Things to do in Wantage

Black Wantage Walking Tour

A walking tour tracing the history of Wantage from 1800 to 1850. Duration: 1.25 hours, suitable for all

Wantage Market Place, Wantage

Last chance · 5 days left

Legends Of Motown

Legends of Motown is a high energy tribute show jam packed with all of Motown’s biggest hits, with stunning vocals and amazing live band, celebrating the music…

The Beacon, Wantage

Christina Strang Graphologist 10 Minute Session 1-2-1 Personal Analysis

Graphology One-to-One SessionsFollowing on from this morning's Graphology Workshop, this afternoon, Christina Strang will run 15 one-to-one sessions, where you…

The Beacon, Wantage

Celtic Kings of Wantage - Afternoon Talk

Celtic Kings of Wantage 50 BC - 43 ADThis is the extraordinary tale of Commius, an aristocrat of the Gallo-Belgic tribe, the Atrebates (fortified capital near A…

Vale & Downland Museum, Wantage

Toddler Tunes

Bring along your pre-schoolers to the museum for a fun and friendly music session.Join in with traditional songs and rhymes accompanied by a live music, played…

Vale & Downland Museum, Wantage

Friends of Vdm Talk - the City of Oxford in the Civil Wars 1642-6

Join the Friends of the Vale & Downland Museum and speaker Stephen Barker for another fascinating talkThe City of Oxford in the Civil Wars 1642-6 This talk look…

Vale & Downland Museum, Wantage

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Aethelflaed Opera Express Luncheon

You will be most welcome at Vale and Downland Museum to enjoy an express lunch. Warm homemade quiche, with parmentier potatoes, and fresh seasonal salads. Orcha…

Vale & Downland Museum, Wantage

Jonathan Wilson the Power and the Glory: a New History of the World Cup

The football World Cup is the most watched sporting event on the planet. It has been running for almost a century.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Bernard O'Donoghue and Esther Lay Talking Poetry

Oxford academic and poet Professor Bernard O'Donoghue joins local poet Rev Esther Lay to discuss the craft of poetry.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Professor David Wilson a History of Modern Britain in Twenty Murders

In this ground-breaking new book from the UK's leading criminologist, David Wilson explores what our nation's most lethal murderers reveal about us in a thrilli…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Bernard O'Donoghue the Poems of Seamus Heaney

The long-awaited, definitive edition of Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney's poetry. Superbly edited by Oxford Professor of English Literature, Bernard O'Donoghue, th…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Victoria Hislop the Wine-Dark Sea

During three years of brutal civil war in Greece, thousands of children were caught in the chaos that swept across the country.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Christina Strang Graphologist

Hidden Stories in Handwriting - A Handwriting Analysis Workshop. Did you know your handwriting reveals more than words?

The Beacon, Wantage

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Alexandra Loske the Artist's Palette

Colour expert, art historian and academic, Dr Alexandra Loske skilfully analyses the colour palette and brushstrokes of 50 world-renowned great artists to revea…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Good, Occasionally Rhyming a Celebration of the Shipping Forecast

Good, Occasionally Rhyming: A Celebration of the Shipping Forecast is a 2025 anthology that merges poetry and prose to honor the iconic BBC broadcast, often des…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Mike White Ghost Walk

Join us for an unforgettable ghost walk around Wantage, where history and hauntings intertwine.

Wantage Market Place, Wantage

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Victoria Wright the Health Rebels Almanac

Functional Medical practioner Victoria Wright has written ' The Health Rebel's Almanac' as a holistic programme and practical, year-long seasonal guide for wome…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Wind in the Willows Family Day Free Event

Step into the enchanting world of The Wind in the Willows at our Family Day. Join us for a fun-filled day of storytelling, creative crafts and exciting activiti…

Vale & Downland Museum, Wantage

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Rod Craig and Peter Adamson Reflections in Paint and Poetry

Brings together more than fifty paintings of Blenheim Park and Palace by the Woodstock-based artist Rod Craig - together with poetry and text by Peter Adamson a…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Miranda Seymour I, Vera: the Many Lives of Vera Gedroits, a Radical Princess

Miranda Seymour is an English literary critic, novelist and acclaimed biographer of Robert Graves, Mary Shelley, Ada Lovelace and Jean Rhys among others.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Daniel Stables Fiesta

A journey through human festivity, told through colourful travel narratives set at some of the world's most eye-catching festivals.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Jack Perks the Great British River

From sparkling springs and babbling brooks to urban canals and muddy estuaries, discover the fascinating journey of our rivers and the wildlife that calls them…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Hamish de Bretton-Gordon Tank Command

Former tank commander Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE offers a gripping and unique account of the evolution of tank warfare, in collaboration with The Tank Museum.…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Nicola Moorby Turner and Constable

Born just fourteen months apart, one in London and the other in rural Suffolk, J. M. W. Turner and John Constable went on to change the face of British art.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Simon Mason Crime and Wine the Big Town Read the Dangerous Stranger

Meet Ryan and Ray (Wilkins: no relation ) Oxford's newest, quirkiest but most successful detectives.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Alan Johnson Harold Wilson: Prime Ministers Series

Harold Wilson was one of the most successful politicians of the twentieth century.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Charlotte Mullins the Art Isles - a 15,000-Year Story of Art in Britain and Ireland

Artistic creativity in the British Isles stretches back to Ice Age engravings of reindeer, horses and birds.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Moudhy Al-Rashid Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History

Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid is an academic, and researcher at the University of Oxford (Wolfson College), where she now researches cuneiform medical texts.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Jasper Fforde Dark Reading Matter: a Last Thursday Next Novel

The final novel in the highly acclaimed and beloved Thursday Next series. Will Thursday find her happy ending?Swindon-based Literary Detective Thursday Next is…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Alexander Ballinger Phyllis Dalton: a Career in Costumes

The extraordinary story of costume designer Phyllis Dalton, filled with insights, recollections, and revelations from a life spent on the great film locations o…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Peter Cardwell Political Animals: Secret Life of the Political Pets of Westminster and Washington

Peter Cardwell is a prominent figure in journalism and political advising. Cardwell's work over two decades has made significant contributions to both the media…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Monkeyfists Sea Shanties With Your Local Landlocked Shanty Band

Monkeyfists are a local fun loving Sea Shanty Band who are all about the fun of the foot-stomping, galleon-storming, carousing, roustabout lark of playing live…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Debbie Kilroy Members Behaving Badly: a History of Britain in 52 Parliamentary Rogues

Over the centuries, the House of Commons has been full of MPs who have been remarkable men and women doing incredible work for the good of all.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Adam Hart Operation Pimento: My Great Grandfather's Great Escape

On 14 August 1943, Adam Hart's great-grandfather Frank Griffiths took off from RAF Tempsford, the SOE 'Special Duties' airbase in rural England.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Chris Lintott Astronomy, Artemis 11 and Space

In the wake of the successful Artemis 11 mission in April 2026, we are delighted to welcome Chris Lintott, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Catharine Edwards Orator: the Life of Cicero and the End of the Roman Republic

When the Roman statesman Cicero was murdered in 43 BCE, his head was cut off and his tongue pierced with pins - a final, brutal act of revenge against a man who…

The Beacon, Wantage

James Mitchell a Short Walking Tour Through the Anglo-Saxon History of Wantage

Wantage is historically significant as the birthplace of King Alfred the Great. Come and celebrate the town's link with one of England's greatest rulers.

Wantage Market Place, Wantage

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Debbie Reiber Mike White Practical Tips to Self-Publishing Free Event

Join successful self-published author Debbie Reiber and new-to-the-game author Mike White as they share their experiences and practical advice on editing, cover…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Wantage, Old Berkshire, and the Boer War - Afternoon Talk

In the last winter of the 19th Century, three British garrisons in South Africa are surrounded, attempts to relieve them are hurled back in defeat, and an Empir…

Vale & Downland Museum, Wantage

Suzie Tilbury Timelines: Suzie Tilbury and the Sheep Pens Free Event

Join Museum Curator Suzie and the Sheep Pens poetry group as they discuss and perform thought provoking poems inspired by objects from the museum collection.

Vale & Downland Museum, Wantage

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Dominic Gregory a Volunteer's Story, From An Rnli Crewman in Dungeness

For two hundred years, the Dungeness lifeboat has launched in storms and heavy seas to frigates and barques, trawlers and dinghies.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Arthur Snell Elemental: the New Geography of Climate Change and How We Survive it

Arthur Snell is a British author, geopolitical affairs consultant and former British diplomat.

The Beacon, Wantage

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Stephen Sackur Hard Truth: 10 Investigations That Shook the World - and Why They Matter Now

Stephen Sackur is one of the most respected news journalists in the country. For nearly 20 years, as the lead presenter of the BBC's HARDtalk, he deployed a fea…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Janina Ramirez Legenda: the Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe

Oxford historian Professor Janina Ramirez grew up in Berkshire and was educated at Oxford and York Universities and holds positions in the Universities of Oxfor…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Andrew Lownie Entitled: the Fall of the House of York

ANDREW LOWNIE is a respected and successful biographer. In his long career, he has been a bookseller, publisher, journalist writing for The Times, Telegraph, Wa…

The Beacon, Wantage

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Friends of Vdm Talk - the Ox-Files

Join the Friends of the Vale & Downland Museum and speaker Mike White for another fascinating talkThe Ox-Files Weird and wonderful tales of Oxfordshire Oxfordsh…

Vale & Downland Museum, Wantage

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Abba Tribute Band Sensation

Calling all Dancing Queens and Super Troupers!Get ready to relive the magic of ABBA as Sensation – The ABBA Tribute Band takes you back to the golden days of po…

The Beacon, Wantage

The Light Project - Afternoon Talk

How Harwell Campus Illuminated the Modern WorldSince 1946, Harwell Campus has played a part in many of the breakthroughs that have shaped the modern world.

Vale & Downland Museum, Wantage