Monday 21 July to Friday 25 July 2025
In 2025, the BAA held its summer conference in Leicester, which it had last visited in 1900. While the built city has experienced great and destructive change since the turn of the twentieth century, there remains a lot of interesting Roman and medieval material to explore.
The hinterland of Leicestershire, with south Derbyshire, also preserves a distinctive and fascinating architectural inheritance, particularly in its medieval churches.
There are nationally important survivals from all artistic periods, from the collection of Anglo-Saxon sculpture at Breedon on the Hill to the Decorated Gothic style. Timber building is represented along with stone.
Leicester itself has significant Roman remains. City and country alike were rich in religious houses. There are also significant survivals in stained glass, wall painting and other arts.
Convenors:
Stacy Boldrick (University of Leicester: slb89@leicester.ac.uk) and Julian Luxford (University of St Andrews: jml5@st-andrews.ac.uk).
Conference Secretary:
Kate Milburn (for other enquiries) (conferences@thebaa.org)
Booking and next steps
The booking deadline was 20th April, 2025. Booking for the Conferencewas open to BAA members only.
Student scholarships
A limited number of scholarships were available for students, covering the conference fee and accommodation. The deadline for student scholarship applications was also 20th April, 2025.
We are very grateful indeed to attendees who added donations for the student scholarships. If you would like to donate to similar schemes, please visit our Support Us page and contact us.
Conference timings
This year the conference started on a Monday and ended on the Friday. The conference was open for registration on the 21st July at 12.30pm at St Martin’s House Conference Centre which is located at 7 Peacock Lane, Leicester LE1 5PZ (0116 261 5200). The President’s Welcome and Introduction were at 2.00pm followed by the first lecture at 2.15pm. The conference concluded at l.00pm on Friday 25th July.
Location
The conference was based at St Martin’s House Conference Centre which is located at 7 Peacock Lane, Leicester LE1 5PZ next to Leicester Cathedral. Taxis from the station take 10 minutes. Lectures were held in the Grand Hall with meals and receptions taking place at St Martins and other locations in Leicester. There was also a walking tour around parts of the city, and two coach excursions exploring sites outside Leicester.
Lectures
Lectures included papers on subjects ranging from Roman Leicester, Leicester’s medieval buildings and topography, Anglo–Saxon sculpture, Romanesque and Gothic architecture and sculpture, Leicestershire monasteries and friaries (with a dip into south-east Derbyshire), late medieval civic and domestic buildings, wall paintings and stained glass.
Speakers included Jennifer Alexander, Rachel Askew, Stacy Boldrick, Paul Everson and David Stocker, Neil Finn, Heather Gilderdale Scott, Miriam Gill and Ellie Pridgeon, Jane Hawkes, Martin Henig, Peter Liddle, Julian Luxford, John Maddison, Mathew Morris, Julian Munby, Deirdre O’Sullivan, Richard Plant, Teresa Porciani, Sarah Scott and Elizabeth Tingle.
Site visits
Site visits in Leicester were planned to include the Jewry Wall and adjacent Roman Baths, castle site with St Mary de Castro, the site of Leicester abbey, the churches of St Nicholas, and St Margaret and the 14th-century Guildhall.
There was one full day and one half-day excursion outside Leicester. The full day excursion visited Breedon-on-the-Hill, Melbourne (Derbys), Repton (Derbys) and Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The half-day trip went to Leicester Abbey site, Lyddington (Rut) and Stoke Dry (Rut), all of which were the subject of conference lectures.
Travel
A frequent train service operates from London St Pancras International to Leicester taking approximately 1¼ hours. Services also run from Birmingham, York, Nottingham and Lincoln. The nearest airports to Leicester are East Midlands Airport (18 miles) and Birmingham (35 miles). London to Leicester by car takes approximately 2½ hours via the M1 or the M40. There is a regular and direct coach service to Leicester from Victoria Coach Station (approx. 2½ hours).
Accommodation
Attendees booked their own accommodation.
Conference cost
The conference fee was £380.00 which included 3 dinners, 2 lunches, 2 receptions, tea & coffee refreshments during the lectures, coach travel, admissions, and site donations.