Inspiring the next generation
With over 24,000 children having attended since launch,
the Festival for Schools makes a major contribution to history education
and brings history alive in new and exciting ways.
CHALKE HISTORY FESTIVAL FOR SCHOOLS 2026
Bookings are now open, please see below for more details.
Bring history alive and help your students experience the sights, sounds and smells of history at the Chalke History Festival for Schools – where the future meets the past.
“The students were so engaged in the talks that were taking place and they LOVED the living history around the site.”
Click Here to read more testimonials from the schools festival.
Three days of history near Salisbury, featuring a wide range of curriculum-based subjects delivered by leading historians. We have limited spaces, so please do book early.
Timings:
Monday 22nd June – Years 6, 7, 8 & 9 – 9.15am-3.15pm.
Tuesday 23rd June – Years 10, 11 & 12 – 9.15am-3.15pm.
Wednesday 24th June – SEND Day (all school ages) – 9.15am-3.15pm.
Location: Manor Farm, Church Bottom, Broad Chalke, Salisbury, SP5 5DP.
There is plenty of parking for both coaches and minibuses and access to the site in Broad Chalke village, 25 minutes from Salisbury, is easy. Pupils can either bring a packed lunch or take advantage of the food stalls that are based at the festival throughout the week.
Risk Assessment: To help with the planning of your trip, please find the 2026 Risk Assessment here.
School Bookings
You can book your tickets for the 2026 Festival (22-24 June) now by clicking the link below. Once you have completed the booking form, your tickets will be reserved and you will be sent an invoice. Entry tickets include access to all talks and activities.
Entry: £20 per pupil
Experiences, including The Trench Experience, will be available to book in early 2026 – we will contact you when bookings are open.
Home Educators
Please book your tickets for the 2026 Festival (22-24 June) now by clicking the link below. You will be able to book and pay for your festival tickets. Entry tickets include access to all talks and activities.
Entry: £20 per child
Experiences, including The Trench Experience, will be available to book in early 2026 – we will contact you when bookings are open.
Programme
The Chalke History Festival for Schools combines inspiring talks, live-action displays, and hands-on experiences to help your students to see, hear, and feel the past in unforgettable ways. We’re currently finalising the programme for the Primary, Secondary and SEND days, but it will include:
Talks
Topics for this year’s festival will include the History of Medicine, Cold War, Second World War, Migration, The Black Death, Tudors and Stuarts, America 250 and Medieval women.
Top historians already booked to speak – Kate Mosse, Eleanor Janega, Hetta Howes, Tom Asbridge, Maz Evans, Ben Kane and Clare Jackson.
Experiences
Our popular experiences will be returning for 2026 with the SOE Training Camp, the Trench Experience, and a new Medieval Archery experience – available to book from the Spring.
Performances
Students and teachers alike will enjoy our lively performances from festival favourites – History’s Maid, Foreign Field, Adam Schuch-des Forges and Wizzo’s Rip-Roaring History.
SEND Day (Wednesday 24 June)
During our SEND day, there will be programmed living history events throughout the day, plus dedicated Trench and SOE sessions (which will need to be booked in advance), but no dedicated schools talks. There will be no loud or sudden noises in our displays or demonstrations. The site will be much quieter than on our busy mainstream school days, helping keep the atmosphere calm and welcoming. No mainstream schools are invited on Wednesday.
Living History
Our living historians will be bringing history to life with encampments, demonstrations and hands-on activities. Activities and groups currently confirmed:
Here Be Flagons: Explore the role of music across history, from musical language to the evolution of musical instruments and their importance in ancient and modern culture. Students will have the chance the feel the textures and materials of the instruments, as well as getting hands on in an interactive drumming circle.
The Iron Age Forge: Join our Iron Age blacksmith in his traditional pit forge as he investigates a simple but important question: why did prehistoric people move from bronze to iron? Discover how metals were made and used, what differences this made to everyday life in prehistoric Britain, and how technology affected farming, warfare, and trade. By seeing, touching, and questioning the technology, students are encouraged to think critically and make up their own minds about whether bronze or iron was the better choice.
The Historic Sailmaker: Without sails, history would be vastly different. Being able to travel across the sea using wind power has given rise to exploration, trading, wars and travel. Meet the Historical Sailmaker and discover what it was like to live and work as a sailmaker in the 17th century. Students will have the chance to get hands on with interactive activities including reefing a sail, sewing seams, designing symbols, and learning to tie knots.
Time Travellers Kitchen: Explore the history of Pompeii through its food, trade, and entertainment, brought to life with cooking demonstrations and interactive discussions.
Living History Groups – Here Be Flagons, The Iron Age Forge, Time Travellers Kitchen, The Historic Sailmaker, Life In The Iron Age, Pre-History to Present, Legio Secunda Augusta, Chanz Des Reis and Nelson’s Navy.
The full Schools Festival programme will be released in the coming months.
Chalke Schools History Hub – Free Education Resources for Teachers & students
Get ready for your trip to the Chalke History Festival and sign up for free access to the Chalke Schools History Hub.
Discover a treasure trove of history resources designed to engage, educate, and inspire. With free videos, presentations, lesson plans and more. The Chalke Schools History Hub is your ultimate online companion for teaching and learning history. Click Here.
