Launch of Girton Medieval!

June 2026 — This is the first post on the brand new website of Girton Medieval! So what is this?

Girton Medieval is an interdisiplinary ‘hub’ for all Fellows and students working on medieval subjects within Girton College, University of Cambridge.

Girton is an excellent place to study the Middle Ages, supported by a notable cohort of Fellows actively researching the period across a diverse array of fields. The Girton Medieval initiative aims to connect Girton medievalists and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, communicate ongoing Girtonian excellence in medieval research, and advancing Girton as a leader in Medieval Studies education across the University.

The Middle Ages of c. 400-1500 was a vibrant era full of momentous changes and innovations which have laid the foundation of the modern world. This is a period that particularly benefits from being studied in an interdisciplinary fashion, with medievalists today often required to cross the bounds of a specific discipline in order to better inform their work, especially due to a relative lack of evidence sources (even though it was far from a ‘Dark Age’). As such, ‘Medieval Studies’ has widely become used as a label to broadly sum up academic research on this period, combining specialists from disciplines including History, Literature (including English), Archaeology, Languages and Linguistics, Art History, Anthropology, as well as relevant evidence emerging from the scientific studies ranging from genetics to carbon dating.

Gathering practitioners from a range of fields within the umbrella of a new Girton Medieval hub will encourage the sharing of ideas and holds massive potential for collaboration, which is in keeping with Girton’s ethos of multidisciplinary exchange. A potent example is that of medievalists James Wade and Seb Falk, within the collegial context of a lunch at Girton, discussing ideas and ultimately together making a major scholarly discovery published in an academic journal and receiving widespread attention in international media. These are moments which are far too rare in the current environment, and are precisely the opportunities for collaboration which will be fostered by a structure connecting medievalists. This seems especially pertinent in Girton due to the overall strength of the medieval Fellowship here, which together would be even greater than the sum of its parts.

For students, finding support and taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge within a college community can be opaque or daunting, which the focused forum of a sub-discipline can ease. Girton Medieval Studies will address these issues, while also building on and giving an overarching structure to existing medieval organising. New informal coordination among Girton medieval Fellows in 2025-6 has already proven fruitful, with termly meetups serving as valuable venues for sharing one’s research and receiving support on both academic and career issues. Additionally, the Girton medieval community is bolstered by three current and incoming medievalist Senior Research Associates (Miri Rubin, Amy Jeffs, Taeho Jo) whose academic impact while at the College can be elevated through the support of this cluster. Ongoing and planned initiatives can now be brought within a broader Girton Medieval framework, offering further coherence and wider visibility. This includes: artwork being done for the College’s Anglo-Saxon cemetery, Eileen Power lectures and Feast, and annual Margery Kempe Day lectures. Girton Medieval Studies will now host regular events, run medieval excursions, and provide a Collaboration Fund to provide extra support to medieval studies at Girton (see below)

Medieval Studies is an obvious strength at Girton which is currently not being fully leveraged, and is the kind of communal organising that can fall through the cracks of existing infrastructure and funding models. As such, Jake Stattel (with advisors James Wade, Seb Falk, Anthony Bale) made a successful application to the Girton New Initiatives Fund, which has supported a two-year pilot of Girton Medieval. Likewise, this funding is also launching a larger initiative encouraging interdisiplinary medieval communication and collaboration across the University. We will soon be revamping the Cambridge Medieval Studies website, and forming a new email list for all medievalists across Cambridge’s many Faculties and Departments, crafting a termly booklet and weekly newsletters of all medieval events — stay tuned for more on this!

Here are a few more specifics on plans for Girton Medieval Studies within our 3 main goals:

Connecting

• Foster collaboration among Fellows carrying out interdisciplinary research on related medieval themes, receive helpful feedback from colleagues on their ongoing work
  • Girton Medieval Studies Collaboration Fund will further encourage by assisting with the practicalities of undertaking these academic activities
• Create a forum for Fellows to talk about the field of medieval studies, offering professional and career support
• From postgraduates carrying out advanced research to undergraduates exploring their initial interests, linking those working on medieval topics to each other and to senior members, offering mentorship
• Regular events create a focused space within the College, opening new opportunities for interaction and exchange
  • Including termly meetings and talks, annual lecture, and excursion
  • Incorporate existing events: Eileen Power lectures, Margery Kempe Day
• Establishes an infrastructure for one-off events which promote medieval interests and connect the Girton College and Village communities, such as a Medieval Girton Walking Tour open to students and the public, led by Fellow experts (i.e. discussing the Anglo-Saxon cemetery [artifacts in Lawrence Room], the village’s status in Domesday Book, medieval church and churchyard)

Communicating

• Emphasising the notable medieval strength of Girton by publicising accomplishments: Michaelmas 2025 alone saw waves of international attention to James Wade and Seb Falk’s discovery, as well the election of Anthony Bale to the British Academy
• Creating a uniting structure for ongoing relevant medieval events and initiatives such as the Eileen Power lectures and Lawrence Room openings
• Demonstrating the unique assets within the Girton medieval community, including being the centre for Medieval Latin teaching across the University, or the College’s particular past and current outsized presence within the world’s only focused Department devoted to early medieval northern Europe (Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic [ASNC])
  • Emphasising the important historical role that Girtonians have played in various medieval academic fields, particularly pioneering female scholars such as Eileen Power and Bertha Phillpotts
• Providing a forum for Girton medievalists to share their research and ideas, both senior members and students, gaining recognition as well as valuable feedback

Advancing

• Enriching the academic experience of all medievalists at Girton through regular events, guest speakers, and mentorship
  • An annual excursion to a regional medieval site will particularly reinforce connections between medievalists, and elevate student learning
  • Termly Girton Medieval seminars, with allotted time for open discussion
  • Encouraging occasional one-off events open to the public, e.g. Medieval Girton Walking Tour
• Hosting an annual Girton Medieval Symposium with a major guest speaker open to the University community which brings in a wider audience and shows Girton to be a beacon for Medieval Studies
• A modest Girton Medieval Studies Collaboration Fund will allow for increased medieval research activity which involves College-based interaction, and is visibly tied to Girton
• Clearly demonstrating Girton’s attention to this field raises the College’s recognition and prestige, with a number of knock-on benefits
  • Girton’s pivotal role in establishing a University-wide Medieval Studies Network will put us at the centre of medieval education across Cambridge, accelerating this process