The Buildings Archaeologist

James Wright is at St Botolph's without Bishopsgate on Wednesday 18 November, talking about his new book, The Buildings Archaeologist. It's the first book in more than a quarter of a century to offer clues for discovering the secrets of Britain's ancient buildings, and it's written as a field guide to the written records, tree-ring dating and archaeology that help unpick the age, development and social history of houses, castles, churches, mills, factories and warehouses hidden in plain sight. Wright is an award-winning buildings archaeologist with over twenty-five years of professional experience, and the book is due out from The History Press in October 2026.

At the talk, he'll explain the fascinating, enigmatic and surprising world of buildings archaeology using case studies drawn from London and beyond. It's a chance to hear from someone who spends his working life reading the physical evidence left in old walls and timber, and to get a handle on how to spot those same clues in the buildings we walk past every day. If you've ever looked at an old house or a city church and wondered when it was actually built, or what it used to be, this is exactly the kind of thing that answers those questions.

The evening runs from 7:00pm to 8:30pm, with doors opening at 6:45pm. The talk itself goes from 7:00pm to 8:00pm, followed by a Q&A until 8:15pm and a book signing until 8:30pm. Tickets are £11.55 and booking is required. St Botolph's is on Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3TL.