A conference to celebrate the conversion of the North to Christianity

A one day conference to celebrate the conversion of the North to Christianity

Organised by Pocklington District Heritage Trust, the conference will hear six presentations illustrating the kingdom of Northumbria in a time of change.

The conference, from 9.30am to 4.15 pm on Friday 13th November 2026, is the first event of a two-day heritage festival at Pocklington, and there will also be displays, stalls and exhibitions on show, including a ‘pop-up’ travelling museum of local archaeological items sponsored by SPF grant funding.

A limited number of tickets are available locally at RM English in Railway Street, Pocklington or at the door for £10. Refreshments will be available during the day, but delegates need to source their own lunch. A lunchtime pass to Burnby Hall Gardens and its café is included in the conference ticket price. Also included is free car parking in the gardens car park.

The speakers

Dr Peter Halkon - Lead PDHT Archaeologist and Chair of the East Riding Archaeological Society, formerly Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at Hull University, Peter is an Emeritus Fellow University of Hull and Hon. Research Fellow, Department of Archaeology, University of York. He has been researching the landscape archaeology of the Foulness Valley and western Yorkshire Wolds for over forty years, a region which contains some of the earliest Anglo-Saxon cemeteries and intruiging evidence for British'survival'.

Max Adams – Max Adams is the author of a number of critically acclaimed books on Dark Age history includingThe King in the North, In the Land of Giants and The First Kingdom. He has appeared on many TV documentaries about Dark Age history and is Visiting Fellow in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at Newcastle University.

Prof David Petts - Associate Professor Department of Archaeology, University of DurhamDavid has a particular interest in the development of Christianity. He ahs carried out fieldwork on the Holy Island on the site of the early medieval monastery of Lindisfarne. Other research interests include Ad Gefrin (Yeavering) and he is Chair Society for Church Archaeology.

Prof. Dominic Powlesland - Dominic Powlesland, FSA, landscape archaeologist based in North Yorkshire. He has contributed to the methodologies of field archaeology and landscape survey, particularly geophysics and the use of computers when recording and processing archaeological data. He is the director of the Landscape Research Centre and visiting professor at the universities of York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Vienna. 2019 was awarded the Landscape Archaeology Medal by the British Academy.

Dr Jon Kenny - Winner of the 2015 Council for British Archaeology Marsh Award for Community Archaeologist of the Year, Jon has inspired many groups to explore their heritage in the Yorkshire region. After working with the Archaeology Data Service and then the York Archaeological Trust, he set up his own business supporting Community Archaeology.

Ashley Rickman - Collections Manager Trustee at Pocklington District Heritage Trust and currently based at the Yorkshire Museum (York). Specialising in Anglo-Saxon metalwork, she holds an MA in History of Art: Medieval Art and Medievalism, University of York, and a BA in Visual Art (sculpture) from the University of Montana. Her career includes roles as the assistant curator of the Montana Museum of Art and Culture.

Description supplied by the event organiser.