Distinct from country houses owned and/or run by conservation bodies, independent country houses have the foremost concerns of the family to balance against public access and interest.

This first University of Oxford Country House Symposium, held jointly with the Research Centre for Victorian Political Culture at Keble, welcomes leading curators and collection managers representing the estates of the Dukes of Devonshire and Richmond and the Earls of Derby and Portland.

At a time when even royalty is seeking to reposition the relationship between private and public, each speaker will discuss their current projects alongside their experiences of balancing the family’s privacy and personal history with the public presentation of their nationally significant collections and stories. Discussions will also touch on how members of the university might best share knowledge with collections in the future.

Drinks to follow.

To reserve a place and for more details, please email alexandra.mayson@kellogg.ox.ac.uk by 1 March