Join us for a fascinating lunchtime talk exploring the infamous story of the Pendle Witches, with historian Seren Shaw. Discover the chilling tale of the 1612 witch trials, one of the most notorious in English history, as we delve into the social, political, and religious tensions that fueled the accusations.

Learn about the individuals accused, the dramatic courtroom proceedings, and how the Pendle Witch Trials continue to capture the public imagination over 400 years later.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday November 8th, 1:00 – 2:00PM

Venue: Kendal Museum

Price: £10 General Admission, £6 for under 16s/students

PLEASE NOTE: Unfortunately the venue is accessible only via a staircase, so is not suitable for wheelchair users. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Book your tickets HERE

How did the specimens in the World Wildlife Gallery find their way to Kendal? What are their stories? And what does the gallery reveal about the connection between Kendal and the rest of the world?

Join Joe Rigby, former Kendal resident and now Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Chester, to explore these questions through a focus on one of the primary donors to, and benefactors of, the museum in the 20th century, Colonel Edgard Garston Harrison, of High Hundhowe, near Staveley.

Harrison paid for the construction of the World Wildlife Gallery in 1939, on condition that this be used to display his collection of mounted taxidermy animal heads, or ‘hunting trophies,’ to the public. Harrison shot the majority of these animals whilst serving as a soldier in the British colonial army in eastern Africa. Uncovering the story of Harrison’s donations has revealed longstanding, but as yet unacknowledged, connections between Kendal and the Nandi community in western Kenya, who continue to be affected by the legacy left by Harrison and British colonialism.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday November 22nd, 1:00 – 2:00PM

Venue: Kendal Museum

Price: £10 General Admission, £6 for under 16s/students

PLEASE NOTE: Unfortunately the venue is accessible only via a staircase, so is not suitable for wheelchair users. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Book your tickets HERE

Join Janet McWilliam of Carlisle & District Egyptology Society for a captivating journey into Kendal Museum’s collection of Ancient Egyptian objects. This talk will explore the fascinating origins and meanings behind key artefacts in the collection, revealing how they connect Kendal to the rich world of ancient Egypt.

We’ll also delve into the lives of John Garstang and John Rankin, the two key donors whose contributions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries helped shape the museum’s Egyptology collection. Learn about their roles in the early days of British archaeology in Egypt and how their legacy lives on in Kendal today.

To accompany the talk, a fun and educational “I Spy” sheet will be available to help attendees identify and engage with the objects during their next visit to the museum.

Event Details:

NEW DATE: Saturday December 6th, 1:00 – 2:00PM

Venue: Kendal Museum

Price: £10 General Admission, £6 for under 16s/students

PLEASE NOTE: Unfortunately the venue is accessible only via a staircase, so is not suitable for wheelchair users. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Book your tickets HERE

Join Dr Penny Bradshaw, Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of Cumbria, for an engaging talk on Ann Radcliffe’s 1794 tour of the Lake District. As one of the most celebrated Gothic novelists of her time, Radcliffe’s journey offers a fascinating insight into early tourism and its influence on literary responses to landscape.

The talk will highlight key moments from her travels—including her ascent of Skiddaw, reflections on Kendal, and the dramatic crossing of Lancaster Sands—exploring how these experiences paved the way for Romantic approaches to place, later shaped by poets like Wordsworth.

Dr Bradshaw is a specialist in regional Romanticism and the author of a new edition of Observations during a Tour to the Lakes (Hobnob Press, 2024). Signed copies of her book with be available for purchase after the event.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday December 13th, 1:00 – 2:00PM

Venue: Kendal Museum

Price: £10 General Admission, £6 for under 16s/students

PLEASE NOTE: Unfortunately the venue is accessible only via a staircase, so is not suitable for wheelchair users. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Book your tickets HERE