12/05/2015
To mark the 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta in 2015, Strode College’s History, Heritage and Archaeology BA (Hons) degree programme hosted a major public conference on King John and Magna Carta.
The conference brought together leading experts from universities and the heritage sector to present on a range of topics including: the personality of King John and the road to Magna Carta; King John’s hunting lodges, warfare, arms and armour (including a live demonstration of the step-by-step armouring of a 13th century knight in full battle dress); the remarkable Eleanor of Aquitaine; John’s teenaged bride Isabella of Angoulême; and his troubled relations with the Church which led to his excommunication.
Sean McGlynn, who organised the conference, is one of the country’s leading King John scholars. He has written widely on King John; contributes regularly at events and in the media; and he lectures on King John for the Strode College BA (Hons) History, Heritage and Archaeology degree (in partnership with Plymouth University).History, Heritage and Archaeology Degree student Andrew Howart in full 13th century knight battle dress, with Andy Pickering, Course Manager, and Sean McGlynn, lecturer and conference organiser.
He said: “This was a rare opportunity for people in the Southwest to attend a local conference to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta in 2015. Celebrations are being organised across the country and worldwide on a massive scale, so it is fitting that the Southwest – King John’s stronghold during the dramatic Magna Carta Civil War – should also mark the occasion with this conference. We had an impressive range of leading experts delivering lively presentations on fascinating topics to an audience who were interested in learning more about the controversial figure of John, arguably England’s most notorious king.
“Strode College is well qualified to host such a high-profile event as we teach about King John on our degree course and our lecturers have an impressive publication record on the monarch. The College is also academic advisor to Salisbury Cathedral which holds one of the four surviving copies of Magna Carta from 1215.”