Chester Society for Landscape History
Upper storeys of Chester’s iconic Rows (Photograph: Vanessa Greatorex)
Forthcoming Events
Saturday 30 May 2026, 2pm
Lecture (VISITORS WELCOME): Industrial Archaeology
Speaker: Dr Michael Nevell, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust; Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society
Venue: St Columba’s Church Hall, Plas Newton Lane, Chester, CH2 1SA
Admission: Members free, Visitors £4,
Student Visitors £2
NB: Free car park; for directions see:
https://sscolumbaandtheresa.co.uk/about/st-columbas-church/directions-and-location/
Chester Society for Landscape History at Chester Festival of Ideas
Date: Thursday 2 July 2026
Venue: Chester Town Hall, Northgate Street, Chester, CH1 2HJ
Admission: Free, but booking advisable
Members of Chester Society for Landscape History will be giving the following talks:
11am: Cheshire as a Palatinate (Professor Graeme J. White)
2pm: How Old Am I? Trying to Date Buildings in our Rural and Urban Landscapes
(Dr Sharon Varey)
2pm: The Early Neston Collieries: Seven Reasons Why They Were Remarkable
(Dr Anthony Annakin-Smith)
For more details of talks and how to book, see https://festivalofideas.chester.ac.uk/
What is Landscape History?
Landscape History is the study of how people have altered the landscape through time.
It seeks to explain the historical significance of the buildings, earthworks, flora and other physical features which are our common heritage. It embraces aspects of history, archaeology, architecture, geography, geology, botany and other disciplines.
“The English landscape itself, to those who know how to read it aright, is the richest historical record we possess.” – W.G. Hoskins, The Making of the English Landscape (1955).
Picks of the Week
Here are some links to online landscape history resources recently recommended by our Information Officer:
Roman military fortlet on the Antonine Wall
Construction – mostly in turf – of the 38-mile Antonine Wall began in AD 142 after the Roman conquest of southern Scotland, but by AD 165 it was out of commission, indicating that the campaign had ultimately been unsuccessful, with the Roman Army retreating to Hadrian’s Wall in northern England. Discovered in 2017, the fortlet along the Antonine Wall was built on high ground with commanding views of the landscape. It had a stone base and would have accommodated a garrison of between 20 and 50 men.
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/roman-military-fort-discovered-in-scotland-far-north-of-hadrians-wall?utm_term=45CAB862-7568-43AB-A667-BD7298D261D3&lrh=84ce638986bc73b191ec0774c05a547009942838093c58c9450b62a0b824de21&utm_campaign=368B3745-DDE0-4A69-A2E8-62503D85375D&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BDF97826-FD9A-4EA0-899B-F7EC321C0811&utm_source=SmartBrief
Prehistoric finds in Wogan Cavern
A cave below Pembroke Castle has is revealing “how multiple changes in climate and environment affected people living there”, according to Dr Rob Dinnis who oversaw the initial excavations. Finds include 120,000-year-old hippo bones from the last interglacial period, mammoth, woolly rhino, reindeer and wild horse bones, stone tools and possible evidence of occupation by Neanderthals as well as Homo Sapiens.
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/truly-remarkable-discovery-made-cave-33781137
Click on the blue text at the end of this sentence for links to previously recommended Online Resources or for links to specific topics, including: Directories/Databases/Aerial Photographs, Geology, Ecosystems, Prehistory, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Medieval, Tudor and Stuart, Castles, Churches/Cathedrals/Shrines, Industrial, Cheshire, Wales, Other Locations.