Looks like a fascinating conference being held at Rye, which is a little out of my way to attend, but interesting none the less.

From 28th October 2006 to 29th October 2006, at the Thomas Peacocke Community College in Rye, East Sussex (U.K.), a two-day conference will be held entitled "Aspects of Medieval Warfare and Rye's Response". Scholars participating in this conference include:

• Jo Kirkham ('‘The Tale of Two Towers – the joint Anglo/French Interreg Project’): A Director of the Rye Partnership, she is a former Mayor of Rye and a retired University lecturer and teacher. She has written several books on the history of Rye including ‘Ryennium’ – the story of Rye at the Millennium’, and the 25 volumes in the ‘Rye Memories Series’ with the students of Thomas Peacocke Community College.

• Robert Hardy (‘The Mary Rose and Medieval Archery’): Actor, historian, Trustee of the Mary Rose Trust, and England’s foremost longbow expert, will explain how the raising of Henry VIII’s flagship ‘The Mary Rose’, unveiled unique insights into medieval archery.

• Dr Andrew Ayton (‘Edward III’s Crecy Men: Archers and Archery in the Early Years of the Hundred Years War’): Senior lecturer at Hull University, author of ‘Knights and Warhorses’, and ‘Crécy 1346’, is England’s acknowledged expert on the armies of Edward III. Dr Ayton will speak on Edward’s campaign of 1346 culminating in the extraordinary victory over Christendom’s most mighty power.

• Prof. Matthew Strickland (‘The European Response to Archery’): is senior lecturer in medieval studies at Glasgow university, and co-author of ‘The Great Warbow’ with Robert Hardy. Dr Strickland will speak on the European response to the emergence of England as a military power.

• Dr Michael Jones ('Agincourt 1415: A Band of Brothers?’): is a former university lecturer and now an independent scholar and author. His ‘Bosworth 1485’ and ‘Agincourt 1415’ have been acknowledged for their innovative and occasionally controversial nature. Dr Jones will present his recent theories on that epic battle of English (and Shakespearian) history – Agincourt.

• Dr Juliet Barker ('The Medieval Tournament’): is an acclaimed historian and prolific author. She has written extensively on the Brontes and Wordsworth. Her medieval history includes books on Agincourt and the Tournament. Dr Barker will be speaking on the Tournament 1100-1400, and will no doubt anchor the full significance of Edward’s creation of the Order of the Garter.

• Prof. Kelly Devries (‘Revolutionary? It’s a Wonder They Caught on at All: Guns in Medieval Warfare’): Prof. Devries holds the chair of medieval history at Maryland University. He has published numerous works on the hundred years war, and is a specialist in arms and armour.

• Helen Fenwick (‘Archaeology of the Battlefield’): Helen Fenwick is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Hull and is currently investigating the landscape of the Battle of Crecy with Dr Andrew Ayton. She has a background in landscape archaeology, with a PhD investigating landscape evolution and settlement development on the Lincolnshire Coast.

• David Martin ('Medieval to Modern - The Rebuilding of Rye’): David Martin was formerly the Director of the Rape of Hastings Architectural Survey and is now an Historic Buildings Officer with Archaeology South-East, University of London. He has been studying the historic buildings of East Sussex since the early 1970’s and is currently researching the medieval buildings of Rye as part of the Romney Marsh Research Trust’s Rye project.

• Dr Gill Draper (‘Pirates, Wreckers and Smugglers - Patriots at War, Villains at Peace’): Dr Draper lectures on landscape, urban and church history for the University of Kent. She is co-ordinating a three-year research project on Rye and its hinterlands c.1000-1660 for the Romney Marsh Research Trust. A monograph in the Pre-construct Archaeology series is forthcoming: G. Draper and F. Meddens, The Sea and the Marsh: the Medieval Cinque Port of New Romney.