In 731 a Northumbrian monk named Bede completed his Ecclesiastical History of the English People. In it he described the coming of Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons, with a particular focus on this region. From the story of the conversion of King Edwin in 627 to the respected teachers and powerful bishops of his own time (many of whom he knew well), Bede's narrative supplies us with not only an enthralling cast of characters (such as Paulinus, Hilda, Chad, and Wilfrid), but also an itinerary of holy places.

This short course will use Bede's History as a way into some of these sites – many of which still contain evidence of a rich Christian culture. Our main focus will be key sites associated with the conversion, such as York and Goodmanham; sites that were home to missionaries, such as Lastingham and Hackness; and sites of monastic power, such as Ripon and Whitby.

4 weeks, Friday 5 November - Friday 26 November (incl.)

NB The timing of this course is no longer as originally advertised here, and will now be 2.30-4.30pm.

Cost: £10 for members of PLACE, or £15 for non-members (it may interest you to learn that PLACE membership is currently £5 p.a.! See here.)

Please note that this is a PLACE course, and can only be booked directly with PLACE (details of which are here). To book, see the newsletter and booking form here.