The Warner Prize 2026

Prizes

●      Winners receive a cash prize

●      Short listed entrants will be awarded a certificate of Merit 

●      Each age group will have a different scale of prizes.[1]

The set topic for 2026

Focusing on any aspect of the history of Romsey, you should put material into an appropriate historical context, showing that you have gained insights into Romsey’s past and how some aspects of history have influenced the Romsey that you live in today.

Whatever topic you have chosen (most choose a topic covered at school such as Romsey Abbey or the Industrial Revolution), you should focus your entry on life in Romsey, showing how you understand the historical context.  You may use real or imagined inhabitants and/or incidents, but the basic history must be accurate, showing good research and wider reading.

All entries must be received by your teacher by the date set by your school.  Entries will be judged over the summer holidays for a presentation in the Autumn Term 2026. Your entry must be original work in your own words, and personal (no group work accepted).

You can use a format that best suits your personal learning style and skills and the topic being covered but must include your full name.

A selection of work will be displayed in The Crosfield Hall, so please bear the display in mind. Neatness & lay-out are important, but we will use all good work. We welcome creative, colourful presentations. 

Possible formats:

●      A written essay/booklet, with or without illustration with well-designed layout and presentation to draw in and stimulate your audience.

●      A collection of letters and/or diary entries or a story creatively written to show a real understanding of the period and the daily lives of people involved. 

●      Photos/images with commentary and analysis to highlight the key points.  Take care over layout and annotate carefully to make your text is clear and accurate.

●      A drawing, series of drawings or cartoons well labelled and annotated. You will need to draw well and choose the key points carefully. 

●      A video   N.B. The script must be original and written by the entrant.   The entry will be judged mainly on the historical content rather than accomplished recording/editing techniques, but as for all forms of communication, good presentation is important. A previous good idea was to submit a QR code linked to the video for display so that it can be easily viewed.

●      A Powerpoint (or similar app) presentation.

●      Any other suitable creative form of preservation which can be displayed and communicates the historic points to your audience.

Romsey Library has a number of books on Local History & The Romsey Local History Society has its own library and collection of records in the basement of the Town Hall, open for consultation by arrangement. Don’t be afraid to talk to local people too.  You may find some helpful links on our website www.romseydistrictsociety.co.uk or the history society website www.ltvas.org.uk/

These details and how we score your entries can be found at bit.ly/rdswarner

Finally, enjoy working on your entry & learning about ROMSEY.

[1] At their discretion, the judges and RDS may award less than the total prize value.