Research in the School

Welcome to the research pages of the School. We have a long and distinguished record of research, going back to the establishment of Bangor University in 1884: history was a founding discipline of the institution; archaeology has been practiced since 1960. In the 2014 REF, 79% of the School’s submission was judged 4* or 3* (100% for the parts relating to our impact on culture and society), with particular excellence noted in medieval history and in study of the Welsh past.

The School’s research interests are varied in theme and period – as reflected in the research profiles of our academic staff – but they are often rooted in the history, archaeology, or heritage of Wales, which is either as the prime focus of the work, or uses the Welsh example as a point of comparison with other cultures and societies.

Research Strengths

Our key research strengths are The History of Wales; Welsh and Celtic Archaeology; Medieval and Early Modern History; and Twentieth and Twenty-First Century History. We are also particularly keen that our research activities have impact on a wider society – this is achieved in particular through close partnerships with a range of Welsh heritage, media, government , and community organisations.

Research Events

We have a thriving and friendly research community, based around seminar series in both History and Archaeology, as well as seminar series run by Bangor’s Institute for the Study of Welsh Estates , and the cross-disciplinary, pan-Wales Institute for Medieval and Early Modern Studies. The School also hosts conferences – either as series such as the regular Bangor Colloquim on Medieval Wales, and the Bangor Conference on the Restoration – or as individual events. For these see the Conferences section of the website. We also offer a range of research degrees, based in the specialisms of our staff.