Where are you from? I grew up on western edge of the Conwy Valley and still live in the home I moved to at the age of seven.
What is the subject of your doctoral research project? The abandoned upland settlements of the Eastern Carneddau. I started my PhD in April 2023.
What are your main research interests? Upland living, communities, how family and community connections are shown through parish records, wills and other probate documents. The sparsely recorded lives of the poorer sections of society. Daily living as shown in probate inventories.
Tell us about your career so far and what led you to ISWE and your doctoral research project? My first degree was in English Literature with Bangor University. From that, and an intense interest in Old English literature, I progressed to an MA in Early Mediaeval Studies with the University of York, which covered the history, archaeology, and literature of the early mediaeval, mostly focussing on the Anglo Saxons, Old Norse, and early Christian Ireland. Academia took a long break while I raised children and wrote and published novels, but a growing interest in my local area, particularly the ruined cottages of the Carneddau uplands, brought me back to Bangor.
What is your favourite thing about ISWE and being a doctoral researcher? Having the space and time to dedicate to researching something that fascinates me, and being part of an academic community.
What is your proudest achievement since joining ISWE? Staying marginally sane through a number of crises, and managing to continue my research.
What is your favourite historical period and why? I’ve always been fascinated by both the mediaeval and the Victorian eras. Initially this fascination was based around Victorian literature and mediaeval literature and language. The mediaeval is an intriguing place which seems very far away, but comes alive through history. The Victorian era is an amazing melting pot of world influences, changes in religious outlook, developments in science and industry, and troubled morals. Of particular interest to me is the fin de siecle anxiety as the progression of science continued to erode long-held beliefs in an omniscient God.
Your favourite place in Wales? The Carneddau restore my sanity and soul. I love the huge, wild, empty nature of the land, where you might not see a single person on a 14-mile walk. Instead, you’re left alone with the sporadic appearance of Carneddau ponies, the song of sky larks, the croak of ravens flying overhead, and the bones of houses and quarries eroded by weather and time.
Can you recommend any books, TV shows, podcasts, blogs that you have enjoyed recently? I’ve been re-reading Thomas Hardy recently, which is wonderful for painting a portrait of rural Victorian living, albeit in south-west England rather than Wales. Elizabeth Gaskell is another favourite that I’ve recently been re-reading. My staple TV go-tos are rather more off-topic. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Star Trek are my constant loves, alongside things like Time Team, science programmes, and programmes featuring Ruth Goodman.
What are your hobbies or favourite extracurricular activities? Have you got any other interesting projects on the go? I love to go walking in the Carneddau, anywhere I can reach on foot from my door. I write a lot, when I get the chance, and like exploring my local area and further afield. I spend a lot of time looking after a menagerie of animals including chickens, geese, ducks, goats, cats, dogs, an injured seagull, and a snake.
How can people keep up to date with your research project? I have an infrequently updated blog called The Places Where We Go.
Contact Anna:
nnd23cbq@bangor.ac.uk
