Talks

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All our talks begin promptly at 2.30pm except where shown. After the talk we hold a raffle and we serve tea, coffee and biscuits. We'll usually finish by 4.00pm.

We make a small charge to cover our costs. This is £3.00 for members and £4.00 for non-members. We can take contactless payments, so that you have more small change to buy your raffle tickets.

The talks usually take place at one of two venues:

Swanage -We meet in the hall of All Saints Church, Ulwell Road BH19 1LL. There is a lay-by in front of the church and a small car park at the side. There is also usually plenty of space to park on-street nearby. Buses stop outside. Click here for a map.

 

Wareham - We meet in Carey Hall, in Mistover Road, BH20 4BY, where there is ample FREE parking. Nearest bus stop is Wareham Station, about 300 yards away. On foot or by car, leave the station roundabout on Bere Road, turn immediately left onto Carey Road. Mistover Road is first right after 200 yards. The entrance to the Hall is between houses about 70 yards on the right hand side

Click here for a map.

We sometimes leave some past talks on this page to give an idea of the range of topics that we cover.

Date & Venue

Details

Due to unforeseen circumstances we've had to swap the January and February talks. The details below are correct, and replace those shown in the autumn Newsletter

Tuesday 16 January

Swanage 

Versailles and the English - from Louis X1V to Victoria - Eminent historian Dr Philip Mansel, was brought up in Kimmeridge but now shares his time between Dorset and London. He has written acclaimed histories of great cities and French kings, including the award-winning book King of the World. Philip will have books available to buy.

Thursday 15 February

Wareham

The Final Voyage of the Halsewell - Author Philip Browne makes a return trip to PANT. Last time he recounted the story of the East Indiaman wrecked on the rocks at Seacombe in 1876. This time he will explore the reasons for, and the impact of, the disaster on Captain Richard Peirce and his family, his crew, the quarrymen and on the general public who heard or read of the tragedy. His photographs include personal items found among the wreck. History brought alive!

Tuesday 19 March

Swanage 

Mazes and Follies Adrian Fisher MBE (and NT life member!) gives a fascinating exploration of why mazes and follies are created and how they are used. Adrian has been designing mazes since 1976. He has built them for several National Trust gardens amongst others. In 2020 he received an MBE for services to International Trade and the Creative Industries.

Thursday 18 April

Wareham 

AGM - another year, another AGM. As usual we hope to tempt you by keeping the formal stuff to a minimum, followed by delicious cakes. Our guest speaker will be Tom Clarke, NT Purbeck Estate and Senior Volunteering Manager, will talk about the work he has been doing to connect the Trust to the local community and in particular the younger generation.

Tuesday 17 September

Swanage

Bohemian Literary Paris. Brian Freeland is a playwright, author and speaker. He has had a long theatre career with the RSC, National Scottish Opera, Sadler’s Wells and Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop among others. He has travelled extensively on tours and residencies so his talks and books reflect his wide and various experiences. His talk for us in 2023 was such a success that we thought we should invite him back PDQ! This time he will give us his fascinating talk on Bohemian Literary Paris.

This page was last updated 05 February 2024

© The Purbeck Association of The National Trust