Online book launch events for archaeologist James Wright’s new book: Historic Building Mythbusting
Go to any ancient building and there will be interesting, exciting, and romantic stories presented to the visitor. They are commonly believed and widely repeated – but are they really true? These stories include those of secret passages linking ancient buildings, spiral staircases in castles giving advantage to right-handed defenders, ship timbers used in the construction of buildings on land, blocked doors in churches which are thought to keep the Devil out and claims to be the oldest pub in the city.
James Wright will explain the development of such myths and investigate the underlying truths behind them. Sometimes the realities hiding behind the stories are even more interesting, romantic, and exciting than the myth itself…
The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He 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. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog and his book Historic Building Mythbusting will be released via The History Press on 6 June 2024.
There will be two separate online book launch events which will be delivered via Zoom.
The first event takes place on Thursday 6 June at 14.00 GMT+1. Booking is via the Eventbrite link below:
The second event takes place on Sunday 9 June at 20.00 GMT+1. Booking is via the Eventbrite link below:
Each event will last approximately 90 minutes. The content will be identical at both events – please only book for one or the other! The presentations will be entirely different to any of the in person events on the subsequent book tour.
This talks are crowdfunded through donation and will be a new bespoke lectures. There is no minimum donation so it is possible to contribute as little or as much as you want. Your donation is your ticket and you will be sent a link to access the event by Eventbrite.
Please note that these are live events which will not be recorded and made available online afterwards.
If you have a question about the events – in the first instance please see our FAQs section. The answer will almost certainly be in there.
If you experience any problems in booking for the events then we suggest logging out and back into your Eventbrite account. If this does not work then please try booking using a different device. If problems still persist then please contact Eventbrite directly.
Eventbrite recommend using the most up to date version of Google Chrome to access the meetings.
If have not received the login details on the evening of the event please email james@triskeleheritage.com – this address will be monitored up until the talks begin.
The vast majority of ancient buildings have never received any meaningful research of any kind. For many this is quite the shock. Despite this, over the last 30 to 40 years, buildings archaeologists have been able to use multi-disciplinary approaches to tease out evidence for the origins, development, phasing, history and significance of structures that are both humble and grand.
This talk will explain how the study of ancient buildings grew out of the antiquarian movement, was championed in Parliament, and eventually became an essential part of the archaeological world. It will follow research into ten structures including Nine Ladies Stone Circle, Tattershall Castle, The Rose Playhouse, Stone Priory, Strelley Hall and Knole. It will also connect directly with the career of the speaker as he uses buildings that he has personal experience of to explain the ways that we study the archaeology of ancient architecture.
The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He 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. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog.
All you need to do is register via Eventbrite and – when the time for the talk rolls around – grab your favourite beverage of choice, get comfy and enjoy.
The event will take place at 19:00 GMT+1 on Wednesday 22 May 2024 via Zoom. There will be a talk until approximately 20.15 GMT and then a questions and answer session. It will end around 21.00 GMT.
This lecture is crowdfunded through donation. It will be the debut of a new bespoke talk. There is no minimum donation so its possible to contribute as little or as much as you want. Your donation is your ticket and you will be sent a link to access the event by Eventbrite.
Please note that this live event will not be recorded and made available online afterwards.
If you have a question about the event – in the first instance please see our FAQs section. The answer will almost certainly be in there.
If you experience any problems in booking for the event then we suggest logging out and back into your Eventbrite account. If this does not work then please try booking using a different device. If problems still persist then please contact Eventbrite directly.
Eventbrite recommend using the most up to date version of Google Chrome to access the meeting.
If have not received the login details on the evening of the event please email james@triskeleheritage.com – this address will be monitored up until the talk starts at 7pm GMT+1.
The History, Design and Archaeology of Staircases in the Mediaeval and Early Modern Periods
We might think of staircases as a seemingly functional or mundane part of our buildings. However, in this talk we will re-evaluate our relationship with stairs by looking at their history, design and archaeology. Superficially, staircases are a means to access upper or lower storeys in a building… but in the past they could be connected to notions of elite status, the control of access to important rooms, and major social changes in society.
During the mediaeval period, staircases were associated with the most prestigious buildings, such as churches or castles, which demanded upper levels in their architecture. However, by the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries sweeping changes were afoot across society and the stairs began to be constructed in more humble homes. Their appearance can be linked to adjustments in attitudes to privacy, technology, possessions, education and the environment.
The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He 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. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog.
All you need to do is register via Eventbrite and – when the time for the talk rolls around – grab your favourite beverage of choice, get comfy and enjoy.
The event will take place at 19:00 GMT+1 on Thursday 25 April 2024 via Zoom. There will be a talk until approximately 20.15 GMT and then a questions and answer session. It will end around 21.00 GMT.
This lecture is crowdfunded through donation. It will be the debut of a new bespoke talk. There is no minimum donation so its possible to contribute as little or as much as you want. Your donation is your ticket and you will be sent a link to access the event by Eventbrite.
Please note that this live event will not be recorded and made available online afterwards.
If you have a question about the event – in the first instance please see our FAQs section. The answer will almost certainly be in there.
Eventbrite recommend using the most up to date version of Google Chrome to access the meeting.
If you have any problems accessing the eventplease email: james@triskeleheritage.com This address will only be monitored until the event begins at 7pm GMT, so please do login with plenty of time to spare.
The Architecture, History, and Archaeology of Mediaeval Inns, Church Houses, Taverns, and Alehouses
The mediaeval inn is such a familiar scene from popular fiction – dark rooms, roaring fires, overflowing tankards – but what was it really like to visit such a place? In this talk, the buildings archaeologist, James Wright will explore evidence from architecture, history, and archaeology to reconstruct the experience of visiting an inn during the mediaeval period.
Following research across places such as Shropshire, Hampshire, Somerset, Oxfordshire and Nottinghamshire this talk will be an exploration of the physical characteristics of surviving inns. It will also look at how inns and other drinking venues such as church houses, taverns, and alehouses contributed to the evolution of the Great British Boozer!
The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He 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. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog.
All you need to do is register via Eventbrite and – when the time for the talk rolls around – grab your favourite beverage of choice, get comfy and enjoy.
The event will take place at 19:00 GMT on Thursday 21 March 2024 via Zoom. There will be a talk until approximately 20.15 GMT and then a questions and answer session. It will end around 21.00 GMT.
This lecture is crowdfunded through donation. It will be the debut of a new bespoke talk. There is no minimum donation so its possible to contribute as little or as much as you want. Your donation is your ticket and you will be sent a link to access the event by Eventbrite.
Please note that this live event will not be recorded and made available online afterwards.
If you have a question about the event – in the first instance please see our FAQs section. The answer will almost certainly be in there.
Eventbrite recommend using the most up to date version of Google Chrome to access the meeting.
If you have any problems accessing the eventplease email: james@triskeleheritage.com This address will be monitored until the event begins at 7pm GMT.
Delving into the underground passages, chambers, cellars, mines, and caves of the British landscape
There are many stories told about secret passages and hidden tunnels said to link our historic buildings. However, almost all of these tales fall into the category of folklore and myth. Yet there are genuine examples of subterranean landscapes beneath the ground and this talk will seek to delve into the archaeology of these very real spaces.
The talk will consider examples such as prehistoric copper mines in Cheshire, the caves riddling the rock upon which the city of Nottingham is built, passages beneath several British castles, chalk extraction pits in the south of England, and cellars beanth both great and little known houses.
The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He 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. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog.
All you need to do is register via Eventbrite and – when the time for the talk rolls around – grab your favourite beverage of choice, get comfy and enjoy.
The event will take place at 19:00 GMT on Thursday 22 February 2024 via Zoom. There will be a talk until approximately 20.15 GMT and then a questions and answer session. It will end around 21.00 GMT.
This lecture is crowdfunded through donation. It will be the debut of a new bespoke talk. There is no minimum donation so its possible to contribute as little or as much as you want. Your donation is your ticket and you will be sent a link to access the event by Eventbrite.
Please note that this live event will not be recorded and made available online afterwards.
If you have a question about the event – in the first instance please see our FAQs section. The answer will almost certainly be in there.
Eventbrite recommend using the most up to date version of Google Chrome to access the meeting.
If you have any problems accessing the eventplease email: james@triskeleheritage.com This address will be monitored until the event begins at 7pm GMT.
Social Life, Heating, Cooking, Lighting, and Rituals in the Mediaeval & Early Modern Period
Until relatively recently the open fire was the beating heart of most homes, and it still is for some. People would gather for warmth around the fire. They would also use it to light their rooms, cook their food, and to provide the focus to greet their guests. Fireplaces and chimneys also offered a location for protecting against fears or anxieties about the perceived threat of evil and bad luck in the world. Put simply, the fireplace was one of the most significant and complex spots in pre-modern houses.
Many of the practical, domestic, social, ceremonial and ritual functions of fireplaces have been lost or forgotten. This talk will seek to dig deep into the history, dating and phasing of fireplaces in historic houses. It will also explain some of the ways in which fireplaces were used and thought about by people during the mediaeval and early modern periods.
The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He 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. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog.
All you need to do is register via Eventbrite and – when the time for the talk rolls around – grab your favourite beverage of choice, get comfy and enjoy.
The event will take place at 19:00 GMT on Thursday 25 January 2024 via Zoom. There will be a talk until approximately 20.15 GMT and then a questions and answer session. It will end around 21.00 GMT.
This lecture is crowdfunded through donation. It will be the debut of a new bespoke talk. There is no minimum donation so its possible to contribute as little or as much as you want. Your donation is your ticket and you will be sent a link to access the event by Eventbrite.
Please note that this live event will not be recorded and made available online afterwards.
If you have a question about the event – in the first instance please see our FAQs section. The answer will almost certainly be in there.
Eventbrite recommend using the most up to date version of Google Chrome to access the meeting.
If you have any problems accessing the eventplease email: james@triskeleheritage.com This address will be monitored throughout the event.
For the second year running this one-day event will see buildings archaeologist Dr James Wright (Triskele Heritage) attempt to deliver six consecutive hour long talks (each followed by questions and answers sessions) on mediaeval architecture in one, somewhat foolhardy, 12 hour session.
The talks will be given via Zoom and attendees are invited to join for as much or as little of the day as they wish. The lectures include 2 brand new talks (marked below with an asterisk *) and will be as follows:
1 0.00-12.00: Understanding Mediaeval Houses *
A brand new presentation which will outline the different spaces, and their uses, in the mediaeval house. Once thought to be a rare asset, survey work has demonstrated that we have a surprising number of mediaeval houses surviving in the British landscape. Building on work by Triskele Heritage and others this bespoke talk will analyse how we can identify mediaeval houses, what features we might expect to see, and explain who would have used the different spaces and for what purposes.
1 2.00-14.00: Ship Timbers in Historic Buildings
A visit to almost any timber-framed building in the land will elicit a story that the structure was re-used from a wrecked ship. The tale is often elaborated to add a layer of enigma and romanticism by mentioning the Spanish Armada or battle of Trafalgar. Are these just harmless folktales intended to hook in the tourists, or can we genuinely find the timbers of lost ships in the rafters of ancient buildings?
1 4.00-16.00: Uncovering Mediaeval Roofs
Attics are dark and enigmatic places. Yet in ancient buildings they offer the chance of illumination when trying to understand the historic development of a structure. Roofs are often the least altered element of a building and retain more of their original fabric than any other part of a property. For researchers they offer a hugely significant repository of data which can be understood and interpreted. This talk will open the attic hatch on the lost, hidden and fascinating world of mediaeval roofs. We will look at how roofs are constructed, the changes in design across time and place, the functions of roof spaces in the past, and some of the startling archaeological discoveries that are made up in the rafters.
1 6.00-18.00: Investigating the Mediaeval Village *
Sometimes the opportunity arises to investigate an entire village for evidence of ancient buildings. This brand new talk will relay a case study of one particular project which studied the mediaeval settlement of Collingham in Nottinghamshire between 2020 and 2022. The project was a collaboration between Triskele Heritage and Collingham & District Local History Society. It attempted to identify and map mediaeval and early modern buildings within an East Midlands village. The results were somewhat startling and demonstrated that significant numbers of previously unidentified ancient buildings were hidden in plain sight.
1 8.00-20.00: Burn Marks on the Walls
Have you ever noticed strange, tear-shaped scorch marks on timbers in historic buildings? Most people tend to assume that they were left their by the unattended candles of careless occupants. Based on fieldwork survey, research and experimental archaeology this talk demonstrates that such marks are evidence of a number of ritual practices in the mediaeval and early modern periods linked to a desire to bring good luck and avert evil…
Going to the toilet is an everyday event for literally everyone that has ever lived. However, there has been a prudish reticence among architectural specialists to research and present the archaeology of this apparently ordinary practice. Despite this, there is a wealth of data which can be drawn upon to explain the latrinal habits of people in the mediaeval period. This data is not just limited to the functional – Where in the building were the privies located? What did they look like? How they were kept clean? There are a whole host of other considerations: What were the mediaeval attitudes towards going to the toilet? Who was allowed to access the garderobe? What were the social implications of doing so? How were privies used to promote notions of elite prestige? This talk will plumb all of these depths…
The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He 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. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog.
All you need to do is register via Eventbrite and – when the time for the talk rolls around – grab your favourite beverage of choice, get comfy and enjoy.
The event will take place on Zoom between 10.00 and 22.00 on Saturday 13 January 2024 via Zoom. Each talk talk will be approximately 1 hour long and will be followed by a questions and answer session lasting around 30-45 minutes. There will be breaks of 15 to 30 minutes between each presentation.
This event is crowdfunded through donation. It will include the debut of a two new bespoke talks. There is no minimum donation so its possible to contribute as little or as much as you want. Your donation is your ticket and you will be sent a link to access the event by Eventbrite.
Please note that this live event will not be recorded and made available online afterwards.
If you have a question about the event – in the first instance please see our FAQs section. The answer will almost certainly be in there.
Eventbrite recommend using the most up to date version of Google Chrome to access the meeting.
If you have any problems accessing the event please email james@triskeleheritage.com – this address will be monitored throughout the event.
Advice & Guidance for Researching the Archaeology of Historic Houses
Most settlements in the British Isles contain at least one, and sometimes many, ancient buildings. Historic houses are familiar and popular elements of urban and rural landscapes. However, it may come as a shock to discover that the vast majority of old properties have never been researched in a meaningful sense. This lack of knowledge extends to both well-known and more obscure buildings. Consequently, there is often a cloudy understanding about the true age of many ancient structures.
This online talk will delve into the reasons for such limited understanding and will then offer practical guidance on how to use archaeological techniques to research ancient buildings. We will consider advice on how to track down buildings using archives; the pros and cons of dendrochronology will be outlined, and the techniques of buildings archaeology will be explained. The event will be useful for landowners of ancient buildings, for community groups interested in local architecture, and for anyone with a wayward curiosity about understanding just how old historic buildings are.
The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He 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. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog.
All you need to do is register via Eventbrite and – when the time for the talk rolls around – grab your favourite beverage of choice, get comfy and enjoy.
The event will take place at 19:00 GMT on Thursday 14 December 2023 via Zoom. There will be a talk until approximately 20.15 GMT and then a questions and answer session. It will end around 21.00 GMT.
This lecture is crowdfunded through donation. It will be the debut of a new bespoke talk. There is no minimum donation so its possible to contribute as little or as much as you want. Your donation is your ticket and you will be sent a link to access the event by Eventbrite.
Please note that this live event will not be recorded and made available online afterwards.
If you have a question about the event – in the first instance please see our FAQs section. The answer will almost certainly be in there.
Eventbrite recommend using the most up to date version of Google Chrome to access the meeting.
If you have any problems accessing the eventplease email: james@triskeleheritage.com This address will be monitored throughout the event.
Some of the most significant archaeological remains are those of stone buildings from the mediaeval period. Whether it be complete buildings, partial ruins, excavated foundations or architectural fragments – stonework has the potential to reveal a huge amount about how people lived and worked in the past. This talk will take a look at the the practices of stonemasons and how archaeological research can shed light on construction and life in the mediaeval period.
Drawing upon over twenty years of experience as both a conservation stonemason and a buildings archaeologist the speaker, James Wright, will include case studies from surveys of churches, monasteries, cathedrals, hospitals, castles and great houses. He will look in detail at the evidence left on the very stones of buildings by stonemasons and the ways in which archaeologists use recording techniques to gain a deeper understanding of their sites.
The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He 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. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog.
All you need to do is register via Eventbrite and – when the time for the talk rolls around – grab your favourite beverage of choice, get comfy and enjoy.
The event will take place at 19:00 GMT on Thursday 16 November 2023 via Zoom. There will be a talk until approximately 20.15 GMT and then a questions and answer session. It will end around 21.00 GMT.
This lecture is crowdfunded through donation. It will be the debut of a new bespoke talk. There is no minimum donation so its possible to contribute as little or as much as you want. Your donation is your ticket and you will be sent a link to access the event by Eventbrite.
Please note that this live event will not be recorded and made available online afterwards.
If you have a question about the event – in the first instance please see our FAQs section. The answer will almost certainly be in there.
Eventbrite recommend using the most up to date version of Google Chrome to access the meeting.
If you have any problems accessing the eventplease email: james@triskeleheritage.com This address will be monitored throughout the event.
Opening the door on the world of mediaeval and early modern houses
We might think of doors as purely functional – a way to ensure privacy and to get from one space to another. In some ways this is entirely accurate. However, the study of ancient doors can reveal so much more.
This talk will literally open the door on how doors are constructed, how we can understand how old a door is, and how doors were used in the past. It will also delve deeper to look at what the design of a door can tell us about the status of the room beyond, who was able to use certain doors but not others, and something of the folk beliefs surrounding doors.
The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He 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. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog.
All you need to do is register via Eventbrite and – when the time for the talk rolls around – grab your favourite beverage of choice, get comfy and enjoy.
The event will take place at 19:00 GMT+1 on Thursday 12 October 2023 via Zoom. There will be a talk until approximately 20.15 GMT+1 and then a questions and answer session. It will end around 21.00 GMT+1.
This lecture is crowdfunded through donation. It will be the debut of a new bespoke talk. There is no minimum donation so its possible to contribute as little or as much as you want. Your donation is your ticket and you will be sent a link to access the event by Eventbrite.
Please note that this live event will not be recorded and made available online afterwards.
If you have a question about the event – in the first instance please see our FAQs section. The answer will almost certainly be in there.
Eventbrite recommend using the most up to date version of Google Chrome to access the meeting.
If you have any problems accessing the eventplease email: james@triskeleheritage.com This address will be monitored throughout the event.
