Main Exhibition 27 May to 22 June
The ‘Vikings at the Priory’ exhibition is open every day from 10am – 4pm (Sundays 11am – 4pm) including the Herefordshire Hoard ‘Revealing our Roots’ exhibit. Leominster Priory is a working church and some special services may be scheduled at short notice. Please check the calendar on the church website before you visit. As some school group visits and workshops will be taking place during opening hours, you may also want to plan for quieter times to visit.
Please note that dogs are not allowed inside the Priory building during the exhibition with the exception of assistance dogs.
ALL OTHER EVENTS TAKE PLACE INSIDE THE PRIORY. Some are free, some make a small charge, and some require booking. Booking links are all on the Priory Arts website www.prioryarts.org.uk or bookings can be made by phone 01568 616460
Exhibition Guided Tours An introduction to the art and culture of the Viking Age with Father Guy Cole – £5. Booking essential.
Dates: Wednesday 27th May 9am and 5.30pm
Wednesday 3rd June 9am and 5.30pm
Thursday 11th June 6pm
Wednesday 17th June 5.30pm
Friday 19th June 11.30am
‘Hands-on History: ‘Revealing our Roots’ Thursday 28 May 10-4 Activity day for all ages exploring Anglo/Viking Herefordshire, Treasure and the Herefordshire Hoard. Drop-in event for all ages. FREE
‘The Great Viking Stitch Up’ Family fun day Saturday 13 June 10-4. Activity day featuring Viking and Saxon crafts for all ages, including stitching and weaving, bell-ringing, boat design, treasure hunt, stories in a Viking tent, calligraphy, stone-masonry. In partnership with Leominster Festival Fun Day and the Black Crows (for Viking games and antics) on the Grange. Refreshments available. FREE + Donations welcome.
TALKS
‘How to build a Viking Ship’ Tuesday 26 May 6pm Viking ships changed the history of Europe. Stephen Etheridge, of Regia Anglorum, explains the technology and craftsmanship behind them. £5
‘The Crystal Sphere of the Herefordshire Hoard’ Thursday 28 May 6pm. Darcy Holland (Regent’s Park College, Oxford) explores the meaning of these objects owned by elite women in Anglo-Saxon England, and Hilary Norris (Leominster Priory) reveals a new theory linking this exceptional treasure with Leominster Priory. £5
‘The Last Charge of the Vikings & the Last Abbess of Leominster’ Tuesday 2nd June 6pm. Paula Lofting Wilcox, author, explores the link between Leominster and the Godwinsons, leaders in an Anglo-Danish culture. £5
‘A Cathedral Treasure: the Anglo-Saxon Hereford Gospels’ Tuesday 9 June 6pm David Thomson will give an illustrated talk on the oldest surviving book of the Cathedral and a great treasure, a junior cousin of the famous Lindisfarne Gospels £5
‘A Clash of Cultures (Music in the Early Medieval Period)’ Tuesday 16 June 6pm Richard and Elizabeth Walsh will discuss the evidence concerning early medieval music-making including demonstrating a number of reproduction period instruments. £5
‘The Viking, His Wife and The Lost Queen of Wales’ Monday 22 June 6pm Peter McIntosh interprets an Anglo-Saxon document from the Hereford Gospels bringing to life the surprising power of women in this area £5
CONCERTS
Organ Recital Friday 29th May, 12 noon ‘Gems from Scandinavia on the King of Instruments’ Enjoy a pre-lunch concert including music by Buxtehude, Janecek and a dramatic transcription of Sibelius’s Finlandia played by Hilary Norris on the fabulous Nicholson organ. Free + Donations welcome
Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra Sunday 7 June 7.30pm Presented by Leominster Festival, programme includes music by Bruckner, Brahms, and Mahler’s powerful Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” £18.50, free for under 18s
Tales of Dragons and Songs of Praise Saturday 20 June 7pm Leominster Choral Society perform works by Elgar and Mendelssohn.. £18, Under 18s free
Heirs of the Vikings Sunday 21 June 7pm – Choral gems by Scandinavian composers performed by Border Voices with Baroque strings including uplifting works by Buxtehude and ethereal classics by Arvo Pärt and Sibelius FREE + Donations
DRAMA
Drama and Dance Sunday 14 June 6pm Beowulf, and the Dragon’s Hoard, The Legend of Our Hoard Enjoy wild tales of Hoards with Leominster Morris, puppeteer Andrew Purvin and the Priory Arts Players in a new drama about the Herefordshire Hoard found near Leominster. £5, under 16s free.
What is your Treasure? Thursday 18 June 4.30pm Schools performance telling a new interpretation of the story of the Herefordshire Hoard with puppets, dance and song. FREE + Donations
CRAFT Workshops
Illuminated Letter Art Mon 1st June 10am-12 and 1.30-3pm Join ECHO Art Project for a free workshop illuminating letters in Saxon style! All ages welcome for colouring, painting, glue and glitter and decoupage. FREE
Anglo Saxon Calligraphy Sat 6th June 10-1, ‘ Pete Furniss will teach the script used in the Hereford Gospels to create a bookmark, and add Saxon decorative patterns. Fee includes ink, pen and holder to keep. Beginners welcome. Booking essential £40
Rush Woven Fish Thursday 11 June, 10am-4pm – Join Leominster Wellness Club for a free drop-in workshop, weaving with rush and willow to create fish or other creations, inspired by Viking weaving techniques. FREE
Manga Character Drawing Sat 20th June 10am-12pm Eira Richards, artist and author, will guide you to create your own characters including Viking gear and creatures. Suitable for 7+ £7 Booking essential.
‘Vikings at the Priory’ is a collaborative project created by Priory Arts with support from Leominster Town Council, the Margaret Allen Foundation and Leominster PCC, with funding provided by Herefordshire Museums & Galleries, The Eveson Trust, The Elmley Foundation, Herefordshire Community Foundation, Our Place Leominster, Rotary Club Leominster.