A history event at the Museum in the Park will examine the women behind one of England’s most bitter periods of civil conflict, with author Annie Garthwaite joining interviewer Jo Durrant in Stroud.
The conversation will take place on Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 2pm to 3pm at the museum’s Garden Pavilion at Stratford Park, Stratford Road, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 4AF.
A focus on Cecily Neville
The event will look at the 15th-century Wars of the Roses, when the houses of York and Lancaster fought for the crown. The conflict divided the nation and some of its most powerful families, with relatives set against one another.
At the centre of the discussion will be Cecily Neville, described in the event information as the greatest of the women at the heart of the conflict. The discussion will explore her life and role as a mother, fighter and survivor.
Garthwaite is the author of Cecily and will appear in conversation with Durrant, who is presenting the event as part of her 2026 Our Beautiful Universe Saturday afternoon series.
Tickets, books and what to expect
Tickets cost £7.50, £6 or £5 for Museum Members. Membership is free to join, and tea and coffee are included. Tickets can be booked online or by calling 01453 763394.
Copies of Cecily, priced at £10.99, and The King’s Mother, priced at £9.99, will be available from the museum reception. They will be signed by the author. Ticket holders can also buy both books for £15, while stocks last.
The interview-style event will be followed by an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and talk over tea and coffee. Visitors will also be able to explore the museum and its walled garden.
About the event hosts
Jo Durrant is described by the museum as an award-winning presenter of the independent arts and science podcast Jo Durrant’s Beautiful Universe. She is also an interviewer and event chair who has worked across literature, history and science festivals.
Durrant is freelance and previously spent more than 20 years as a presenter, producer and reporter with BBC radio, where she interviewed hundreds of people, including Melanie C and Tim Peake.
The August event is the final instalment in the 2026 Our Beautiful Universe series at the Museum in the Park. It offers Stroud audiences an afternoon of history, discussion and questions focused on a powerful woman from the Wars of the Roses.
