Speaker: Melanie King Melanie shares some of the Duchess of Marlborough’s adventures in the 18th century while visiting various famous English spas.  Melanie lives in Oxfordshire and is a freelance writer specialising in historical non-fiction. Her talk draws on her research for her 2021 book, The Secret History of English Spas. Visitors are very welcome […]

Speaker: Joseph Rogers Tithe barns are historic buildings dotted across the British and European landscape. Joseph explains what is and isn’t a tithe barn, describes their history, architectural features and contemporary uses, and present examples of local tithe barns. Joseph's research for his book, Tithe Barns, involved travelling to over 100 historic barns across the […]

Speaker: Mike White Mike reveals the dark tales of some of Oxfordshire’s most notorious highwaymen, sharing stories about both famous and lesser-known highwaymen who terrorised the county over a period of some 400 years. His talk draws on his research for his 2025 book, Rogues of the Road: Tales of Oxfordshire Highwaymen. Mike retired recently […]

Speaker: Martin Buckland Beer production in all its stages was once a major part of the town. RHC member Martin describes the malting process, the sites once occupied by maltings in Abingdon, and the use of first the river and then the railway to transport the malt to London and other brewing centres. He then […]

Speaker: Liz Woolley Liz talks about a fascinating aspect of Oxford’s social history. She describes the growth and popularity of cinema in the city following the opening off the Cowley Road in 1911 of Oxford’s oldest independent cinema, the Oxford Picture Palace (now the Ultimate Picture Palace). No fewer than ten new cinemas opening in […]