For tickets, visit Shrewsbury Historica

The Extended History Series

Shrewsbury - from Prehistory to the Normans

More information and tickets can be found by scrolling down the page

1 The Early Days

The Iron Age, before the Romans, the Roman period, Viroconium, the end of Roman Britain

2 Early Anglo-Saxons

The arrival and effect of the early Anglo-Saxons, the decline of Viroconium

3 Later Anglo-Saxons

Anglo-Saxon royalty in Shropshire, the origins of Shrewsbury, Anglo-Saxon society

4 The Normans

Resistance to the Normans, new castles, key personnel and the Marcher Lords

5 Norman Society

Norman society, the Domesday Book, religion and the Shropshire abbeys

More Information

What’s different in the extended series… (scroll down the page)

More Information about Extended Series 1

THE HISTORY OF SHREWSBURY (1)

The Extended History Series Season One will start in August 2026. The focus will be on the earliest known history of Shrewsbury and its surroundings.

There will be five separate episodes or presentations, lasting approximately 90 minutes, with refreshments included in the price. There is no need to take notes as summaries of each episode will be provided to all attendees. Details of the content in each episode can be found to the right or on www.shrewsburyhistorica.co.uk.

Dates and tickets can be found by clicking here

Each session will be led by Russell Game, who is a retired teacher of History and Politics at William Brookes School in Much Wenlock. Russell has a BA Honours degree in History and German from the University of Reading, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of Exeter. He also studied at Konstanz University in Germany.

Russell has given several presentations on local history, including on the Battle of Shrewsury, life in Tudor Shrewsbury, the impact of Thomas Telford, the Shrewsbury known by Charles Darwin and the effect of the First World War on Shrewsbury. He has also led tours around Shrewsbury.

Currently Russell is a trustee of Shrewsbury Civic Society, serving as IT manager, researcher, presenter, webmaster and newsletter/magazine editor. He specialises in local history and will be assisted by Bibbs Cameron, an ex-British Museum Guide, who runs Shrewsbury Historica.

The Iron Age and the Romans in Shropshire

  • Iron Age hillforts in Shropshire – the Wrekin, Old Oswestry, Caer Caradoc and more
  • Early evidence of human activity within the river loop
  • The arrival and effect of the Romans
  • The establishment of the Roman City of Viroconium
  • The Roman ‘presence’ in Shrewsbury and in Shropshire
  • The end of Roman Britannia

Early Arrival and Impact of the Anglo-Saxons

  • The Venerable Bede and the Anglo-Saxon ‘invasion’
  • The religious and linguistic effect of the Anglo-Saxons on England
  • The decline of Viroconium and the early origins of Shrewsbury
  • Viroconium and the new Anglo-Saxon village of Wroxeter
  • The story of Cynddylan and an evaluation of the existence of Pengwern

The Later Anglo-Saxon Period

  • The establishment of the Heptarchy
  • Anglo-Saxon royalty in Shropshire: Penda, Offa, Aethelflaed, Edgar and Aethelred
  • Offa’s Dyke
  • The impact of the Vikings in Shropshire
  • The nature of Anglo-Saxon society
  • Anglo-Saxon Shrewsbury – an evaluation of everyday life in Shrewsbury by the turn of the millennium

The Impact of the Normans

  • France and the origins of Normandy
  • Orderic Vitalis – Shropshire’s own chronicler
  • Resistance to Norman rule and the development of the castle, including Shrewsbury Castle
  • Edric the Wild – the history and the legend
  • The significance of the Marcher Lords on the Welsh borders
  • Roger de Montgomery – first Earl of Shrewsbury

Norman Society

  • Feudalism and the structure of Norman society
  • The Domesday Book – and the settlements of Shropshire
  • Law and order in Norman England
  • The power and influence of the Church
  • Shrewsbury Abbey and other abbeys – Buildwas, Haughmond, Lilleshall, Much Wenlock
  • Little known stories from Norman England

All presentations are held in the meeting room at the Bear Steps Hall and Art Gallery, the home of Shrewsbury Civic Society. Sunday presentations start at 16.00 pm and Wednesday presentations begin at 19.00 pm

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EXTENDED SERIES

What is new in the forthcoming programme?

The programme will still be presented by Russell and will comprise several episodes lasting for five months (August-December) but the overall programme will last longer (seven years, not five) and thus permit an investigation into more topics. Greater use of video and computer technology will also become apparent as the programme develops. There will also be greater integration of Shrewsbury into the context of national history and, where relevant, reference to other parts of Shropshire.

Do I need to book a whole series?

No, although you are perfectly welcome to do so. Each series has a particular theme, and each episode within a series is designed as a standalone presentation. Audience members are thus able to pick and choose which of the episodes they would like to attend.

Why does this programme last for seven years, not five?

Since starting the first five-year programme, Russell has undertaken considerable research into the history of Shrewsbury, which has led to new insights and further nuances. These have been taken into account in the new programme and, whilst they could have been condensed into five years, Russell felt that this would exclude too much in the way of explanation or detail. Therefore, a seven-year programme has been developed.

Is there greater mention of places outside Shrewsbury?

There was an original concept of making this programme a history of Shropshire, but this would have made it far too unwieldy – after all, places like Oswestry and Ludlow deserve a history series all to themselves. Our programme does focus on Shrewsbury, but the new programme makes greater reference to other places in Shropshire than was the case in the first programme.

Will the fifth episode in a series still be about miscellaneous subjects?

No. Russell was never really happy with the fifth episode in any of the previous series, so the new programme incorporates all topics as part of the main narrative, giving a greater feeling of continuity.

Will AI be used?

Yes, AI will be used to animate visuals or to provide images that would not otherwise be available. AI has also been used as part of the research for the presentations. However, AI is not that useful for local history and the text in the presentations (both on computer and in delivery) has all been written and checked by Russell. No attempt has been made to present AI images or videos as historically accurate.

Will notes still be provided?

A shortened transcript of the presentations will be provided so that nobody has to take notes during the presentations. These will be handed out as usual either during the interval or at the end of the presentation. However, there will be no additional information with the notes, only a shortened transcript of the presentation. Any information that was in the notes for the first programme has now been incorporated into the main narrative.

How long is each episode?

An episode is planned to last for around ninety minutes, with a break approximately at the halfway point. Timings will inevitably vary according to a range of circumstances, but audience members are under no obligation to remain for the full session.

Will there still be refreshments at the interval?

Yes – we still intend to provide tea and coffee during the halftime break, with mulled wine as alternative at the December event.

Will there still be Wednesday repeats?

Yes. We are aware that not everyone can make the Sunday afternoon presentations, so there will be a repeat presentation on Wednesday evenings.

Will the presentations still take place in the meeting room?

Yes. We can cater for a maximum of 30 people in the meeting room, which is usually enough for the number of people who attend each episode. It is also simpler to set up the technology in the meeting room than to have the exhibiting artist in the Great Hall move their exhibits and then for us to set up a screen display. Unfortunately, the meeting room is not accessible to some people because it is within a historic building. If this is an issue for anyone who would like to attend, then please get in touch with us.

Will the presentations be made available online?

Regrettably, this is not possible because of copyright issues

How do we get tickets?

You can get tickets for each presentation on Eventbrite or by clicking on the link within the websites for Shrewsbury Civic Society or Shrewsbury Historica. It may also be the case that tickets are available on the door on the day of the presentation, but this cannot be guaranteed and those with valid tickets bought online will take precedence.

How can we find out the content of a presentation?

You can find this out by going to the websites for Shrewsbury Civic Society or Shrewsbury Historica. You can also subscribe to the free e-magazine from Shrewsbury Civic Society to find out more information. Please note that the current e-magazine may not be the one with the details of the series, so you may need to request a copy of an earlier edition.

Does Shrewsbury Civic Society have other presentations?

Yes, we offer several presentations and tours throughout the year. To learn about them, go to the websites for Shrewsbury Civic Society or Shrewsbury Historica