Sourdough Breadmaking with Paul Raddan

Ever dreamed of making your own sourdough loaves at home? In this 3-hour session, we will go through all the techniques & knowledge you will need. You will also come away with your own pot of starter, so you can begin baking sourdough straight away. Your tutor for the afternoon is Paul from Rugby Real Bread, who's been teaching & enthusing about bread for over 10 years!

Date: Saturday 22nd August

Time: 1-4pm

Price: £65 (+booking fee)

The Rise and Decline of the Country House with Dr Len Holden

Dr Len Holden will explain the origins and development of the country house from castles, monasteries, abbeys, fortresses and family buildings in their own right. He will also examine the lives of their occupants both masters and servants. He will touch on local examples of great country houses and their estates in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

Date: Wednesday 2nd September

Time: 7-8.15pm

Price: £8 (+booking fee)

Guided Tours of Cotesbach Estate - Everyday Histories

Starting at The Glasshouse, the tour will take you through the Stable Yard, via the ancient Ash tree to the gardens of Cotesbach Hall and back to the Schoolhouse. The tour will guide you through the everyday histories and stories of Cotesbach including the farmers, reverends and other people who made Cotesbach what it is today.

Sturdy shoes are advised for uneven ground and wet weather conditions. Hot drinks and food can be purchased in The Yard Cafe which sits alongside Cotesbach Educational Trust should you like refreshments before or after the tour.

Tours will take place:

Friday 11th September 11am & 1.30pm

Saturday 12th September 11am & 1.30pm

The tours are free of charge but we kindly ask you to reserve your place by clicking the button below.

Heritage Open Days: Everyday Histories. Exploring Connections Through Time

Step into the stories of Cotesbach and discover how one small village reflects centuries of social, cultural, environmental and technological change. Explore our exhibitions, displays, family history activities, guided walks and hands-on experiences. Explore the interactive display Butcher, Baker, Blacksmith and Makers and discover the enduring skills and traditions that have connected communities for generations and still live on at Cotesbach.

Everyday Histories Family History Discovery - Trace Your Roots at the Schoolhouse

Ever wondered who your ancestors were or where your family story began? Visit our old Schoolhouse and with the help of our experienced archive volunteers, explore your own family history. If you're local to the area, we may even find traces of your family and past within our unique archive! Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced researcher, this is a wonderful opportunity to discover new connections to the past.

Heritage Open Days at Cotesbach invite visitors of all ages to uncover the people, places and connections that have shaped our local heritage.

Friday 11th September and Saturday 12th September 10.30am-3.30am at Cotesbach Educational Trust

FREE ENTRY - all welcome.

Bulrush Workshop: Making Mats and Small Containers with Maggie Cooper

On this course, participants will have the rare opportunity to work with English bulrushes harvested from local rivers. Weaving with bulrushes is deeply satisfying. The material is soft and silky, carrying the scent of fresh meadows, with beautiful hues of green and gold.

You will learn a range of simple weaving techniques, including over-and-under weave, check weave, strong twining weaves, plaits, and rope-making. The day will be one of experimentation and exploration of form. You may choose to create one larger piece or several smaller samples to take home.

The workshop will be delivered by Maggie Cooper, who has been making baskets and studying the ancient art of basketmaking for nearly four decades and is one of the foremost artists in this craft working in Britain today.

Date: Saturday 10th October

Time: 10am-4pm

Price: £65

The Leicester City, County & Rutland At Risk War Memorials Project Talk

“See to it that his name is not forgotten”: The work of the Leicester City, County and Rutland At Risk War Memorials Project.

This talk examines what constitutes a war memorial, from their traditional forms to a few surprising variations. Which is Leicestershire’s oldest war memorial and where is the largest? We proceed to discuss why war memorials matter and why they should be preserved. Then we shall consider the role of the At Risk War Memorials Project and how it started. We shall encounter some tragedies and some triumphs and see where the Project is going next.

We look the work of the Project and at a few examples of war memorials in the Project’s care hearing how they came to be preserved and some of the stories they tell. There will be an opportunity to sign up for further contact with the At Risk War Memorials Project and to get involved in its important work.

Archive volunteers will display documents, books and artefacts relating to Fred and Digby Marriott of Cotesbach who both lost their lives in WWI, in whose memory the stained glass window at the east end of St.Mary’s Church Cotesbach was created.

Date: Wednesday 4th November

Time: 7-8.30pm

Price: £8 (+booking fee)

Enclosure Riots: The history of land and our relationship to it

Join us for an evening with Leonard Holden as he talks us through the famous enclosure riots that took place here in Cotesbach in 1607.

In Cotesbach in 1607 a huge gathering of 5,000 people took place. This was surprising as the village had less than 90 inhabitants. Why had they gathered on a day in June?

Throughout the 1600's enclosure riots sprung up across the country, displacing thousands and severing our ties to the land, nature and food. These cruel rulings saw ordinary people driven off of their land and out of their homes, leaving them desititue and with no where to go.

A rising had been building in Warwickshire, Northamptonshire & Leicestershire and communities were ready to make a stand, but with tensions at breaking point, the riots decended into violence and many lost more than just their homes.

Date: Wednesday 18th November

Time: 7-8.30pm

Price: £8 (+booking fee)