William Courtenay, the 9th Earl of Devon, during his lifetime was well-established within high society Georgian England. He was on the cutting edge of fashion and societal trends. A captivating person who was thought of as the most beautiful boy in all of England when he was young. The Earl became a talented man who lovingly cared for his family and was well respected by his workers.
This talk will discuss the 9th Earl's life at Powderham Castle, his love affair with William Beckford and his newfound popularity with researchers today.
Dr. Kathryn Edwards is the current Head of Collections at Powderham Castle. Having gained her PhD in Archaeology from the University of Exeter in 2022 after studying blacksmithing as material and social practice in Southern India and Sri Lanka, she has since focused her academic interest into the connections between material studies and their social worlds onto the historical collections at Powderham and the stories they reveal.
Cost: £25
Doors 6pm / Talk 6.30pm / Supper 7.30pm
Accessibility Statement: The Institution is committed to improving its accessibility, and we welcome all visitors to our public events. However, we are transparent about the access limitations that the size, location, and historic nature of the building can occasion, and readily acknowledge that we are in a period of transition.
The main entrance to the DEI, (facing the Cathedral), has double doors, and is accessible for most wheelchairs. From this entrance there is level access to the foyer, and to the inner and outer libraries. We apologise for the current lack of lift access to the South Range rooms on the second floor.
As we are a small building, parking is limited, but a space can be pre-booked by contacting the office by phone: 01392 274727, or by email: office@devonandexeterinstitution.org. Priority will be given to blue badge holders. The side door into the inner library should be accessible for most wheelchair users reaching the DEI from the driveway, or the front entrance can be reached through the side door at the end of the driveway. Please do contact us if you have any further questions about your route into the DEI.
There are toilets on site, though the nearest fully accessible Changing Places toilet can be found in the Princesshay Shopping Centre, at the back of Nationwide.
The library is usually a quiet space, though can be louder during events. A timetable for events can be found on the website. If you require a quieter space, please ask a member of staff.
If sounded, the fire alarm makes a repeated sound of two tones, and flashing lights will go off in the reading room and the toilets. On an ordinary day, ringing phones and door buzzers might also be heard.
Lighting is soft throughout the building, and may be low in certain areas. Assistance dogs are welcome, and staff will be happy to provide water for your dog.
