Sir Gilbert Scott: the Restoration of Ripon Cathedral - A very dangerous work - by David Winpenny
Wednesday February 4th 2026
David's talk is about how Sir Gilbert Scott restored Ripon Cathedral. Sir George Gilbert Scott 1811-1878 was a prolific English Gothic Revival Architect and was associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals. He began his career as a designer of workhouses and was the architect of many notable buildings, including the Midland Group Hotel at St. Pancras Station, the Albert Memorial and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.
David Winpenny is a writer and lecturer, mostly on architectural and related subjects. He is Co-Chair of Ripon Civic Society and regularly lectures on the above. He also lectures on cruises and has published several books.
The Lost Plains of Doggerland by Ken Shaw
Wednesday March 4th 2026
During the last Ice Age sea levels fell to such an extent that the whole of the North Sea, an area of a quarter of a million square miles, turned to dry land which became known as Doggerland. Objects recovered in modern times from the sea bed reveal that Doggerland was inhabited by mammoths, woolly rhinoceros, cave lions, bears, hyenas, bison, sabre-toothed cats and humans. The talk considers how our ancestors would have existed in what were rapidly changing and challenging times.
Ken worked as a Quantity Surveyor in the construction industry, specialising in dispute resolution. He now focuses on archaeology and history, compiling many talks on these and other subjects.
Dark Threads - Child Exploitation in the 19th century Textile Industry - by Suzanne Coulson
Wednesday April 1st 2026
Suzanne's talk is about the young workers in the textile industry and while it mentions Knaresborough's Castle Mill and the Washburn Valley it also looks at the bigger picture of other mills around the country and the cotton industry. Two recent exhibitions of the Knaresborough Museum Association covered Knaresborough’s linen industry, looking at the rise and fall of the trade and the lives of the linen workers in the town. For part of that exhibition, Suzanne researched the role and experiences of children who made up a significant part of the textile industry workforce and she will look into:
Why were they employed and what did they do?
How did conditions in which they worked impact upon their health?
Who were the apprentices and how were they treated?
What were the varying views and practices in mills in the local and wider area towards child labour?
How was this exploitation of young lives slowly addressed?
And most importantly - hear the children’s voices, telling of their experiences.
Suzanne Coulson is a volunteer, secretary and trustee with Knaresborough Museum Association (KMA). Her background is in children’s nursing and clinical education but always had an interest in history, especially social history. She joined KMA in 2019 in the very early days of its development. KMA became a registered charity, started work towards creating a town museum (which continues) and in April 2024 opened Knaresborough Heritage Centre in the High Street. This contains an exhibition gallery (displays change every 6 months) information point and small retail shop. KMA also holds weekly walks, monthly talks and does outreach work with local groups and schools delivering talks, workshops and activities and hosting visits to the centre. Completely independent and volunteer led, KMA receives no regular funding and relies on donations, fundraising and grants to carry out its work, create exhibitions and keep the heritage centre open.
