Society of Church Archaeology Conference 2023
The Church in North West Britain and its Connections
16-17 September 2023
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool, UK
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
The Society for Church Archaeology is pleased to announce its annual conference for 2023, on the theme of 'The Church in North West Britain and its Connections’. Covering the north-western seaboard of England, Scotland, and Wales, this region has a long and complex history of church and ecclesiastical sites which do not always or easily mirror the changes and continuities noted in other, arguably more well-researched and well-excavated areas, of Britain and Ireland. Reflecting centuries of cultural exchange around the Irish Sea, not least with western Ireland, the North West has its own rich heritage, combining influences from the south-west of Britain, Ireland, and Scandinavia. From its earliest medieval origins to its most recent church heritage, this conference aims to include the widest range of periods and places, connections or isolations, from this complex and vibrant region.
Our keynote will be presented by Professor Harold Mytum (University of Liverpool) with a wine reception sponsored by LCMRS on Saturday 16th September at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (please note the date and venue change).
Our fieldtrip will be a coach trip to Norton Priory on Sunday 17th September. Price includes entry fee, a seat on the coach, and catered lunch.
Professor Mytum, who has led excavations at the priory for several seasons, will also give a private guided tour of the site and Professor Jill Rudd (English, University of Liverpool) will host an optional special interactive reading and discussion on the Old English poem The Ruin in the priory grounds.
For enquiries about the conference and bookings: scaconference2023@outlook.com
To register for the conference, click here and see the conference website (link below).
For more information, www.churcharchaeology.org/current-conference
Programme
Saturday 16th September 2023: SCA Annual Conference and AGM
The Gibberd Room, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (UK)
9:30-10:00 AM - Registration
10:00-10:15 AM - Welcome
10:15-10:30 AM - Ken Murphy (Dyfed Archaeology), “St Patrick's Chapel at St David’s, Wales”
10:30-10:45 AM - Glenn Cahilly-Bretzin (University of Liverpool) and Tom Livingstone (Chester Cathedral), “The Repurposing of Werburgh's Remains and Shrine, Chester Cathedral”
10:45-11:00 AM - Kevin Cootes (Liverpool John Moores University), “The Archaeology of Grief. Deviations in Burial Practice in a Later Medieval Graveyard in Poulton, Cheshire.”
11:00-11:15 AM - 15 min Q&A with Speakers
11:15 AM-12:00 PM - Refreshments Break
12:00-12:15 PM - Stephen Henders (Independent Researcher), “Hagioscopes and their significance for medieval worship, with reference to examples in NW England”
12:15-12:30 PM - Joanne Machin (UHI Archaeology Institute, Orkney), “Medieval maritime pilgrimage - myth or maxim? Building the evidence”
12:30-12:45 PM - Ian Faulds (University of Huddersfield), “Ancient parish church in the Isle of Man (Kirk Maughold): A forgotten pilgrimage centre”
12:45-1:00 PM - 15 min Q&A with the speakers
1:00-2:00 PM - LUNCH
2:00-2:45 PM - AGM
2:45-3:00 PM - Rachel Newman (Oxford Archaeology), “The Monastic site of Dacre”
3:00-3:15 PM - Emily Bowyer-Kazadi (University of Liverpool), “Deconstructed Landscape Photography: A Framework for Engaging with Church Archaeology in NW Britain”
3:15-4:00 PM - Morn Capper (University of Chester) and Rachel Abbiss (Churches Conservation Trust), “St Mary’s, Shrewsbury: Preserving an Historic Assemblage in the 21st Century”
4:00-4:30 PM - 15 min Q&A with the speakers (plus closing remarks)
4:30 PM - Conference ends
5:30-6:45 PM - Wine Reception and Keynote: Professor Harold Mytum (The Gibberd Room)
7:00 PM - Conference Dinner
Sunday 17th September 2023: Norton Priory Fieldtrip
9:45 AM - Meet at coach pick-up point for 10:00am departure
11:00 AM-4:00 PM - Tour of the Priory Grounds and excavations by Prof. Harold Mytum (University of Liverpool); the Old English elegy ‘The Ruin’ by Prof. Jill Rudd (University of Liverpool); free time at Priory and Museum.
4:00 PM - Depart Norton Priory, ETA in Liverpool 4:45pm.