TV HISTORIAN and author Professor Alice Roberts has been announced as the headline speaker at next year’s Battle of Evesham Festival.
The English academic, well known for presenting science and history television documentaries, will visit Evesham in August as part of a world tour to promote her new book Domination – the fall of the Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity.
Alice follows in the footsteps of the hugely popular Sir Tony Robinson, who headlined at this year’s 760th anniversary event, which saw 60,000 people over three days to watch battle recreations, visit living history camps, and attend talks.
Professor Alice Roberts. s
Mick Hurst, festival director, said: “Sir Tony sold out this year and I suspect Alice Roberts will also fill out our 350-seater pavilion at next August’s event.
“Especially, as over the last 10 years Alice has been a regular on our television screens fronting the archaeology series Digging for Britain, keeping the momentum and interest in British history in the format originally championed by Tony on Channel 4’s Time Team.”
Sir Tony enjoyed his visit to Evesham and told the Observer: “It was such good fun. It was great to see so many people engaged and really devoting an awful lot of their own time to trying to recreate it.
“The thing about the Battle of Evesham that is of importance is that it led indirectly to the birth of parliament, and that’s something we all have a share in.
“To know that it probably wouldn’t have happened, or a least not in the way that it did, if it hadn’t been for Evesham, is quite salutary.”
Mick added that it was a privilege to have TV history stars interested in speaking at the festival, which is growing in popularity.
“It is a testament to how our dedicated team of volunteers has built up the event over the last seven years and put Evesham on the map as a must-visit history-tourism destination.”
Held annually in the heart of Evesham, the festival commemorates the dramatic and tumultuous Battle of Evesham, fought on August 4, 1265, during the Second Barons’ War.
Next year’s event is on August 1 and 2. See battleofevesham.co.uk for more information.
