Bridgwater’s much-loved ‘History Day’ returns this year on Saturday, 23 November, running from 10am until 4pm at the Bridgwater Arts Centre. This free event, which includes a complimentary historical lunch, requires no tickets—just come along and enjoy!
Sponsored by Bridgwater Town Council and Bridgwater & Taunton College, History Day has been a staple of the community for the past decade, consistently drawing capacity audiences. The event features a variety of local historians who will present fascinating aspects of Bridgwater’s rich history. Additionally, the gallery space will host themed stalls for attendees to explore.
This year’s program includes talks on topics ranging from Bridgwater’s role in the English Civil War to its place in the Beat Music scene of the 1960s.
Speakers include County Archaeologist Bob Croft, Bridgwater College History Lecturer Sarah Ball, and Chief Executive of Southwest Heritage Trust, Sam Astill.
Attendees can also look forward to short films by historians Miles Kerr-Peterson and Tony Woolrich, covering subjects such as Bridgwater in the 1790s, John Chubb, the Castle, and Bridgwater’s oldest pub.
Compere for the 2024 event will be Bridgwater’s Deputy Mayor,Cllr Kathy Pearce.
Schedule:
- 10:30 Opening by Mayor of Bridgwater, Cllr Jacqui Solomon
- 10:35-11:15 Sam Astill (Chief Executive of Southwest Heritage Trust) will be speaking on “Harry Salter, the Bridgwater soldier who was ‘shot at dawn’ in Gallipoli 1915.”
- 11:15-11:20 Film ‘Who was John Chubb?’ (Tony Woolrich)
- 11:20-12:00 Bob Croft, County Archaeologist, will talk about “Archaeological discoveries at Hinkley Point” (SWHT)
- 12:00-12:05 Film ‘Bridgwater in the 1790s’ – based on Chubb’s Lithographs (Tony Woolrich)
- 12:05-12:45 Sarah Ball, Bridgwater College History Lecturer, will speak on “Bridgwater and the Civil War”
- 12:45-13:45 Historical Lunchbreak
- 13:45-14:25 Former Bridgwater Arts Centre Manager and archivist Dave Edney will present “The Top Twenty Club – When Bridgwater was Fab.” The story of the Town Hall Beat club of the 1960s
- 14:25-14:30 Film ‘How big was Bridgwater Castle?’ (Miles Kerr-Peterson)
- 14:30-15:20 Brian Smedley, Town Council Leader, will do an interactive session on ‘Bridgwater’s Top 10 Radicals’
- 15:20-15:25 Film ‘What’s the Oldest Pub in Bridgwater?’ (Miles Kerr-Peterson)
Lesley Gates will provide the food, featuring a special ‘Civil War’ theme this year.
Town Council Leader Brian Smedley commented,
“Bridgwater people love their history and quite rightly so. This is the town which was the first to call for the ending of the Slave Trade, the first to call for an end to appeasement in the 1930s, the site of the last battle on English soil, and the first place where 18-year-olds could vote. These events are really popular, and every year there’s something new to uncover in our radical, revolutionary, riveting, rebel past!”
Join us for a day of discovery and celebration of Bridgwater’s unique heritage.
