Back for its third year, and bigger than ever, the Harvington History Festival 2025 promises five days of fascinating talks, lively discussions, and captivating performances covering everything from Tudor spy rings and Elizabethan fashion, to royal queer history and mudlarking.

Running from Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 July 2025 at Harvington Hall, a historic moated Worcestershire Elizabethan manor house, the festival focuses on the Tudor and early Stuart periods with a top line-up of TV broadcasters, leading historians and acclaimed authors ready to share their unique insight, and explode the myths that surround our past.

Historic Royal Palaces’ Chief Historian Dr Tracy Borman OBE (Sat) unlocks the hidden meanings within one of the most famous portraits of the Renaissance era, Hans Holbein's celebrated The Ambassadors, while everyday life specialist, The Victorian Farm and Inside The Factory's Ruth Goodman (Sat), explores Elizabethan fashion trends.

Elsewhere, the UK’s biggest selling female historian, Alison Weir (Thurs), looks at the powerful relationships within the life of Cardinal Wolsey; Times Book of the Year 2022 author Gareth Russell (Fri) reveals a little known chapter in royal (and queer) history; Nadine Akkerman and Pete Langman (Fri) offer unique insights into Elizabethan espionage; and Lara Maiklem recounts mudlarking along the River Thames, where she’s uncovered such items as medieval pilgrim badges, Tudor shoes and Georgian wig curlers!

Meanwhile, having spent 36 hours in one of the Hall's many cramped Priest Holes (for charity), Harvington Hall Manager Phil Downing (Sun) discusses their purpose, and reflects on the psychological affects of confinement, and costumed historian Lesley Smith (Sun) takes to the stage as The Spanish Tudor Queen, Katherine of Aragon.

Other sessions find experts explore women’s untold influence on the War Of The Roses (Annie Garthwaite), the birth of the Tudor dynasty (Nathen Amin), folklore’s underlying truths (James Wright), Christianity’s relationship with sex (Diarmaid MacCulloch), and the creation of Shakespeare's 'folio' (Chris Laoutaris).

There's also a panel discussion digging into 1605's infamous Gunpowder Plot (Fri), an act of terrorism with a strong connection to the county, and also a special concert featuring acclaimed vocal ensemble Apollo5 (Fri) which explores the music and poetry of displaced and persecuted authors - from Tudor musician William Byrd to contemporary Ukrainian composers currently writing in exile.

As Official Podcaster, British History Tours' Philippa Brewell, will also be chatting to learned guests and delving behind the scenes, while Antiques Roadshow's Will Farmer and his team from Fieldings Auctioneers will be offering free valuations to attendees on small items.

Phil Downing, said: “The growing success of our History Festival reconfirms Harvington Hall’s often untold, yet significant, role in the history of our country.

"Attracting visitors from across the UK, it is a great opportunity to not only discover the Hall's unique charm, but also find out more about Britain's rich and layered history from some incredible guests."

Hidden deep in the Worcestershire countryside - between Kidderminster and Bromsgrove, and just a short drive from Birmingham - the Grade I listed Harvington Hall is a unique Elizabethan moated manor. Reflecting an era of great religious persecution and upheaval, the manor is home to the finest collection of priest hides (also known as priest holes) in the country, with seven in total. It also houses a number of impressive Tudor wall paintings.

Following a period of decay, the Hall was gifted to the Archdiocese of Birmingham in 1923. Fully restored, it’s now open to the public all year round.

Harvington History Festival: Exploding The Myths! (Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 July 2025) is sponsored by Talbots Solicitors and Fieldings Auctioneers. For more information, and tickets, which start from £12, visit the website.