2016 Weekend Round-up

This first Medieval Canterbury Weekend, a joint venture between Canterbury Christ Church University and Canterbury Cathedral, was a resounding success.

The weekend began on Friday evening when Richard Gameson delivered a fascinating lecture on Corpus Christ College, Cambridge, manuscript CCCC: MS 286, a late sixth-century copy of the four gospels produced in Italy and believed to have been brought by St Augustine to Canterbury when he came to (re)christianise the kings in England and their peoples.

On Saturday journalist and historian Dan Jones spoke to a lecture theatre packed with enthusiastic medievalists about the Plantagenets. After his exciting talk Dan was deluged by people clutching a copy of one of his books recently purchased at the University’s bookstall stationed in the foyer of Old Sessions House on the CCCU main campus, and he duly obliged which meant the queue to have a book signed snaked around the foyer and almost out of the door.

At peak times on the two days there were between 300 and 400 people milling about waiting to hear these speakers. We were thrilled by the public response to Medieval Canterbury Weekend and to have sold over 1500 tickets. The event proved to be a true celebration of all things medieval in this gem of a medieval city.  

For a complete overview of all the events that took place and brief biographies of the speakers please download our brochure.