Join celebrated historian, Prof Ronald Hutton for a fascinating lecture on Merlin.

King Arthur's great counsellor and magician, Merlin, is the most famous of all wizards in traditional European literature. Those who have studied his origins know him as a tantalisingly complex character, founded in both native Welsh legend and medieval French romance. His ultimate starting point seems historic; or is it? You are invited this evening to explore both the original sources of the legend and its later development to the present.

About your speaker: Prof Hutton is an English historian who specialises in Early Modern Britain, British folklore, pre-Christian religion and Contemporary Paganism. He is a professor at the University of Bristol, has written 14 books and has appeared on British television and radio. He held a fellowship at Magdalen College, Oxford, and is a Commissioner of English Heritage. We are delighted to welcome him back to The Barn!

Refreshments available. 

Parking for this event will be provided at The Barn.
If you need a specific parking space (eg. wheelchair accessible) or any accessible seating for the performance then please email ceara.foley@winterbournebarn.org.uk ASAP to book this.
Please follow the instructions provided in the pre-event email (sent up to 24 hours before the event) and parking stewards on the day to ensure we can fit as many people as possible safely in the designated parking areas.
Please do not park along church lane as this obstructs the road for other users and emergency vehicles. Please do not park anywhere other than designated Barn car parks for this event. We cannot control when other car parks are locked and may not be able to assist if you car is parked elsewhere.
There is plenty of bicycle parking at The Barn for those arriving on two wheels and space for drop off / collection if you would like to arrange this.

The primary purpose of this event is to raise money for WMBT and to support conservation, management, maintenance and improvement of the WMBT site.

If you wish to avoid the online booking fee then please contact the office to arrange a time to come and book in person.

Join our Community Events Coordinator, Ceara, to find out about the turbulent 1400s and what was happening in England, and to the people here, as The Barn was being built.
Hear the fascinating story of how this historic site was almost lost, how and why it was saved, and how it is used today.

Who was Thomas De Bradeston and why did he build Winterbourne Medieval Barn?
How was it built? Why was it so important then and now?
What are the links between The Barn and St. Michael's Church?

Come and find out the answers to these questions and more at this talk about the history of this amazing heritage site: from medieval to modern!
Includes a talk on the history of The Barn (past & present), interesting features pointed out and discussed plus plenty of time for questions with our friendly volunteers.

After the talk and tour of The Barn you will be taken over to the 12th Century St Michael's church next door to see some of the amazing features there and further discuss the links between The Church, The Barn and Sir Thomas.

About your speaker:
Ceara has been a member of the team here at The Barn for 3 years. As a local resident she has grown up loving this beautiful site and had attended many events here before she was in charge of planning them! Since joining as the Community Events Coordinator Ceara has become even more interested in the history of our unique heritage site and, after answering many questions about The Barn from the public, has complied this presentation, with input from many of our longest standing volunteers, to help share it's story.

Refreshments available. Cash and card payment accepted.

Please note parking for this event will be on site at the Barn, BS36 1SE. The car park will be locked once the event has finished so please ensure your car is moved if you will be exploring the local area after your visit to The Barn.

The primary purpose of this event is to raise money for WMBT and to support conservation, management, maintenance and improvement of the WMBT site.

If you wish to avoid the online booking fee then please contact the office to arrange a time to come and book in person.