Society for Church Archaeology Annual Conference
Transforming Church Archaeology: New Directions and Approaches
Folk of Gloucester, England
14 September 2024
Gloucester Cathedral
The Society for Church Archaeology is pleased to announce its annual conference for 2024 on the theme of ‘Transforming Church Archaeology’. For centuries, churches and other religious buildings have been at the heart of their respective communities. However, declining congregations and other societal changes means institutions such as the Anglican Church are undergoing a period of transformation that directly impacts the buildings they curate. Whilst some churches face closure and an uncertain future, others are adapted to meet the needs of the wider community or for alternative purposes. Within this context, archaeology has an essential role to play, on the one hand guiding adaptations to historic buildings and on the other providing new avenues for presenting and interpreting church heritage to a variety of audiences. Through an exploration of the multifaceted nature of church archaeology in the 21st century, this conference aims to demonstrate how it continues to play a role in a changing religious landscape.
Papers will be presented on 14th September at the Folk of Gloucester, situated in a 16th-century building in the heart of Gloucester. This will be followed by an optional conference dinner. On 15th September, there will be a walking tour of Gloucester churches with a local guide. Accommodation and dinner arrangements will be emailed to all registered guests.
Program
9.30-10.00 Registration
10.00-10.10 Welcome
10.10-10.30 Buried Treasure: telling the hidden stories of the past to today’s audiences (Louise Hampson)
10.30-10.50 St. Collen’s Heritage Project (Llangollen):The duality in the practice of reordering medieval churches (Suzanne Evans and Duncan Sanderson)
10.50-11.10 ‘If walls could talk’ – repopulating Breedon Priory Church, Leicestershire (Rachel Askew)
11.10-11.25 Q and A with Speakers
11.25-12.00 Refreshment Break
12.00-12.20 Holy Trinity, Minchampton : a biographical approach (Chiz Harward)
12.20 -12.40 200 years of scholarship at St Mary’s Church, Deerhurst: past, present and future research directions (Michael Hare)
12.40 – 12.50 Q and A with Speakers
12.50 – 13.45 Lunch
13.45 - 14.30 AGM
14.30-14.50 ‘Stones Shout Out’: a project by Bangor Diocese (Andrew Davidson)
14.50-15.10 The archaeology of historic burial management in cathedrals (Adam Daubney)
15.10 – 15.30 Church Archaeology and Research Frameworks (Glenn Cahilly-Bretzin and Ruth Nugent)
15.30 – 16.00 Q and A with Speakers / Closing Remarks
19.00 Conference Dinner
The full conference programme can be downloaded here
Conference Fees: £20 members, £45 non-members
Walking Tour: £7.50
To book your place, please visit our Eventbrite page. If you are unable to pay online, please download the booking form, available here.
For enquiries about the conference and bookings please email churcharchconference@gmail.com
We look forward to seeing you there!