Heslington Hall in the 18th Century Chloe Wigston Smith
Event details
Step inside the history of Heslington Hall in the 18th century, to learn about the Hesketh and Yarburgh families, their 18th-century gardens and life in 18th-century York.
Heslington Hall was originally built in 1568 and then renovated and expanded in the Victorian period. Where can we find the 18th-century past and its stories in the Hall today?
Join Chloe Wigston Smith, Director of the Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies at the University of York, to uncover the Hall's 18th-century history and residents and explore how a somewhat ordinary family was connected to the central concerns and issues of the era.
‘Heslington Hall in the 18th Century’ is one of a number of events taking place as part of a special edition of YorkTalks. Celebrating University of York’s research at its best, we invite you to explore a dynamic landscape of curated talks, live performances and hands-on activities staged in the historic Heslington Hall and its grounds on the theme Heritage Reframed.
Image credit: Alex Holland, University of York
About the speaker
Chloe Wigston Smith is Professor of Eighteenth Century Studies in the Department of English and Related Literature and Director of the Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies at the University of York. Her most recent book is Novels, Needleworks, and Empire: Material Entanglements in the Eighteenth-Century Atlantic World (Yale University Press). In 2025 she was co-curator of Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter at Harewood House.
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