Places, Voices, Journeys 4 May – 22 September 2013 the EXHIBITION EVENTS

Grosvenor Museum, Chester

Cheshire West & Chester Council Discover a Medieval City: Places, Voices, Journeys 4 May – 22 September 2013 THE EXHIBITION EVENTS

The city of Chester has a rich everyday items, such as buckles and Saturday 4 May Saturday 18 May and Monday 27 May Exhibition Tour, Sunday 19 May, Saturday Make a Medieval medieval heritage. It survives in brooches, cooking pots and cauldrons, Discover a Medieval 22 and Sunday 23 June, Pilgrim Badge needles and net weights. It uncovers the city’s townscape, its medieval City Saturday 13 and Sunday Grosvenor Museum, the role of the guilds in trade, along 14 July, Saturday 10 and collections and in a remarkable Grosvenor Museum, Newstead Gallery body of medieval literature; in with ornaments of the wealthy, with Sunday 11 August Gallery 1 Discover the 2-4pm Latin, in Welsh, in English. examples of their jewellery and 2-3pm Medieval Towers Free drop in The documents reflect the tableware. Most importantly it Free Create your own pilgrim displays an array of magnificent Water Tower and King badge as a souvenir of experiences of diverse cultural Join the curator of the Charles Tower, City documents, which more than anything exhibition to discover more your visit to the medieval and ethnic communities within a Walls Chester exhibition. paint a picture of Chester, its visitors about its background, the dynamic city on the border of objects displayed and 11am- 4pm and citizens; from the manuscripts England and Wales. medieval Chester. Free drop in produced and kept at the Abbey of St Discover these hidden This exhibition explores life in a Werburgh and the scripts of the treasures of Chester and medieval city, in this case Chester, Mystery Plays maintained by the find out more about their but reflective of life in general during guilds, to the poems of the Welsh, medieval past. Children’s activities will help bring this period. It investigates the role of who reflect on the men of Chester, these buildings to life for religion and in particular the weak beer and their love of St John’s the younger visitor. significance of pilgrimage to Chester. Church and its Holy Rood. It looks at identity, those personal Tuesday 14 May Pots, Pins, Rattles The exhibition is part of a larger project ‘Discover Medieval Chester’ focusing on the city and the identities that its inhabitants formed between c.1200 and 1500. It has been and Rings: The Medieval Collections developed in partnership with Southampton University, King’s College, London, Queen’s Tuesday 28 May of Cheshire West University, Belfast and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. It draws Make a Medieval together material, textual and visual culture to forge connections between the medieval Museums Pouch past and the modern urban environment. Grosvenor Museum, Grosvenor Museum, For more information visit http://discover.medievalchester.ac.uk. Lecture Theatre Newstead Gallery 2-3pm Monday 27 May 2-4pm Free Free drop in Join our Collections and Interpretation Officer to Create your own medieval discover more about the pouch or purse to keep fantastic medieval your pennies safe and collection cared for by the secure. museum service. www.grosvenormuseum.co.uk 3 Wednesday 29 May Tuesday 4 June Saturday 15 June Saturday 22 and Sunday 26 June – 13 July Tuesday 2 July Discover Medieval Pilgrimage in Merrie Musicke with 23 June Chester Mystery Life in Medieval Chester Medieval Cheshire the Minstrels Midsummer Watch Plays Chester Grosvenor Museum Grosvenor Museum, St John’s Church, Parade Chester Cathedral Grosvenor Museum, 11am-4pm Lecture Theatre Chester (next to the Starting from Town Monday - Saturday at Lecture Theatre Free drop in 2-3pm amphitheatre) Hall Square 7.30pm, Saturday matinee 2-3pm at 1pm Meet some colourful Free 7.30-9.30pm 2pm Free characters and learn more Chester was a centre of Tickets £5, available on Free event, www.mid Tickets from £12 from Join Jane Laughton, about life in medieval pilgrimage, with the shrine the door, or reserve a summerwatch.co.uk www.chestermystery author of ‘Life in a Late Chester. of St Werburgh and the place by e-mailing First performed in 1498, plays.com or 01244 Medieval City’, and be Holy Rood of Chester. grosvenor.museum@ches the Midsummer Watch 500959 introduced to some This illustrated townsmen and women Thursday 30 May hirewestandchester.gov.uk Parade is one of Britain's A rare and treasured presentation explores who lived in Chester in the Join renowned Tudor oldest and most colourful part of Britain’s cultural Try some Medieval these medieval journeys street parades. It includes heritage, the Chester 15th century. Learn where writing through images, costume, musicians Piva, and they lived, how they made Chester’s own ‘Time a cast of up to 500 with Mystery Plays are Grosvenor Museum, music and artefacts. pride of place going to performed every five years their living, what they ate, Bandits’ along with many what they wore and how Newstead Gallery other minstrels for lively Chester's unique 'Family by a community cast of of Giants' the Father, hundreds! Guaranteed to they did (or didn’t) get on. 2-4pm music from medieval Mother and two enrapture, astound and Free drop in times performed on a range of period daughters; towering 4 delight, iconic Bible stories Use a quill pen and ink instruments in the metre figures. are transformed into a and try your hand at a atmospheric setting of truly spectacular, dynamic calligraphy letter. Chester’s oldest church. theatrical experience through tales of ambition, intrigue, betrayal and passion.

Saturday 15 June Minstrels’ Court Monday 22 July St John’s Church, Calligraphy Chester (next to the Workshop for Adults Friday 31 May amphitheatre) Chester Library Decorate a tile 10.30am-5pm 10am-1pm Medieval style! Free drop in £5, materials included, book your place a the museum Grosvenor Museum, Discover an ancient tradition, where the shop or ring 01244 972112 Newstead Gallery minstrels of Cheshire were and pay on the day 2-4pm given their licenses to play Based on writing from the Free drop in for the year ahead; with medieval manuscripts displayed as part of the Decorate a tile with music, dance, storytelling exhibition, you will have the medieval designs. and lots of characters bringing medieval Chester opportunity to have a go at to life. calligraphy and illumination using gold leaf.

4 wChwewsh.gireo sWvesnto armndu Csheuesmte.cro C.uokuncil 55 Monday 22 & Friday 26 Monday 22 July Tuesday 23 July Wednesday 24 July Thursday 25 July Thursday 25 July July Welsh Poetry Medieval Chester Cathedral Tour Mapping Workshop Discover Medieval Mystery Play City Tour Reading City Tour Meet at Chester Grosvenor Museum, Chester: Lecture Meet at the Grosvenor St John’s Church (next Meet at the Grosvenor Cathedral Visitor Education Workroom Grosvenor Museum, Museum to the amphitheatre) Museum Entrance 10am-12noon Lecture Theatre 11am-12.30pm 2-3.30pm 11am-12.30pm 11am-12.30pm £5, £4 concession, book 7-9pm £6, £5 concession, book Free £6, £5 concession, book £6.50, book your place at and pay at the museum £5, £4 concession, book the museum shop or ring shop or ring 01244 972112 your place at the museum your place at the museum and pay at the museum Welsh poet Aled Lewis 01244 972112 and pay on What do maps tell us shop or ring 01244 972112 shop or ring 01244 972112 Evans has worked on the shop or ring 01244 972112 the day about the past? and pay on the day Discover Medieval Chester and pay on the day Join Professor Catherine Chester Cathedral has an This workshop, led by Discover the city of the project, exploring the We think of Chester as Dr Keith Lilley from Clarke from the University theme of borders with the extraordinary story to tell Mystery plays with a being a Roman city, but and this tour will look at Queen’s University, of Southampton to explore Hoole Creative Writing member of the Guild of much of its medieval past how it has developed over Belfast, will reveal how fascinating historic Chester Tour Guides. group and Chester stories remains. Discover this the centuries, resulting in maps contain many hidden sources from medieval with children from St history with a member of the amazing structure that histories of medieval Chester, as well as the Anthony’s RC Primary the Guild of Chester Tour we see today. You will Chester. modern tools used by the School, Saltney, whilst Guides. also see the grave slab of ‘Discover Medieval also creating his own work Ranulf Higden, author of Chester’ research team to for the exhibition. the Polychronicon, which Thursday 25 July analyse and publish them. Come to this atmospheric features in the exhibition at Discover Medieval How do we turn a medieval setting to hear him read the museum. Chester City Tour manuscript into an some of the medieval interactive online text? works and his own poetry Meet at the Grosvenor What technology allows in Welsh and English. Museum you to stand at St John’s 2-4pm and hear the church £5, £4 concession, book described in the words of a twelfth-century monk? Tuesday 23 July and pay at the museum And how did the project shop or ring 01244 972112 Deciphering the team go about creating a Cityscape Wednesday 24 July Meet the academic team computer game out of the Cheshire Record Office, Chester Cathedral who have worked on the medieval sources? Come Duke Street, Chester Library Tour Discover Medieval Chester and discover more about project and join them for a medieval Chester – and 2-4pm Chester Cathedral tour of the city. what happens when the £5, book in person at the Library (near the medieval goes digital… Record Office (Tuesdays to Abbey Gateway) Fridays) or telephone 2-4pm 01244 972559 to book and £5, £4 concession, book pay by card your place at the museum shop or ring 01244 972112 Journey through Chester’s and pay on the day medieval streets, learning to read the 16th century Discover this hidden gem handwriting of the city’s at the cathedral-take a first Assembly Book. tour of the library and a look at its displays.

6 www.grosvenormuseum.co.uk 7 Friday 26 July Saturday 27 July Saturday 27 July Tuesday 6,13, 20 & 27 Wednesday 14 August Wednesday 21 August Medieval Chester at Piggery Jokery by Walls Tour and Wednesday 7, 14, 21 Trouvére – The The Journey Man – the Water Tower Hand to Mouth Meet at the Town Hall & 28 August Instrumentarium ‘Lord, have Mercia!’ Water Tower, City Theatre 2-3.30pm Family Activities @ Grosvenor Museum, Grosvenor Museum, £6, £5 concession, book at Walls Grosvenor Museum, What’s the Story? Lecture Theatre Gallery 1 Visitor Information Centre Chester Cathedral, 11am-4pm Lecture Theatre or online at Free, but please collect 11am-12noon, 1-2pm, Free 11-11.30am, 12.30-1pm, www.visitchester.com South Transept your ticket from reception 2.30-3.30pm 10am-12noon, 1-3pm for each performance as Discover some medieval 2-2.30pm Take a tour of the Free places are limited characters and the history Free, but please collect impressive city walls with No entrance charge to the Ever wondered what of this tower at a time when your ticket from reception a member of the Guild of Cathedral for families Roll up for a musical those saints did to be history tour with the it sat beside the port of for each performance as Chester Tour Guides. taking part in this free remembered by the Chester. activity Trouvère Medieval churches in Cheshire? places are limited Minstrels! Try out an In the colourful Join the Journey Man as Full of history and fun, this amazing array of musical he shares, with reverent unique puppet theatre will surroundings of the instruments and discover Community Art Project, humour, the tales entertain and amuse you. some wonderful sounds of gathered from his story make puppets and explore the Middle Ages: storytelling just like the hunting pilgrimage. 11am - A tour through time Listen to the incredible, Saturday 27 July Mystery Players of medieval Chester made the stories of from Saxon to Tudor music but inspiring stories of Medieval Chester the Bible come to life. 12.30pm – Attention please! those saints who touched City Tour Fanfares and noisy music the mysterious lands of Mercia. Meet at the Grosvenor making Wednesday 7 August 2pm – Stepping Out, music and Saturday 27 July Museum Discover Medieval Friday 2 August Defending a dance in the Middle Ages 2-3.30pm Cheshire Myths and Medieval City 3.30pm – Sweet Harmony, the Chester gentler side of medieval music £6, £5 concession, book Legends Grosvenor Museum, Grosvenor Museum your place at the museum Grosvenor Museum, Lecture Theatre 11am-4pm shop or ring 01244 972112 Lecture Theatre 11am-4pm Free and pay on the day 2-3pm Free Discover some medieval We think of Chester as characters and learn more being a Roman city, but Free Join some colourful about life as it would have much of its medieval past Join our medieval medieval characters been in the city, with remains. Discover this storyteller as he tells you and discover more about unrest and defence in activities at the museum history with a member of mysterious tales and medieval Chester. and in the castle. the Guild of Chester Tour folklore from Cheshire. Guides.

8 www.grosvenormuseum.co.uk 9 Wednesday 28 August Friday 30 August Saturday 14 and Sunday Every Sunday, Monday & Richard and Elizabeth Herbs and Remedies 15 September Tuesday, May – October York – Medieval in a Medieval City Heritage Open Days Secret Chester Tour Music Grosvenor Museum, The Water Tower and Meet at Visitor Grosvenor Museum, Lecture Theatre King Charles Tower, Information Centre, Lecture Theatre 2-3pm City Walls Town Hall Square 11am-12noon, 1-2 pm, Free 11am-4pm 2-3.30pm 2.30-3.30pm Learn more about the Free £6, £5 concession, book at Visitor Information Centre, Free, but please collect doctrine of signatures, the Discover some medieval properties of herbs and characters and learn more online at your ticket from reception www.visitchester.com or for each performance as some of the folklore about these magnificent associated with these pay the guide on the day. places are limited towers set on Chester’s plants. historic walls. Discover some of the Meet and hear a huge hidden glories of the city collection of instruments, with a member of the Guild from portative organ, to pipe of Chester Tour Guides. and tabor, to bagpipes, from Sunday Tour: North Wall, harps to hurdy gurdy, to King Charles Tower, Water hautbois, and many more, Tower, Port and Shropshire and play some too, to Union Canal. Monday Monday 9 September experience some of the rich Tour: Chester Castle, medieval variety of sounds. Turrets and Bridgegate, River Dee, Elizabeth and Richard mix Battlements: The Grosvenor Park and St performance, entertaining Fortifications of John’s Church. Tuesday Tour: West Wall, explanations and chances to North Wales and participate. There may even Watergate, Racecourse, be chances to dance too! Cheshire in Art Chester Castle and St Grosvenor Museum, Michael’s Church. Lecture Theatre 2-3pm Free The great medieval castles of North Wales and Chester’s city walls are among the finest in the British Isles, while Cheshire can boast some fine Gothic Revival castles and Chester Castle is one of the masterpieces of the Greek Revival. This lecture explores the region’s fortifications as depicted by artists over the past three centuries.

10 www.grosvenormuseum.co.uk 11 Water Tower

St John’s Church

Grosvenor Museum Grosvenor Street Chester CH1 2DD Admission free Monday-Saturday 10.30am-5pm, Sunday 1-4pm 01244 972197 www.grosvenormuseum.co.uk Access Issues, Grosvenor Museum Full independent access to the ground floor including the Discover Medieval Chester exhibition, Lecture Theatre, Newstead Gallery and accessible toilet.