Chalke for Schools

Inspiring the next generation through history.

THE FESTIVAL

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. 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.

Monday 22nd June

Years 6, 7, 8 & 9

9:15am-3:15pm

The full programme for Monday is available here.

Tuesday 23rd June

Years 10, 11 & 12

9:15am-3:15pm

The full programme for Tuesday is available here.

Wednesday 24th June

SEND Day (all school ages)

9:15am-3:15pm

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.

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
SEND Day Entry: £15 per pupil

Experiences, including The Trench Experience, are available to book now. You will be sent a link to book these once you have paid for your festival entry tickets.

Home Educator Bookings

Please book and pay for your tickets for the 2026 Festival (22-24 June) now by clicking the link below. Entry tickets will be scanned at the main gate and will then give you access to all Schools Festival talks and activities.

Entry: £20 per child
SEND Day Entry: £15 per pupil

Experiences, including The Trench Experience, will be available to book soon. We’ll contact you when these are on sale.

Programme

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.

Experiences

Our popular experiences are returning for 2026 with the SOE Training Camp, the Trench Experience, and a new Medieval Archery experience. Available to book now – you will be sent a link to book your Experiences once you have paid for your festival entry tickets. See the Monday and Tuesday programmes for the full list of bookable Living History Experiences.

Living History

Our living historians will be bringing history to life with encampments, demonstrations and hands-on activities.

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

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. Full programme and bookable experiences for the SEND day will be announced soon.

Food Stalls

Pupils can either bring a packed lunch or take advantage of the food stalls that are based at the festival throughout the week.

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.

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SEE, HEAR AND FEEL THE PAST

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