lectures at york georgian society

York Georgian Society offers a varied selection of lectures covering many different aspects of Georgian society and culture. Our lectures normally take place during the winter season from autumn to spring, and are open to everyone. There is no admission charge though we do ask for a donation from non-members.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic our planned lecture programme for autumn 2020 will not now take place. Instead we will be offering a series of three online lectures: details are given below. We have made provisional plans for a physical lecture programme (see more information below) for the spring of 2021 but whether this goes ahead will depend upon the situation at that time and the advice we receive from the health authorities and from national and local government.

Online lectures, autumn 2020

Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 pandemic our normal lecture programme for the autumn had to be cancelled.  However, we are pleased to announce that, in association with the University of York's Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies, we are able to offer a series of three online lectures via Zoom for autumn 2020. For full details of the programme please see our online lectures page.

Physical lectures (provisional), spring 2021

We hope, subject to regulations and restrictions then in force, to hold a series of traditional lectures with speaker and audience physically present at the Friends' Meeting House in York in the spring of 2021. The precise details have yet to be confirmed but if these events do go ahead they will involve booking attendance in advance, and use of social distancing and other health precautions.  The provisional programme is as follows:

9 Jan 2021: 'William Kent's Gothic: its influence over Georgian Gothic design' - Peter Lindfield, Senior Research Associate, Manchester Metropolitan University.

13 Feb 2021: 'Laurence Sterne at Shandy Hall' - Patrick Wildgust, Curator, Shandy Hall, Coxwold.

13 Mar 2021: 'The rebuilding of British towns 1760-1830' - Geoffrey Tyack, Editor Georgian Group Journal.

Whether these lectures go ahead will depend upon the status of the pandemic at that time and the advice we receive from the health authorities and from national and local government. Please check this page for further information as it becomes available. 

Any updates on our lecture programme will be published here as soon as they are available.

For previous lecture seasons please see our lectures archive.