Created from two monasteries after 1540, Anderson Place was the largest private estate in a European walled town. It was a powerhouse from which the Blackett's ruled Newcastle until replaced by Richard Grainger's new buildings in the 1830's.

Discover the history of women’s football in the Northeast, alongside Ken will be Christine Knox, a former Lioness from the 70’s and 80’s who won 10 caps for England following a 50-year ban on women’s football. Hear first hand from Christine of the struggles the women’s game endured, building a platform from which today’s Lionesses have had such great success.

Step into Newcastle’s past and get hands-on with the craft of bookbinding! Explore a selection of books from various eras in the City Library’s collection and uncover the stories of how they found their way to the region. Learn about the history behind these volumes and what they reveal about local life through the years. Then, unleash your creativity by making your own notebook or mini bound book, complete with a decorative cover. Discover, create, and leave with your own handcrafted item!

In 1649-50, the people of Newcastle petitioned for a witchfinder to be invited into town, this hunt culminated in the execution of 15 women and 1 man. Then, in the Derwent Valley in 1673 over 30 people were accused of taking part in witches’ Sabbaths; a widespread panic that is remembered as the strange stories of an adolescent girl. Join Dr. Katie Liddane for an exploration of the real history behind broomsticks, black cats and pointed hats, and a look at the role that gender played in the lives of those entangled in witch trials in the seventeenth-century North East.

In 2025 it was almost impossible to avoid the hype about the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. This is said to have marked the birth of the modern railway - but is this really true? There is a strong case to be made that the railway system, as we know it today, originated elsewhere, notably on Tyneside. Who better to explain the history of its origins in the wagonway's and early railways in our area than Les Turnbull, our greatest expert on the history of coal mining and railways in the northeast, and author of many books on these subjects? As part of his talk, Les will introduce us to the mining engineer William Thomas who oversaw the Montagu estates in Denton. His innovative ideas about the future of railways were influential in promoting the development of the modern railway system.

The Early Years of Gertrude Bell: Gertrude Bell was an amazing woman. Born in 1868, in Washington County Durham, she was the first woman to gain the equivalent of a first class degree at Oxford University, she was a diplomat, an adventurer and it was she who drew up some of the boundaries in the Middle East after the First World War. This talk explores her beginnings in the North East of England. How a woman born in Washington, and who spent the first thirty years of her life in Coatham, near Redcar, became such a colossus. The talk is about her upbringing in Washington and Coatham in the nineteenth century based on her diaries and letters, and about her education in London and at Oxford, including the prejudice against women students at that time. This story of her early life ends as she is about to set out to Persia on her adventures.

If you are struggling with your Family History Research, drop in and meet the friendly volunteers from the NDFHS and ask your questions!

Discover how religious beliefs, wealth and poverty combined to determine who was buried in these two historic burial grounds.