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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.
Wednesday 24th June
SEND Day (all school ages)
9:15am-3:15pm
The full programme for Wednesday is available here.
Manor Farm, Church Bottom, Broad Chalke, Salisbury, SP5 5DP
Parking: 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 Booking
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.
Funding: We are conscious that for some schools, budgets for school trips are very tight. The Chalke History Trust has a limited amount of funding available to help as many schools as possible to experience the festival. For further information please contact us on 01722 780793 or email [email protected].
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, Tuesday and Wednesday 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. Click here for the full SEND day programme.
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.
Monday Schools Programme
Tuesday Schools Programme
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
