SLS annual conference 2024 at Canterbury on 28 & 29 September
Sacred and Profane: the landscapes of Kent
Saturday 28 September at St Paul’s church, Canterbury CT1 1NH
The landscapes of Kent are diverse, from rolling downland to reclaimed wetland, and its built environments are as complex as they are historic. With its varied coastal scenery, Kent represents the closest English county to continental Europe and its landscape history is intricate, reflecting considerable human activity since prehistory.
Canterbury Christ Church University
In conjunction with Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh of Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) the SLS committee are proud to invite registrations for the 2024 national conference and field meeting. The Saturday Conference will be in St Paul’s church in the city, we have a programme of expert speakers, all concerned with the history, geography, and archaeology of the Kent landscape. The Sunday field visit will be to the landscape around the Western Heights at Dover and the history and archaeology at Nonington. The programme is below:
Saturday timetable:
9.30: Reception
10.00: Introduction
10.15: Session 1: Exploring Kent Landscapes:
‘Kent’s changing coastal landscape’
Dr Chris Young
‘Landscape, culture and cartography: a biographical approach’
Professor Peter Vujakovic
11.15: Break
11.30: Session 2: Landscapes of authority in medieval Kent:
‘Norman Castles in the medieval landscape’ (tbc)
Richard Eales
‘Canterbury in its wider landscape in the Anglo-Norman period’
Tim Tatton-Brown
12.30: Lunch + AGM
13.30: Session 3: East Kent as Gateway: to enter or defend:
‘‘Dost Thou Know Dover?’: locating Dover in the early modern literary landscape’ (tbc)
Dr Claire Bartram
‘The defence of Kent since 1900’
Dr Andrew Richardson
14.30: Break
15.00: Session 4: Seeing new landscapes:
‘The Cross-Channel Geopark – two landscapes connected by the Channel’
Speaker from Kent Downs National Landscape
‘Bringing digital tools to landscape and heritage studies’ (tbc)
Dr Catriona Cooper
16.00: Roundtable Discussion
16.30: Finish
Sunday field trips (provisional):
Leave Canterbury: 10am
Western Heights, Dover – C19 and C20 landscapes: 10.45am (leave 12.30pm)
Little Farthingloe Farm café CT15 7AA: 1pm-2pm
Old St Albans Court, Nonington, CT15 4HH – Anglo-Saxon/medieval landscapes: 2.45pm (leave 4.30pm)
Return to Canterbury: 5pm
Numbers of delegated additional organisers is capped to 70 for Saturday and 50 for Sunday.
Private cars are permitted on the Sunday, but delegates are encouraged to travel on the coach provided. Total costs for two days is £35.00 to include refreshments and lunch on Saturday.
Total costs for two days for SLS members is £30.00 to include refreshments and lunch on Saturday. Saturday attendance alone the cost is to be £25.
Sunday lunch will be available in a cafe en route and individually paid for, or delegates can bring their own packed lunch.
