Portslade History Day 2024
Saturday, September 7th
Guided tours - please book in advance - spaces very limited
Emmaus tours. 9.30am to 10.30am and 2.30pm to 3.30pm
Graeme and Liam will take you around the Emmaus site (including the secret garden) and give a history of the site, their journey to Emmaus and an insight to the Emmaus community. Book your free space at: events@emmausbrighton.co.uk
JUST 8 SPACES LEFT
Old Village Conservation Area tour with Trevor Povey - 11am. Trevor will transport you back to medieval and Tudor Portslade with stories of the how life once was in our little village. Book your free spaces at: freshstartsussex@hotmail.co.uk
FULLY BOOKED - but see below for lots of other activities you do not need to book for
Activities in the manor house ruins - no booking required
10am to 4pm. Manor house ruins open for self-guided audio tours, plus volunteers on hand to answer any questions. Step back to medieval times in Portslade, learn about the Lord of the manor, and see the city's oldest toilet!
10am to 2pm. Archaeologists from the Brighton and Hove Archaeological Society will be displaying some of their finds and answering any questions you may have. Bones, pottery and much more in this hands-on experience.
10.30am. Ten minute talk. Use of herbs in medieval medicine. At the manor herb garden. If you think herbology in Harry Potter was made up, then think again.
11am to 2pm. Medieval art for kids. Design and colour in your own sword, shield or work of medieval art. Free for all the young nobles and peasants of Portslade. Children must be supervised by an adult.
11am to 2pm. Medieval games. Win free chocolates in our medieval games section, including ‘kick the peasants head into the bucket.’ Also, play chess, quoits and 'gamble' in our Tudor dice game.
1pm to 3pm. Portslade historian Zac Down will be displaying his collection of World War I medals, equipment & weapons for people to look at & handle
2.30pm. Ten minute talk. Use of herbs in medieval medicine. The doctor is in the house (well, garden ). Cures for stomach ache and demonic possession.
Local history talks in St Nicolas Church - no booking required
9.30am. Hannah Brackenbury – philanthropist or wheeler-dealer? - John Shepherd.
The Victorian multi-millionaire, who gave away £25million to good causes, inc. building a school in Portslade. But was there a more devious side to her generosity? Bribes to Vicars? Lucrative contracts to family members? The plot thickens.
10am to 10.40am Backstreet Regency Hove - Kevin Wilsher. Regency Society.
The history of one of Brunswick Town's service streets and the key buildings which were used to house the servants and facilities required to support the grand houses in Brunswick Square and Terraces.
11am to 11.25am A brief history of light - Amber Shepherd, PHD student at University of Sussex
Light is all around us and we use it for many things. From ancient humans making fires to highly focussed laser light destroying incoming missiles, this talk will explore how humans have utilised light across the centuries.
11.30am to 12.30pm Portslade War heroes and their medals
- Portslade historian, Zac Down.
Displaying a collection of Portslade soldiers medals and WW1 uniform and equipment. Highlighting medal groups & their stories and a talk on Portslade in WW2.
12.40 to 1.45. Portslade’s underground streams and watercourses - Local historian, Trevor Povey.
Ever wondered where our water comes from, why sometimes we have too much and sometimes not enough? Let's take a look under our feet at the streams and watercourses running under Portslade, and out through our taps.
1.45pm to 2.20pm The DeBriouze Family - Lords of Bramber.
- Dr Cara Gathern.
An introduction to the six ‘rapes’ (administrative divisions) of medieval Sussex, and the history of one of the most influential ruling families in early medieval England. Hear how this family shaped history, including the Magna Carta.
2.30pm to 3pm Agriculture & farming in Portslade. - Trevor Povey. These days we take our food production for granted. What was produced in our area, and what did that involve? How has the landscape changed since I worked on Freshcombe Farm, Truleigh Hill in 1959.
3pm to 3.35pm Archaeology in Portslade & Sussex -
John Funnell, Brighton and Hove Archaeological Society.
Sussex is full of archaeology going back to Palaeolithic times, with Bronze Age settlements, Iron Age hill-forts, Roman villas and medieval buildings among the finds.
3.40pm to 4.15pm. The Romans in Sussex - John Funnell, BHAS. The Romans left an indelible impact on Sussex. A look at the rich and poor of Roman Sussex. Find out what the Romans ever did for us.
Click here to find out the biographies of all of our guest speakers
