During 2004 the Yorkshire Country House Partnership is hosting a series of interlinked exhibitions, Maids and Mistresses, that will celebrate the lives of the women of the country houses of Yorkshire. In order to mark this, the Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies at the University of York and Castle Howard are hosting an international conference between 14-16 May 2004: Women and the British Country House 1650-1900. This three-day event will bring together research from both the academic and heritage communities, in order to consider current approaches to the study of women and the British country house.

Conference themes include the roles women played in the family, in social and political arenas, and in the design of both the domestic interior and the landscape. The position of women as servants or employers will be highlighted, as will their representations in literature and art. Female experiences of charity, religion and travel will also be considered. Plenary lectures will examine the representation of women by Sir Joshua Reynolds, gender and politics in the country house, and Mother/Son relationships at Castle Howard.

The conference will take place at The King’s Manor, York, and at Castle Howard. During the day at Castle Howard there will be opportunity to visit the house and an exclusive trip to the mausoleum. Please note that the number of delegates that we can accommodate is strictly limited, and so spaces will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.