Apr
4
7:30 PM19:30
Apr
5
10:00 AM10:00
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG - Sat 5th April and Sun 6th April - Free Event - Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury Festival 2025
Cotswold Archaeology are supervising an exciting community dig on the site of the family home of Thomas Hobbes. During the Big King Athelstan Dig in July 2024, what appeared to be a wall was uncovered, but the excavation did not extend deeply enough or widely enough to look for more. So, an exciting thread running through this first Thomas Hobbes Festival is to hopefully discover more about the home where Thomas was born and where he lived until he was 14 years old.
The dig is taking place in the front garden of the United Reformed Church just off the Horsefair in Malmesbury SN16 9BJ and is easily viewable from 10am to 4pm on Sat 5th April and from 10am to 3.30pm on Sunday 6th April. Just come along and have a look at the archaeologists actually digging out the trench and who knows what they will find!
There will be free fun activities for children in the Church itself, plus light refreshments will be available to purchase. Toilets and shelter (in case of inclement weather) will also be available. In addition, please see more information about Guided Walks and a Talk also happening in the Church over the weekend.
Please note that parking is limited in the residential area where the Church is located, so if you are visiting, we suggest you consider parking either in the Cross Hayes Car Park SN16 9BZ in the centre of Malmesbury or in the Long Stay Car Park SN16 9JT. Both are about a 10 minute walk to the Church.
Apr
5
to Apr 6
GUIDED WALKS - Westport, Where Thomas Hobbes Lived - Sat 5th April and Sun 6th April - £5 Per Person (or donation), 12 Yr Olds and under Free.
"A Walk in Thomas Hobbes' Footsteps". We are very fortunate to have two local historians who will be providing 30 min approx. guided walks around the part of Malmesbury where Thomas was born and grew up. You will hear interesting tales about the people, buildings, streets and happenings, all of which provided a backcloth for this extraordinary person. There will also be a linked Thomas Hobbes Trail on Explore Malmesbury, which is an online app.
All walks will start and end at the United Reformed Church, just off the Horsefair in Malmesbury SN16 9BJ.
These will start promptly at 11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm, on both Saturday 5th April and Sunday 6th April, but may be subject change due to weather conditions.
Pay when you arrive at the United Reformed Church for the walk. Ticket prices are £5 per person (or a donation), children under 12 years old are free of charge.
Do come along to the Church earlier or stay a while after your walk. Not only will you be able to see the archaeological excavation happening in the front garden of the Church, but there will also be free fun activities for children in the Church itself, plus light refreshments available to purchase. Toilets and shelter (in case of inclement weather) will also be available.
For those unfamiliar with Malmesbury, please note that parking is limited in the residential area where the Church is located. So if you are visiting, we suggest you consider parking either in the Cross Hayes Car Park SN16 9BZ in the centre of Malmesbury or in the Long Stay Car Park SN16 9JT. Both are about a 10 minute walk to the Church.
Apr
5
2:00 PM14:00
Apr
5
7:30 PM19:30
Nov
29
7:30 PM19:30
THoMS Annual Supper - Dinner and Talk 2024
Everyone is welcome to join us for our annual dinner and talk on 29th November 2024 at Malmesbury Town Hall. Our speaker will be Tony McAleavy. Tickets £35.
Jun
1
7:30 PM19:30
A Concert of 17th Century English and Italian Baroque Music
Performed by Music for Awhile
Tabea Debus and Olwen Foulkes (recorders) and Benedict Williams (chamber organ)
The Julia and Hans Rausing Building (formerly the Moravian Church), Malmesbury, Wiltshire
7.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. Saturday 1st June 2019
Jun
1
10:00 AM10:00
Thomas Hobbes Symposium 2019
Click here to purchase tickets
THE ANNUAL THOMAS HOBBES OF MALMESBURY DAY
Programme of Events
The 3rd Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury Symposium
The Old Bell Hotel, Malmesbury, Wiltshire
Saturday 1st June 2019
10.00 am – 4:30pm
HOBBES, MACHIAVELLI AND ITALY
10.00 Introduction to the day’s events
10.15 Professor Quentin Skinner - University of London
Machiavelli and Hobbes: a sequence of contrasts
11.15 Coffee
11.45 Dr. Raffaella Santi - University of Urbino, Italy
The Influence of Botero on Hobbes
12.45 Lunch
2.15 Dr. Luc Foisneau - Director of Research, CNRS, Paris
Cesare Beccaria: The Ghost of Hobbes in the Italian Enlightenment
3.15 Tea
3.30 Round up of the day and informal talks with the speakers
4.30 End of Symposium
Jun
8
9:00 AM09:00
Thomas Hobbes Symposium 2018
Our annual Thomas Hobbes day this year was held on Saturday 9th June 2018 in The Old Bell Hotel, when the theme was ‘Hobbes and Sovereignty’. We would like to thank our speakers for a wonderfully entertaining an informative day.
Sir Noel Malcolm, Senior Research Fellow, All Souls College, University of Oxford.
Hobbes and the Thirty Years’ War
Dr. Signy Gutnick-Allen, Fellow in Political Theory, London School of Economics.
Hobbes on Sovereignty and the Risks of International Law
Professor Tom Sorell, Professor of Politics and Philosophy, University of Warwick.
The Strains of Sovereignty
Jonathan Rée, Freelance Historian and Philosopher.
Beating Back Ghosts
For an overview of the day, please read
Nov
24
7:00 PM19:00
Thomas Hobbes' Anniversary Supper
The Thomas Hobbes’ supper commemorating the 338th anniversary of the philosopher’s death took place at The Old Bell Hotel on Friday 24th November 2017.The 17th century seasonal recipes used by the new French chef in preparing the menu were greatly appreciated by the diners. The Guest speaker this year was Tony McAleavy, the Chairman of the Malmesbury History Society, who used archival sources to present in an amusing way the town’s riotous life around 1600 when the young Thomas Hobbes was growing up. The Chairman of THoMS said that the Society was laying the foundations for a time when Malmesbury (upon Avon) would be synonymous with the name of Thomas Hobbes, England’s most famous political philosopher, just as the not too distant town, Stratford (upon Avon) is synonymous with the name of William Shakespeare, his contemporary and England’s most renowned playwright.
Oct
27
10:30 AM10:30
Thomas Hobbes' Symposium 2017
A note from the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard:
'The Thomas Hobbes Symposium took place this weekend in Thomas Hobbes's home town of Malmesbury. The actual venue, the Library of Abbey House Gardens, could not have been more appropriate. The subject, speakers and location attracted a capacity audience. The speakers included local philosopher Dr Finn Spicer, speaking on “Choosing to cooperate in Hobbes' world”, Dr Naomi Goulder of the New College of the Humanities, London on “Hobbes and self-interest”, and Dr Seiriol Morgan of the University of Bristol on “Rousseau and property as the source of all evil”. The lectures were followed by a lively, thought-provoking Q&A panel discussion.'
