About Us | Centre for Medieval Studies

About the Centre

The Centre for Medieval Studies is a community of students and staff from across disciplines, where we come together to share our passion for all aspects of the premodern world. Our members study and teach — at all levels — across disciplines from within the wider Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, including Archaeology and History, Classics, Ancient History, and Theology, English and Creative Writing, Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies, and the Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies.

Working together, we combine a wide chronological range with real geographical breadth. From first-year undergraduates to emeritus professors, we explore material from Late Antiquity through the early Middle Ages, to the Central and Later Middle Ages. Crucially, we cover not only British and European medieval history and culture, but also that of the Near and Middle East. Members of the Centre share their work at regular seminars, reading groups and events, and contribute to our thriving blog.

The Centre for Medieval Studies has been a huge part of my time at Exeter. From the time I arrived at Exeter as a new PhD student, the Centre has helped me to look outside of the typical disciplinary silos, allowing me to learn from — and, eventually, collaborate with — colleagues and friends from across the field. My own work is infinitely richer and more well-rounded as a result.

Edward Mills

The diet of internal and external speakers that the Centre provides for its members has made it one of the most successful and truly interdisciplinary centres in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Sarah Hamilton, Professor of Medieval History

Our Location

Our location in the medieval city of Exeter, and with Devon, Somerset and Cornwall on our doorstep, gives us unrivalled access to medieval holdings from across the South West. The wider region also offers unrivalled opportunities to explore not only its archaelogy, landscape and architectural histories, but also the myths and stories associated with particular sites.

Dr. Gregory Lippiatt

Director, Centre for Medieval Studies

01392 724 248

g.m.lippiatt@exeter.ac.uk

Gregory's research focuses on government in the 'High Middle Ages', with a particular emphasis on the role played by barons — an often-overlooked rung on the medieval aristocratic ladder — in administering and reforming their territories. He arrived at Exeter in 2019, and has been Director of the Centre for Medieval Studies since 2023.