Medieval Ship Graffiti: Prayers Made Solid in Stone? – Matt Champion
2026-04-01 14:30 (Europe/London) | Norfolk
April 1st @ 2.30pmMedieval Ship Graffiti: Prayers Made Solid in Stone? – Matt ChampionOf all the types of early graffiti to be found in medieval churches, the one that has probably received the most attention is that known as ship graffiti. Across the walls and pillars of churches, cathedrals and chapels images of medieval and later ships sail in a never ending journey across the stonework.Why are they there? What do they signify? Do they commemorate a hazardous sea voyage or represent a real ship; a long since lost vessel that carried simple souls to view the wonders of far off lands?This talk examines the possible reasons behind the creation of these ship graffiti images, using hundreds of examples recorded across the UK – many of which have never previously been seen before. It will showcase some of the finest ship graffiti sites, and some of the best preserved examples of ship graffiti so far discovered in the country.Matthew J. Champion is an award winning freelance archaeologist and historian, and is widely recognised as one of England’s leading experts on historical graffiti inscriptions and applied markings. He has worked extensively with organisations such as English Heritage, the Churches Conservation Trust and the National Trust, and is currently Project Director of the award winning Norfolk and Suffolk Medieval Graffiti Survey, and National Advisor on early inscriptions to a number of heritage organisations. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and his latest full-length work, Medieval Graffiti: the Lost Voices of England’s Churches, was published by Penguin in 2015.

Non-members are welcome – tickets are £5.00 and are available from the Maltings Box Office.

Venue – Wells Maltings, Staithe Street, Wells-next-the-Sea, NR23 1AN

Gordon Parker and the company Favor Parker Ltd. – Jim McNeill
2026-05-06 14:30 | Wells Maltings, Staithe Street, Wells-Next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AU
Favor Parker is a historic company, not just with deep ties to Stoke Ferry but also to Wells’ iconic granary building, which had been constructed by F. & G. Smith Ltd at the beginning of the 20th century. It is not that long since the granary was a hive of activity as bulk meal and raw materials were discharged by its new residentsWe welcome back, Jim McNeill, chair of the Stoke Ferry & District History Group, to talk about the Favor Parker operations, profiling Gordon Parker, the company’s principle driving force.

Non-members are welcome – tickets are £5.00 and are available from the Maltings Box Office.

The Military Cross and the (dead man’s) Penny - Steve Adcock and the AGM (each c 30 minutes)
2026-05-13 14:30 | Wells Maltings, Staithe Street, Wells-Next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AU
There will be a short AGM (lasting about 30 minutes) and a talk by Steve Adcock (also lasting about 30 minutes). Steve will take us through the story of Valerie Emerson who discovered her grandfather’s Military Cross and a Memorial Plaque amongst his belongings. There were two main two questions: for what action during the Great War of 1914-18 was he awarded the Military Cross, and how did the plaque, known also as the death penny, of a person unknown to the family, come to be in their grandfather’s possession?

Non-members are welcome to attend but cannot vote

Venue – Wells Maltings, Staithe Street, Wells-next-the-Sea, NR23 1AN

Samuel Pepys and His Hoard of Golden Guineas – Adrian Marsden
2026-09-02 14:30 | Wells Maltings, Staithe Street, Wells-next-the-Sea,, NR23 1AN
Adrian Marsden is a numismatist whose research interests include the Roman coinage, tokens, coin forgery of all periods and Roman Britain. He set up the Norfolk Token Project in 2014 to foster interest in the county’s seventeenth-century series.Adrian’s talk will look at hoards in the seventeenth century and the circumstances which led Samuel Peyps to bury 3,000 guineas in his father’s garden in the summer of 1667. He will relate, in Pepys’ own words, the difficulties the diarist had in retrieving his treasure.

Non-members are welcome – tickets are £5.00 and are available from the Maltings Box Office.

Dusting off the Archives – The Peterborough Archaeological Archive Enhancement Project - Jason Cumberworth BA (hons) ACIfA
2026-10-07 14:30 | Wells Maltings, Staithe Street, Wells-Next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AU
The team at Peterborough Museum are responsible for the finds from many local archaeological excavations of international importance, including the Roman town of Durobrivae, the Bronze Age site at Flag Fen, and the more recently discovered Bronze Age site at Must Farm, often called ‘Britain’s Pompeii’.Loss of expert staff and reduced funding mean museums of all types and sizes have struggled to take good care of their archives – and Peterborough is no exception. The first stage of the Project in spring 2022 was a top-level audit of the archive and an initial digital database. This recorded over 6,500 boxes of material, the large majority of which were in need of re-packaging, re-boxing and cataloguing to bring them up to current archiving best practice. This ambitious project is being led by archaeologist, Jason Cumberworth (Peterborough Museum) and Dr Sam Paul (Sam Paul Heritage). As well as addressing an urgent local need, the project is establishing methodologies and best practices which are likely to be applicable to museums throughout the country. Once the items have been digitally recorded and stored appropriately, they are made available for academic research. The project is being supported by Historic England and The Headley Trust.

Non-members are welcome – tickets are £5.00 and are available from the Maltings Box Office.

Shipwreck, Sharks and Survival: Harold Higgs and the Sinking of the Carnarvon Castle, 1907 - Helen Murray
2026-11-04 14:30 | Wells Maltings, Staithe Street, Wells-Next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AU
The Norwich author’s talk marks the 120th Anniversary of the vessel setting sail on its final voyageIn November 1906, a 16-year-old from Norwich called Harold Higgs, signed up for the adventure of a lifetime. He joined the merchant navy as an apprentice aboard the grand sailing vessel Carnarvon Castle, tasked with carrying a general cargo to far-off Australia. What should have been a routine first voyage turned into a nightmare of fire, shipwreck and a desperate battle to survive.A thousand miles from the nearest land, disaster struck: flames engulfed the ship and forced the crew to abandon her. Harold was among the twenty-six men and boys, who along with their Captain, took to two open boats, with only the provisions they could snatch before the vessel went down. Within days, the boats became separated. For those adrift, the ordeal had only just begun.For twenty-four days, Harold and the other men endured blistering heat, storms, starvation and the torment of thirst. Enormous waves smashed the boats as sharks circled hungrily beneath. The men began to lose hope as one by one they fell ill, but amid despair, the will to survive carried them onward.In this talk, based on the new non-fiction book, the story captures not only the dangers of early 20th-century seafaring but also the resilience of the survivors in the face of great adversity.November 2026 is the 120th anniversary of the Carnarvon Castle setting sail on its final voyage.Helen Murray is a Norwich born author, and public speaker with special interests in Victorian England, and local history. She graduated in History at The University of East Anglia in 2001and has over two decades of experience in the heritage sector working at times for The National Trust and Norfolk Museums Service. She is the winner of the Olga Sinclair Prize 2023 and the Past Search Prize for non-fiction in 2020 and 2021. Her first book, Newhaven Court: Love, Tragedy, Heroism & Intrigue, about a grand home in Cromer, was published in 2022 (The History Press), and Fishermen, Bathers and Beach Folk (Poppyland Publishing) in 2024.

Non-members are welcome – tickets are £5.00 and are available from the Maltings Box Office.

The Rise & Fall of the Yarmouth Herring Industry – Mary Fewster
2026-12-02 14:30 | Wells Maltings, Staithe Street, Wells-Next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AU
Why did Yarmouth become such a major herring fishery centre? Mary covers the period between 1880 and 1960, charting the introduction of steam-powered boats, and increased catches up to the ‘golden year’ of 1914. She also looks at the different types of cures, and the impact of increasing Scottish involvement with the fishery. The impact of the First World War is also considered, before the beginning of the slow decline through the 1920s and 1930s, and finally, the Second World War.Mary Fewster taught history for twenty-seven years at the Hewett School, Norwich, the last fifteen as head of the department. Brought up at Aldeburgh, she developed a strong interest in local history from an early age. She completed an MPhil on the Yarmouth herring industry for the University of East Anglia School of East Anglian Studies, and has also taught at the School for Continuing Education at UEA. She is a member of the Norfolk Historic Buildings Group.

Non-members are welcome – tickets are £5.00 and are available from the Maltings Box Office.
