for more information.

Northamptonshire Film Archive Trust

Next date tbc.

Films are shown at events around the county, go to www.northamptonshirefilmarchivetrust.co.uk for more information.

Finds Day at Daventry Museum

Next date tbc.

Northamptonshire Finds Officer Eleanore Cox will be at Daventry Museum, free but you'll need to book a 15 minute time slot by email.

Chester House Estate

Next date tbc Tours of the ARC (Archaeological Resource Centre), FREE but please book via the website.

The Chester House Estate is near Irchester in Northamptonshire. Go to www.chesterhouseestate.org for more information and booking.

Northamptonshire Archaeological Society

TBC Next event.

Go to www.northants-archaeology.org.uk for information.

Northamptonshire Heritage Forum

Next date tbc

Go to www.northamptonshireheritageforum.co.uk for more information about events and membership.

Wellingborough Museum

Next date tbc

Wellingborough Museum, Dulley's Baths, 12 Castle Way, Wellingborough, NN8 1XB. Museum open Monday to Saturdays 10.00am-4.30pm. Go to www.wellingboroughmuseum.co.uk for more information. 

Sharnbrook Local History Group Talks

Next date tbc.

Talks held at 2.00pm in the Methodist Church, Sharnbrook but go to www.slhg.org.uk for more information.

Higham Chichele Society Talks

Next date tbc

Talks start at 9.30am, doors open at 9.00am, in the Bede House, Higham Ferrers. Members £3, Visitors £4, includes refreshments, new members welcome. Go to www.highamchichelesociety.co.uk for more information. The annual subscription is £5 and due at the May meeting.

Abington Park Museum in Northampton

Next date tbc, starts at 2.00pm Guided tour.

Volunteer-led tours of the Museum, £3.50 each person, booking essential. Go to www.northamptonmuseums.com for more information about tours and exhibitions at Abington Park Museum.

Naseby Battlefield Tours

Next date tbc

Walk in the footsteps of those who took part in the Battle of Naseby in 1645. Tours last 4 hours and prices start at £25, booking essential. Go to www.naseby.com for more information.

Stanwick Lakes

Next date tbc

Go to www.stanwicklakes.org.uk for information.

Burton Latimer Heritage Museum

Next exhibition tbc

Harold Mason Centre, 120 High Street, Burton Latimer, NN15 5RH

Northamptonshire Battlefield Society

Next date tbc

Talks start at 7.30pm at Delapre Abbey, on the outskirts of Northampton, NN4 8AW. Go to www.delapreabbey.org and www.northantsbattles.com for more information.

Bedford Guided Walks

Next date tbc.

Walks start at 11.00am and are between 90 minutes and 2 hours long, 1-2 miles in length. Walks are £4 and must be pre-booked. Go to www.bedfordtourguides.org for more information and booking.

Middle Nene Archaeological Group (MidNAG)

Next date tbc 

Meetings held in The Glapthorn Room in Oundle. Go to www.midnag.com for more information.

43rd Annual Brixworth Lecture 2026

Date tbc

Go to www.friendsofbrixworthchurch.org.uk for more information and tickets which are £12.

Oundle Historical Society Talks

Next date tbc

Talks start at 7.30pm in Oundle Methodist Church, Drummingwell Lane, Oundle. Visitors £5. Go to www.oundlehistoricalsociety.org.uk for more information.

Kettering Civic Society Talks

Next date tbc

Talks throughout the year are at 7.30pm in Village Hall, Barton Seagrave. Visitors £6.

Northampton Central Library

Next date tbc
tbc Next Carnegie Talk

Northampton Central Library is in Abington Street, Northampton NN1 2BA. Go to the Facebook page for more information.

Northampton Civic Society

Next date tbc Committee meeting.

Meetings and talks at The Humphrey Rooms, 10 Castilian Terrace, Northampton NN1 1LD.

Friends of Kettering Art Gallery & Museum

Next date tbc Town Walk, £5 per person.

Kettering Museum and Gallery remain closed, go to the Friends Facebook page or www.friendskagam.org for information about their events, or visit ARTworks Creative Space in the Newlands Centre Kettering.