The talks will include:

The Portable Antiquities Scheme in North Lincolnshire and Beyond, presented by Martin Foreman, Finds Liaison Officer, Northern Lincolnshire

The Hidden Valley, finding the Anglo Saxons in Winterton Vale, North Lincolnshire, presented by Kevin Leahy, National Advisor for Early Medieval Finds for the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme

An Introduction to North Lincolnshire Museum, its History and Display by Rose Nicholson, Heritage Manager, North Lincolnshire Museum.

According to Medieval Church doctrine, Purgatory was believed by Christians to be an intermediate state between Heaven and Hell, where souls were painfully cleansed of unconfessed sins and uncompleted penance prior to the Day of Judgement.

To reduce this suffering, the performance of masses, along with acts of penance, pilgrimage, almsgiving and other ‘good works’ performed by the living, were thought to minimise the torments in the afterlife.

In addition, relief in the form of indulgences became standard practice, especially in the later Medieval period, culminating in their abolition in England as part of the Reformation process.

These features will be discussed, along with highlighting the Scala Celi (Ladder to Heaven) indulgence centred on Boston

Tuxford and Sons were an amazing engineering firm.  It was a small family business, but it sold its engines and other products worldwide, and invented the steam thrashing sets that were used on British farms for a hundred years until combine harvesters took over about 1950.

William Wedd Tuxford was a miller and with his sons developed the engineering side about 1837, which lasted until the last son died in 1885. Their markets included Australia, Cuba and Russia, and engines made by the firm are still displayed in museums in France, Sweden and the UK.

A new book just published by the Heckington Windmill Trust details the history of this important firm. 

The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage) has two decades professional experience of ferreting around in people’s cellars, hunting through their attics and digging up their gardens.

He hopes to find meaningful truths about how ordinary and extraordinary folk lived their lives in the mediaeval period.

James Wright is the author of the popular Medieval Mythbusting Blog and his book Historic Building Mythbusting will be released via The History Press on 6 June 2024

The tour will start at the memorial lychgate and circumnavigate Great Limber Church, followed by tea and coffee and a guided tour of the interior of the Church including the architecture and stories connected with the building.

There will be a guided visit to both the exterior and interior of Brocklesby Mausoleum, built by James Wyatt and housing Joseph Nollekens sculpture of Sophia Aufrere. The building is considered the county’s second most important architectural gem after Lincoln Cathedral.

After a picnic lunch either next to the village pond, or in the Village Hall, the group will travel via the Tenants' Arch to re-convene at All Saints, Church, Brocklesby DN41 8PP for a guided visit of both All Saints Church and Churchyard. The Church has wonderful box pews, organ case, font and significant monuments from the 16th century to the 20th century.

The talk will be an examination of the portrayal of Methodist chapels in art and what they might suggest to us about the identity and role of that chapel in its community setting.