For over 25 years Nick Hanks has delivered talks, lectures and training for groups, societies, universities and conferences. Those currently available are listed below under the following themes: –
- Heritage Tour Guiding
- Ritual and Space
- Landscape Archaeology
- Archaeological Practice
These presentations are delivered in a variety of formats. These are in brackets after each description; Talk / Lecture / Training / Storytelling / Fieldtrip / Workshop.
Heritage Tour Guiding
Paces & Places : How to give heritage guided walks.
This training has been delivered to hundreds of guides across England. It consists of a 2 hour presentation with a break in the middle. It is appropriate for both on-site guided tours and guided walks across urban and rural landscapes. It introduces beginners to the basic principles, and provides lots of tips for the more experienced guides.
This comprehensive training covers many topics, here are a few examples; how to plan your route, what material to use, how to manage the group of people and how to structure the walk, use of objects and pictures, safety, acoustics, ambiguity, the issues arising from too much or too little research, the use of literature and legends, the use of storytelling and costume. At the end of the session a short mini-mock-tour outside of the venue demonstrates some of the points raised in the presentation.
This draws on Nick Hanks’s 30 plus years of experience leading guided walks in diverse settings and his time studying Theatre Studies at Warwick University.
A fully detailed document describing this training is available on request.
[Talk / Training]
“The session was a great success. All of the attendees are experienced volunteers in different ways and are not easy to impress – you did.” Peter Mawr – Senior Programme Officer, Northumberland County Council. Hexham HSHAZ
“Thank you for coming to Swindon yesterday to share your experience and expertise and teach us all about how to give guided heritage tours. It was really helpful and everyone clearly enjoyed the workshop. I shall be restructuring my tour to reflect what I learnt from you!” Karen Phimister – HAZ Project Officer. Swindon Borough Council
Adventures in Time & Place : Why become a heritage tour guide.
This 30-45 minute talk was created to as a recruitment event to find more volunteer tour guides. It describes what it takes, what one gets out of tour guiding and reassures those new to it by explaining some of the techniques. This talk includes some of the material from the Paces & Places training described above.
It includes anecdotes about incidents and adventures Nick Hanks has had while leading guided walks over 30 years.
[Talk / Training]
Performing or Lecturing? The Challenges and Opportunities of Interpreting Heritage on Tours – the Bristol meta-tour.
This half day field trip works on two levels. Firstly as an introductory guided tour of the history and archaeology of the City of Bristol, using various methods of presentation. Secondly, as an exploration of the interpretation issues arising from the locations and the material about them. With opportunities for discussion.
Due to the use of an urban environment there will be a bias in the sites visited towards Medieval and later periods. However, some presentation methods and issues will also be applicable to Prehistory, and some specific examples applying to Prehistory will be presented though without their relevant context. This talk includes some of the material from the Paces & Places training described above.
This fieldtrip draws on Nick Hanks’s experience in guided tours (in Bristol and other places), research, interpretation and his time studying Theatre Studies at Warwick University.
[Fieldtrip / Training]
Ritual and Space
Doorways to the Divine – sacred spaces in modern religious buildings.
What does a small Welsh chapel have in common with some prehistoric rock art? Architecturally not much, but there are patterns in the use of space which are common across buildings of different faiths. I took ritual and spatial theories and applied them on to the ways the spaces were practically used. Initially I looked in detail at eight buildings in Bristol of different religions (Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, Ba’hai and modern Druids), and then studied other examples of ritual spaces across the world and across time. An underlying pattern was revealed.
Based on research and theoretical work published in 2012 and developed from my MA research. It also appears in my book ‘Thresholds’ (2026).
[Talk / Lecture.] [Some of this material is on the Doorways to the Divine page.]
Spaces for Words. Spaces for Symbols – non-conformist chapels and masonic halls.
Both non-conformist chapels and masonic lodges were new building types built for new social groups in the rapidly changing world of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Though both new movements were similarly regarded with suspicion and targeted by legislation, their social organisation and buildings are completely different because the styles of ritual performed within them there were different.
This work was the origin of the research that would become ‘Doorways to the Divine’ (see above).
Based on my MA research.
[Talk / Lecture]
The Subtle Qualities of Space.
There is no such thing as an empty room or an empty stage. Our bodies and minds respond subtly to different locations within a space. This affects both those performing and those watching a performance or ritual. Spatial positioning occurs as both a powerful metaphor and as embodied experience. The space that envelopes every performance and ritual is so often overlooked in favour of the words and objects used therein.
This workshop uses exercises to raise awareness of the subtle yet wide ranging power of space. Then we explore the strong and weak spots and lines within an seemingly empty space. And then we feel how these shift and change with the addition of only a few people and objects.
This 1.5 hour workshop is derived from those given by the drama theorist Clive Barker in the mid 1980s, which I attended. Barker’s ideas also informed my research into ritual space (see ‘Doorways to the Divine’ above).
[Workshop] [This material is covered on the Bodies and Minds in Space page.]
The Tao Teh Ching – the way and its virtue.
An introduction to this hugely influential and inspiring Chinese classic about ‘the Way’ and how to follow it. This talk goes through the origins and influence of this text and on to explore the concepts within it; the failure of success, nothing-wanting, nothing-knowing, nothing-doing and the success of failure.
This talk heavily draws on the brilliant translation and commentary on the ‘Tao Teh Ching’ by Herrymon Maurer.
[Talk] [This material is covered on the Tao Teh Ching page.]
Many Paths, One Forest – an introduction to modern Paganisms.
Heathens, Druids, Wiccans, Hedgewitches; it is all very confusing for the uninitiated. This talk introduces those new to the diverse and confusing world of modern Paganisms. It also delves into the origins and how these parallel with the emergence of Archaeology as a disciple. A walk-through a typical ritual at the end of the talk will de-mystify the nature of the practice.
This draws on both my personal experience and academic research.
[Talk]
“In Come I…” – St George and mummers’ plays.
A talk of four parts. Firstly, the history and myth of the patron saint of England. Secondly, a telling of one version of the legend of St George. Thirdly, the English folk drama of ‘mumming’ is explored within which St George is a regular character. And finally, you will have a chance to join in a read-through of a short mumming play staring St George. I have had experience of mumming for a number of years in the village of Lacock, in Wiltshire.
[Talk / Storytelling]
Landscape Archaeology
Reconstructing a Dragon’s Tale – Sir Bevis of Hampton and the Snakewell, near Bristol.
A lost standing stone, a fragmentary medieval cross with a hero’s name, plus a well associated with serpents. I noticed these hints of a lost legendary dragon slaying. I will present where this evidence led me and what I discovered. I will then show how I brought it all together and compared it with the most common elements of British dragon tales to rebuild this lost legend. This presentation ends with a telling of the reconstructed Dragon’s Tale.
This is based on research for an article published in 2007.
[Talk / Lecture / Storytelling]
Ancient Tales: reconstructing myths from the Ice Age.
Palaeolithic European Art covers a vast area and a long period of time. The images are many and the subjects are diverse. However, recent research has revealed three ‘scenes’ from lost myths among all that art.
The first part of this presentation is a talk that explores the intriguing diversity of this art, and then I introduce the ‘scenes’ from the lost stories. Then you will hear how we recreated these tales before we perform four of them for you.
These tales commissioned for performance at the National Trust South-West Outdoors Festival.
[Talk / Storytelling]
Stanton Drew – archaeology, history and folklore.
The Great Circle at Stanton Drew is the second largest in Britain, but is not widely known. Like Avebury, the largest megalithic circle, it has three circles, two avenues, a surrounding ditch and bank and a cove.
This talk covers all that is currently known about this impressive megalithic complex, from the folklore to the geophysical survey that transformed the view of the site. This is put in the wider context of other henges, and the Neolithic / Bronze Age of North Somerset. All four of the folktales connected with the site will be told.
Ideally this will consist of a lecture in the morning and a field trip in the afternoon, though it can be done as a stand alone talk with the storytelling.
I trained and wrote the script for the team of volunteer English Heritage guides for Stanton Drew. This presentation draws on that work.
[Talk / Lecture / Fieldtrip / Storytelling] [This material is covered on the Stanton Drew Stone Circles page.]
Sutton Hoo – the treasure and the terror.
The discoveries at Sutton Hoo are one of the greatest stories in archaeology. It was even made into a feature film in 2021, called simply ‘The Dig’. In this presentation I will explore the background landscape and history. I will also answer the question, ‘What is a Hoo?’. Then the story of the war time discovery and all the amazing objects that were found inside the ship burial within the mound. I will explore who the grave was probably of, and what it tells us about the people of that time.
This presentation ends with the telling of a shortened version of the oldest story in English, ‘Beowulf’. This story portrays the world at the time of the Sutton Hoo ship burial.
This is based on research for my National Trust guidebook published in 2019.
[Talk / Storytelling]
Cheddar Gorge – geology, history and botany.
Delve into the depths of the Britain’s biggest gorge. It is full of natural wonders large and small, including unique species that live here and nowhere else, and curious naturally hybridizing trees. The caves have tales to tell from the evidence of Ice Age cannibalism to the beginnings of the show caves, via hunting kings, the ‘Velvet Bottom Riots’ and the famous Cheddar cheese.
This talk is based on research for my National Trust guidebook published in 2017.
[Talk]
King John’s Hunting Lodge and Axbridge – a history.
This fine medieval timber building stands at the heart of a town over looking the market square. It’s history and the museum collection of objects within illustrates the life of Axbridge from the Saxon borough, through times as a prosperous wool town and an important administrative centre to diversification in modern times. It is both a house that is a treasure and a house of treasures.
This talk is based on research for my National Trust guidebook published in 2018.
[Talk]
Brean Down – 10,000 years in 1 mile.
This landscape has everything; glacial faunal deposits, field systems, a Bronze Age village, cairns, barrows, a hillfort, a Roman temple, a post-Roman cemetery, evidence of a tsunami, a failed port with the navvies’ housing, a Napoleonic Coastal Fort, a World War II complex of buildings including training structures, special weapons testing equipment etc etc etc. All packed on to a mile long headland in the Bristol Channel.
This presentation is based on the extensive fieldwork and documentary research that I have carried out on this landscape since 1996, and that formed the basis of archaeological reports and the National Trust guidebook published in 2017.
This presentation can be done as a standard or long talk. It can be done as a fieldtrip or as a compliment to a fieldtrip.
[Talk / Lecture / Fieldtrip]
Tyntesfield and Failand – the lost estates.
They are both in the same parish. They both started as the same Prehistoric and Roman landscape. However, they both ended up remarkably different. One the famous gothic mansion, the other a semi-wild backwater. One landscape completely changed, where people were excluded. The other preserved what was there before, and it was made openly accessible to everyone. Both became lost in different ways.
In this talk I trace their stories from prehistory to the present, but in particular I look at the effect of the 19th century owners on these landscapes.
Based on the detailed fieldwork that I carried out on these two estates for the National Trust. This work contributed to reports, guidebooks and other National Trust publications.
[Talk]
Ornaments and Oranges – the archaeology and history of Dyrham Park.
In the late 17th century the obscure medieval manor of Dyrham Park was transformed into a grand mansion fit for a king, though no king ever visited. Likewise its owner William Blathwayt rose from obscurity to become Secretary of War for two opposing kings.
My research on the house, the elaborate water gardens and the inventories of contents revealed a unifying purpose in the design. I will also explore the links Dyrham Park has with William of Orange’s Palace of Het Loo in the Netherlands. As well as the attitudes and developments of later Blathwayts on the house, some linked with the Suffragette Movement, and one who wrote about his time at the Battle of Waterloo.
This presentation is based on my original fieldwork, documentary research and geophysical survey. All of this work contributed to reports, guidebooks and other National Trust publications.
[Talk]
The Green Frog Service – why put landscapes on plates?
Catherine the Great commissioned a 944 piece dinner service from Josiah Wedgewood, with 1,222 images of Britain upon it. It was to be housed in the Chesme Palace (the Frog Marsh Palace) just outside of St Petersburg. It was the very first European service to have real views upon it. She started the trend that continues to this day.
Though destined for Russia, this service was exhibited by Wedgewood. It was a sensation. Thousands came to see it. And so it became part of the creation of the British national myth through representations of the British landscape. This talk will feature images from the Green Frog Service throughout.
Based on research work done during my MA.
[Talk]
Archaeological Practice
This series of 3 presentations is drawn from training I have developed over 20 years for delivery at English Heritage, Historic England and at various universities. It draws on over 30 years of experience using maps for archaeological research.
The Map is Not the Territory I – using digital data and maps for archaeological research
Maps are the bedrock of archaeological research. And when combined with mapped data like the local authority Historic Environment Records (HERs), they unlock the landscape. However, all is not what it seems. The concepts behind the maps and the data, have consequences and can be misleading. The map is not the territory. No matter how accurate they seem ALL maps are misleading in some way.
This presentation will guide beginners through where to find the maps and the archaeological data, and how to use it. Looking at national and local online resources such as HERs, the NHLE, Mariner and the Heritage Gateway among others.
The fundamental understanding of maps that this presentation provides is built upon in the following two presentations.
[Talk / Lecture / Training]
The Map is Not the Territory II – using historic maps for archaeological research
This presentation will cover the most common types of historic map used for research, such as estate maps, tithe maps, enclosure maps and the GOAD fire insurance plans. Then it moves on to the historic maps of the Ordnance Survey, the most frequently used resource for research.
The relationship and accuracy of old maps to modern maps will be explored. How reliable are they? As well as what kind of features they reveal for archaeologists. Where to access these maps online and on paper will be revealed. And how to find out what all the symbols and abbreviations mean.
It can also include two short exercises in using historic maps for ‘map regression’.
[Talk / Lecture / Training]
The Map is Not the Territory III – using lidar and aerial photography in archaeological research
Aerial photography and Lidar provide the archaeologist with so much more than maps alone can provide. Yet what both actually show can be confusing to understand.
Lidar is created by surveying a landscape with a laser. Then millions of points are stitched together to ‘simulate’ the landscape. Subtle features can be discovered, but other features can be misread or can be mistakes made by the lidar methodology. And then we will look at how you can work with lidar in 3D on your own laptop.
To make use of aerial photography you will need to understand the basics of crop marks and soil marks. We will also cover what looks like archaeology on aerial photographs, but actually is not archaeology. And then we look at the online resources which provide ready made interpretation of aerial photography.
This presentation will cover where to find these resources online and on paper.
[Talk / Lecture / Training]
