The Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival 2019

The Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival is known for being the world's largest festival entirely devoted to history. from Monday 24th to Sunday 30th June, a quiet field in Broad Chalke, near Salisbury, in Wiltshire will be transformed into a 60-acre festival filled with a combination of talks, debates, and activities that are perfect for any history fans.

Now in its 7th Year, the festival also has its own integrated Schools festival which allows both pupils and teachers to get out beyond the classroom and experience history in a whole new way. The festival offers an entire programme based on curriculum-based subjects that are delivered with a fresh, interactive and immersive approach. Last year the Schools' festival attracted around 2,500 pupils. The schools festival will run on Tuesday 25th June (for Years 5,6,7 & 8), Wednesday 26th June (for Years 10 & 12), and Thursday 27th June (for Years, 5,6,7,8, & 9). To find out more head to the Schools' Festival page on the Chalke Valley History Festival Website.

Elsewhere in the festival, there will be talks, discussions and topical debates as well as a vast living history encampment and interactive tents and activities. You could try your hand at SOE Commando training, Royal Signals Morse code lessons, take an archaeology walk, look around vintage cars, visit a book store, a shopping emporium as well as a bar, fine dining and street food for refreshments.

This year the festival includes two very special appearances from Ken Tout, a veteran of one of the most famous tank engagement of WWII, and John Jammes, a French resistor and winner of the Croix de Guerre.

This year there is an exciting new programme of living history events which will showcase the age of the Anglo Saxons and Vikings, right the way through to the Second World War. In addition, the Chalke Valley History Festival will include a range of brand-new themes including Historic home: looking at the changes in the way we live, Historic Farming, The Royal Anglians and Exploration.

We also have a competition to win a family weekend ticket to the festival until the 14th June. Click here to find out more.

To find out more and get tickets when they are released on the 30th April, head to the festival website https://cvhf.org.uk/.

*Header Image taken by Martin Cook.