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August Lecture: Treasures in the Attic

Event at Bishop Lloyds Palace

Friday 22nd August 2025 at 2.00 pm

Treasures in the Attic
Speaker: Karen McKay

Much has been written about the carved reliefs on the lower storeys of Bishop Lloyd’s Palace. We have a fairly sound understanding of these. However, the ones on the attic storey are difficult to see and no in-depth review of them has been available. Skysnapper Aerial Photography took drone photographs of them and the results were very surprising.

Karen McKay will show all these carvings. She will talk on how she has tried to make sense of these reliefs and hopes for your contributions to the discussion.

To show that Chester Civic Trust is on trend, the talk will be followed by a Jaffa Cake Jolly with a hot drink.

The cost is £4.

Please book using the contact form  for members in the post with the last newsletter or request a place from the contact form on this website. You will only be notified if you do not have a place on this event.

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June Visit: World of Glass & Astley Hall

We have organised a visit to The World of Glass, St Helen’s and Astley Hall in Chorley.

The World of Glass is built around the 1877 Tank House where William Windle Pilkington perfected the regenerative process of continuous glass making. As well as a view of how glass
was made, there is a museum of glass from its origins to contemporary glass making.

On arrival at the World of Glass we will have refreshments. Our private guided tour will include glass blowing, the museum galleries, the tank house and the tunnels. We will have an included
sandwich and quiche lunch.

We will then be having a private guided tour of Astley Hall. The Hall dates from 1570, but there have been improvements throughout its history. It is Grade 1 Listed, with huge mullioned and
transomed external bay windows and an intriguing collection of painted notables on panels in the Hall. Its real delight is its exquisite plaster -work ceilings, which are truly astounding.
There will be some time to walk in the grounds or visit Café Ambio in the stables.

The cost per person will be £53.50. It includes coach travel, gratuities, morning refreshments, lunch and two guided tours. Please inform us of any special dietary requirements.
We will leave Handbridge at 8.45, the railway station at 8.50 and Boughton at 8.55, arriving back in Chester at approximately 5.45.
You will be notified of your place on this visit on 30th May 2025.

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June Lecture: An update on Local Archaeology

Tuesday 10th June 2025 at 7.30pm.

Bishop Lloyd’s Palace

Keep up to date with Local Archaeology

Speaker: Michael Emery

Mike has worked at over 150 archaeological sites in the UK on a wide variety of community, research and commercial projects. He was instrumental in setting up the Poulton Research Project which he led for 21 years.

He is co-director of Chapel Archaeology CIC (Community Interest Company) and will describe the company’s research over the last nine years, which has included a study of rural and urban
ecclesiastical landscapes in Chester and south-west Cheshire. Mike will be joined by local historian Carolyn Barnwell, also a co-director of Chapel Archaeology.

Heritage Lottery funding enabled an in-depth study of the village of Shocklach and its environs, including its isolated church, and led to the publication of two books.
A recent ongoing project at St. John’s Church, Chester, has included internal surveys, external geophysical investigations and analysis of the church archives and is producing fascinating
results.

Wine and nibbles will be served after the talk. The price for the event will be £8 per person.

Please book using the contact form  for members in the post with the last newsletter or request a place from the contact form on this website. You will only be notified if you do not have a place on this event.

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May Visit: Wrexham Walking Tour

This guided tour of Wrexham on May 21st follows our literary excursion in November with David Ebsworth into 1884 Wrexham and Chester.

Green Badge Guide, Peter Evans, will be revealing the history and highlights of the city. This will include the tomb of Bishop Lloyd’s infamous great-grandson, Elihu Yale, in St Giles
Churchyard. The walk will be about one and a half miles.

We will begin the tour with coffee/tea and biscuits at the Vasco Da Gama Café in Lord Street and start the walk at 10.45.

This is a green visit. We will catch Bus 1 to Wrexham at 9.14 am. The bus leaves at the Railway Station on City Road, opposite the side of the Queen’s Hotel. We arrive in Wrexham at 10.00.
Buses return to Chester from Wrexham Bus Station approximately every 15 minutes. If the bus times change, you will be notified.

The cost will be £13.50. This includes our guided tour and morning coffee.

Places are limited, so please apply early. Please book using the contact form for members in the post with the last newsletter or request a place from the contact form on this website. You will be notified by May 17th of your place on this visit.

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May Lecture: The Arts and Crafts Movement in Manchester

Event at Bishop Lloyds Palace

Friday 16th May 2025 at 2.00 pm
The Arts and Crafts Movement in Manchester
Speaker: Barry Clarke

Barry Clarke has recently been involved in the publication of a lavishly illustrated book on this subject. The Northern Art Workers’ Guild in Manchester was organised in 1896,
twelve years after its London predecessor. It involved many people with connections to visits which we have made. Edward Wood, whose work we saw in Middleton, was a luminary. Barry
Parker was originally from Manchester, and we saw his work in Letchworth Garden City. The Clarion Guild of Handicraft organised a show in Chester in 1903 at which the Peasant Arts Movement exhibited. We saw their work in Haslemere, Surrey.

Even if you did not attend any of these visits Barry’s talk will introduce you to these practitioners and many others.

Refreshments will be served after the talk. The cost will be £6. Please book using the contact form  for members in the post with the last newsletter or request a place from the contact form on this website. You will only be notified if you do not have a place on this event.

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April Lecture: Thomas Brassey – The World’s Greatest Railway Builder

On April 16th Peter Cocker will give a talk on Thomas Brassey: The World’s Greatest Railway Builder, celebrated at Chester Railway Station.

Born in Buerton near Chester in 1805, Thomas constructed Chester Station and worked alongside noted engineers of his time such as George and Robert Stephenson, Joseph Locke and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He built a third of Britain’s railways, three quarters of France’s railways and one in 20 of all the railways in the world.

A bronze statue of him is set to take pride of place outside Chester Railway Station in the Summer following a successful fundraising campaign by the Thomas Brassey Society.

The lecture will take place at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm.

Civic Trust members have FREE admission to the lectures at the Grosvenor Museum. Guests are welcome £5 on the door.

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2025 DATES FOR THE DIARY

JANUARY 5th 7pm.*
‘Twelfth Night Quiz’ – Bishop Lloyds Palace – £10 including festive refreshments – booking forms in December mail out

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 15th at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm
Lecture Series: DR JAMES WRIGHT will talk about his recent book ‘Historic Building Mythbusting’

THURSDAY JANUARY 30th** at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace at 2.00pm
MICHAEL TREVOR BARNSTON, a Life Member of Chester Civic Trust, will give a talk about his family’s illustrious history followed by afternoon tea. Booking forms in the December Newsletter

FEBRUARY 12th at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm
Lecture Series: Create Streets – a Think Tank currently supporting Cheshire West and Chester.

FEBRUARY 28th** at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace at 7.30pm.
Chester Witches Peter Elliott and Clare Dudman

MARCH 19th at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm
Lecture Series: Colin Potts, Programme Leader International Tourism Management, University of Chester.

MARCH 31 – APRIL 4*
Residential visit to the Surrey Hills including the Watts Gallery and Artists Village (details in the December Newsletter). Following from the lecture in November, a visit to the Watts Gallery and Village will be one of the highlights of the 5 day visit for members of the Trust. Other places of interest during the visit will include Hughenden Manor, the home of Benjamin Disraeli, the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham and a private viewing of the National Trust’s Polesden Lacey.

APRIL 10th** 
Day visit to Llangollen including a tour of Plas Newydd. lunch and talk on the Pontcysllte World Heritage Site.

APRIL 16th. at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm
Lecture Series: Peter Cocker will give a talk on Thomas Brassey: The World’s Greatest Railway Builder, celebrated at Chester Railway Station.

MAY 16th 2pm. at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace at 2.00pm.
The Arts and Crafts Movement in Manchester.

MAY 21st
Special guided tour of Wrexham.

JUNE 10th at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace at 7.30pm.
Keep up to date with local archaeology

June 12th
Day visit to The World of Glass, St Helens and Astley Hall, Chorley.

JUNE 26th, Tuesday 7pm.
Celebration Sapphire Jubilee (65th year) Dinner – more details tba.

AUGUST 22nd at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace at 2.00pm.
Treasure in the Attic.

OCTOBER 2nd
AGM

More dates and details to come!!

Please note Civic Trust members have FREE admission to the lectures at the Grosvenor Museum. Guests are welcome £5 on the door.

(Booking forms for events marked * were included in the September mail out. **were included in the December mail out. )

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