The Chalke History Festival is thrilled to announce award-winning wealth management group Evelyn Partners as its new lead festival partner. This multi-year partnership comes at a crucial time when the financial stability of cultural events across the UK is under scrutiny.

Furious plotting and planning is underway for the 2025 Chalke History Festival to bring you a more exciting, relevant and varied programme than ever before.

Plans for the 2024 Festival are a long way down the line and we’re all very excited about how things are shaping up. We have reached an exciting moment in the history festival’s life and are looking at 2024 as a chance to look afresh at what we do and how and why we do it

Saturday Preview

Recording from Chalke Valley History Festival 2017. James Holland looks at one of the most iconic moments in Britain’s history. He examines the background to the German attack on the West in May 1940, challenging many of our deeply held perceptions, and explaining why the British evacuation of Dunkirk was, and remains, such a significant event.

Audio from Chalke Valley History Festival 2016. In 1857, the Indian army mutinied and spread terror across the sub-continent, massacring men, women and children of the Raj. One of its leaders was a charismatic queen whose rebellion seemed justified by her tragic life. James Heneage tells her remarkable story, and the story of the Mutiny, the worst of Imperial crises.

Audio from Chalke Valley History Festival 2018. This epic battle was voted Britain’s Greatest Battle in a poll by the National Army Museum, yet few know or understand why this brutal but decisive engagement was so significant. As James Holland reveals in this talk, it deserves greater recognition not just for the extraordinary leadership of General Bill Slim but also for epic heroism and the dogged determination of all those who fought there.

Recorded at Chalke Valley History Festival 2018 Robin Rowland was an officer in Slim’s Fourteenth Army, fighting at the Battle of the Admin Box – the first significant victory against the Japanese – and then at the hell of Kohima and on through the final battles at Meiktila in Burma in 1945. His is an absolutely extraordinary story in which he saw truly terrible things but also witnessed immense courage, tragedy and camaraderie. Here he is in conversation with James Holland.

Here's James Holland chatting to Al Murray at #CVHF 2018

VIDEO: Coming up on Friday..

Here's Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Harvard Professor, Annette Gordon-Reed Annette Gordon-Reed talking to James Holland about Thomas Jefferson whose actions and ideas — more than those of any of the other Founding Fathers —still divide Americans two centuries later.

Clare Mulley talks to James Holland about the Women Who Flew For Hitler, the only 2 female test pilots in Nazi Germany.

In this Pop Up History talk from CVHF 2017, Alex Langlands talks to James Holland about hay making pre-mechanisation.

Pop Up History talk - James Holland talks to James Rebanks about people's history of landscape and the importance of engaging with the countryside.

Audio from Chalke Valley History Festival for Schools 2017 with James Holland.

Dan talks to James about his current work, his love of sharing history knowledge via the internet and his career highlights.

Paul Beaver talks about what to expect at our Air Show this year..

James Holland, the Festival’s Programme Director and Co-Chair, lists the talks he’s most looking forward to seeing.

Notorious broadcaster and journalist Jeremy Paxman discusses with Xander Drury his recent book 'Great Britain's Great War' as well as sharing his thoughts on his role as the 'Grand Inquisitor' and life after leaving Newsnight.

Co-founder of Chalke Valley History Festival, James Heneage, looks ahead to the action-packed weekend at this year's festival, picking out some of the most eye-catching highlights from the extensive programme of speakers and Living History displays.

Acclaimed broadcaster, journalist and writer Charles Glass talks about all things Syria, reflecting with Xander Drury on how the conflict has descended into such global crisis whilst also affording some thoughts on what is still to come in the future.

Auschwitz survivor Freddie Knoller shares with Xander Drury his amazing story of survival. Knoller fought in the French Resistance  before being betrayed after a failed love affair and was arrested by the Gestapo.  Tortured, he was eventually sent to Auschwitz but survived both that and the Death March of January 1945. Here Knoller reveals how it was his optimistic outlook that pulled him through such unprecedented toils.

Veteran war correspondent and reporter Kate Adie talks on Day One at CVHF 2014, discussing with Xander Drury her glittering career in journalism as well as her latest book 'Fighting on the Homefront: The Legacy of Women in World War One'.

Veteran war correspondent and reporter Kate Adie talks on Day One at CVHF 2014, discussing with Xander Drury her glittering career in journalism as well as her latest book 'Fighting on the Homefront: The Legacy of Women in World War One'.

This is a transcript of an interview with Historian and broadcaster, James Holland, 22 February 2001..

The last video exclusive interview with actress Joanna Lumley at CVHF13, talking with Xander Drury about her involvement in this year's CVHF writing prize whilst also sharing how it was to work alongside Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio in her recent film 'The Wolf of Wall Street'.

Our penultimate video exclusive from this year's festival as Xander Drury talks to writer Charlie Higson about his latest zombie-packed adventure in The Enemy series, his time on 'The Fast Show' and the key to writing thrilling historical fiction.

An exclusive interview with Justin Pollard, historical advisor on everything from 'Pirates of the Caribbean' to 'The Tudors' as he discusses with John Fry his new history panel show 'Histrionics' and shares his delight at being involved in this year's festival.

Plus clips from the brilliant CVHF Air Show.

An exclusive interview with the award-winning actor Rupert Everett alongside the award-winning playwright Sir Tom Stoppard talking Oscar Wilde with Xander Drury on the last day of CVHF13.

It is already becoming something of a tradition for the Festival to lay on something slightly lighter-hearted on the Friday evening, and so this year CVHF came up with something entirely new: a brand new history quiz show, combining deep historical knowledge with razor-sharp wit.

An exclusive interview with Ian Hislop at CVHF13, discussing with Xander Drury his fascination with Britain's 'Stiff Upper Lip', his 23 years on 'Have I Got News For You' and his take on Boris Johnson's unstoppable rise.

An exclusive interview with eminent historian Michael Wood from Day Five of CVHF13, considering with Xander Drury the secrets behind his glittering career in broadcasting.

An exclusive interview with Scottish historian Neil Oliver at CVHF13, discussing his latest book on the Vikings, the appeal of Scottish history and his stance on Scottish independence.

Exclusively for the CVHF website, Mayor of London Boris Johnson afforded some time ahead of his talk at Chalke Valley History Festival 2013 discussing with Xander Drury

An exclusive interview with CVHF patron Antony Beevor ahead of his talk on Day Four of CVHF13, discussing with Xander Drury the unprecedented success of his best-selling book 'Stalingrad' and his ground-breaking approach to writing history.

Xander Drury interviews leading classicist Tom Holland at the Chalke Valley History Festival 2013, shedding light on his love for cricket, his thoughts on the fall of the Roman Empire and his excitement ahead of debating alongside Boris Johnson on Saturday.

Xander Drury catches up with Charles Moore on Day Three of the Chalke Valley History Festival 2013. As the authorized biographer of Margaret Thatcher, he discusses his approach to the first volume 'Not For Turning' and speculates her place in history.

Click the link below to listen to an interview with Stephen Alford following his talk on the influence of spies and espionage during the reign of Elizabeth I. Interviewer: Xander Drury.

Following his talk on the 'Cockleshell Heroes', Xander Drury caught up with Paddy Ashdown as he discusses his latest book and shares his thoughts on the 2015 General Election and the changes to the history curriculum.

Best of the photos from Day One of Chalke Valley History Festival 2013, with Tom Holland, Laurence Rees and James Holland amongst the speakers taking centre stage. Photos provided by the brilliant John Fry.

Click the link below to listen to a brief conversation with historian Laurence Rees, author of ‘The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler’. Interviewer: Xander Drury