Directory of Research and Expertise

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Research Summary and Profile

Research interests:

Contemporary History, Culture, Gender studies, History, History of art, Metropolitan history, Modern History , Social Sciences

Summary of research interests and expertise:

Ruth is a place-based historian, who's research prioritises the co-production of historical knowledge. Much of her research considers grassroots communities' everyday experiences of religion, faith, and spirituality since 1850. Beyond this, she also engages in a broader range of research exploring the possibilities and importance of progessional historians co-producing knowledge with grassroots communities. 

Conducted in a geography department, Ruth's PhD explored congregation members' everyday experiences of Methodism in London from 1851-1932. Building on this research, she has recieved funding from the British Academy, Royal Geographical Society, and Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History to explore the lived experiences of grassroots Methodist communities from 1850 onwards. From 2019 to 2020, she led the 'Jumpers, Umbrellas, and Plastic Bags: material culture and women's everyday experiences of Methodism in England from 1945' project and between 2020 and 2023 she contributed to a collaborative project exploring the life and art of the nineteenth-century Methodist James Smetham. Ruth is currently exploring grassroots Methodist women's quietly radical engagements with Methodism since 1945, and is more broadly interested in how Christian mission informed lay Christian women's perceptions of Britain's changing role in the international community in the post-war period. 

Interested in the possibilities and importance of engaging in the ethical co-production of historical knowledge, Ruth has co-edited a special section of Area - arguing for the importance of participatory historical geography research; published on the value of crowdsourced archives; and is continually engaged in co-production with grassroots communities like Methodist Women and Britain and local communities via her role in the Victoria County History of England. Ruth is currently working with colleagues at the University of Highlands and Islands on a project exploring the value of professional historians engaging in public history in the highlands and islands of Scotland and she regularly shares her research with public audiences through creative events, podcasts, talks, and local-history training. 

 

 

Publication Details

Related publications/articles:

Date	Details
08-Mar-2026	Women, faith, and anti-apartheid activism in late twentieth-century Britain Journal articles Slatter, Ruth and Worthen, Hannah (2026) Women, faith, and anti-apartheid activism in late twentieth-century Britain, Women's History Review.
01-Dec-2025	The Victoria County History: 125 years of participatory historical geography? Journal articles Slatter, Ruth (2025) The Victoria County History: 125 years of participatory historical geography?, Area, 57.4.
01-Dec-2025	Participatory collaborations between geographers and performance artists: Taking urban renewal histories to the street Journal articles Singleton, A, Brookes, E., Slatter, R. (2025) Participatory collaborations between geographers and performance artists: taking urban renewl histories to the street, Area, 57.4.
01-Dec-2025	Participatory historical geographies: Introduction Journal articles Slatter, Ruth, and Brookes, Ed (2025) Participatory historical geographies: Introduction. Area, 57.4.
01-Jan-2025	Spaces, Places, and Networks – Geographical Approaches to Methodism in the Past Chapters Slatter, Ruth. (2025) The Handbook of Geographies of Religion. Ed. Lily Kong, Orlando Woods, and Justin Ts. Springer, 863-888.
01-Nov-2023	The Methodist Women’s Collection: a feminist archive Chapters Slatter, Ruth and Worthen, Hannah (2023), The Methodist Women’s Collection: a feminist archive. In ed. Thomas Dobson, Our Justice Journeys: Three Centuries of Striving for a Better World (Oxford: Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History).
01-Apr-2023	Geographical Approaches to Religion in the Past, Geography Compass Journal articles Slatter, Ruth (2023) Geographical Approaches to Religion in the Past.Geography Compass, 17(4), pp.1-17.
01-Apr-2023	Sacred Squares? A non-representational study of James Smetham’s (1821-1889) everyday artistic experiences of religion, faith, and spirituality Journal articles Slatter, Ruth (2023) Sacred Squares? A non-representational study of James Smetham’s (1821-1889) everyday artistic experiences of religion, faith, and spirituality. Journal of Historical Geography, 79, pp. 26-38.
04-Dec-2020	Worship, social gatherings and the ‘more-than-Wesleyan’: the multiple uses and congregational experiences of London’s Wesleyan Methodist chapels (1851-1932) Journal articles Slatter, Ruth (2021) Worship, social gatherings and the ‘more-than-Wesleyan’: the multiple uses and congregational experiences of London’s Wesleyan Methodist chapels (1851-1932). The London Journal, 46(2), pp.165-186.
03-Feb-2020	Three Participatory Geographers: Reflections on Positionality and Working with Participants in Researching Religions, Spiritualities, And Faith. Social and Cultural Geography Journal articles Denning, Stephanie, Scriven, Richard, and Slatter, Ruth (2022) Three Participatory Geographers: Reflections on Positionality and Working with Participants in Researching Religions, Spiritualities, And Faith. Social and Cultural Geography 23(6), pp.892-910.
01-Feb-2020	Becoming chapels and everyday congregations: how the repair and maintenance of London’s Wesleyan chapels illustrates their communities’ everyday practices and experiences (1851-1932) Journal articles Slatter, Ruth (2020) Becoming chapels and everyday congregations: how the repair and maintenance of London’s Wesleyan chapels illustrates their communities’ everyday practices and experiences (1851-1932). Journal of Design History, 33(1), pp. 34-49.
01-Apr-2019	Materiality and the extended geographies of religion: the institutional design and everyday experiences of London’s Wesleyan Methodist circuits, 1851 – 1932 Journal articles Slatter, Ruth (2019) Materiality and the extended geographies of religion: the institutional design and everyday experiences of London’s Wesleyan Methodist circuits, 1851 – 1932, Journal of Historical Geography, 64, pp. 60-71.
09-Nov-2018	Materialities and Historical Geographies: an introduction Journal articles Slatter (née Mason), Ruth (2019) Materialities and Historical Geographies: an introduction. Area, 51(1), pp.2-6.
15-May-2017	Material 'Becomings' and a Historical Geography of Religious Experience: Metropolitan Methodism, 1851-1932 Journal articles Slatter (née Mason), Ruth (2019) Material 'Becomings' and a Historical Geography of Religious Experience: Metropolitan Methodism, 1851-1932, Area, 51(1), pp. 14-24.
26-Apr-2016	A ‘More-than-Architectural’ Approach to Faith Spaces: Wesleyan Methodist Spaces in London, 1851-1932 Journal articles Slatter (née Mason), Ruth (2015) A ‘More-than-Architectural’ Approach to Faith Spaces: Wesleyan Methodist Spaces in London, 1851-1932. Interiors: Design, Architecture, Culture, Spaces of Faith Special Issue, 6(3), pp. 306-328.
01-Jan-2015	The Design of Nineteenth-Century Wesleyan Space: Re-Reading F.J. Jobson’s’ Chapel and School Architecture Journal articles Slatter (née Mason), Ruth (2015) The Design of Nineteenth-Century Wesleyan Space: Re-Reading F.J. Jobson’s’ Chapel and School Architecture. Wesley and Methodist Studies, 7(1), pp.78-99.

Research Projects & Supervisions

Research projects:

Details
200 years of James Smetham. In collaboration with the Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History, artists, curators and researchers (2019 – 2023).   Exhibition in Bewdley Museum (September - October, 2023). Public-art workshops. Online exhibitions. Digitalisation programme. Online course.
Impact of Christian Mission on Lay Christian Women’s Experience of the End of Empire Supported by funding from the School of Advanced Studies' Dean's Research Fund, this project asks: how has engagement with Christian mission informed lay Christian women's experiences of Britain's changing position in the international community since 1945? To answer this question, the project is engaged in archival research, oral history interviews, and community co-production.
Jumpers, umbrellas and plastic bags: material culture and women’s everyday experiences of Methodism in England from 1945 British Academy Small Research Grant (as PI, £9926.13 over 16 months, September 2019- December 2020).  Using the Methodist Women's Collection at Epworth Old Rectory to explore women's everyday experience of Methodism in Britain since 1945.
Making and Communicating the Past in the Present: investigating community/public history in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland A collaborative project with the Centre for History at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Supported by funding from the IHR Trust and the Strathmartine Trust, this project explores the value of professional historians engaging in public history in the Highands and Islands of Scotland and beyond. Since 2023, the team have been conducting oral history interviews with historians, heritage professionals, and community leaders in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and the counties of England. In April 2025, the project hosted a workshop at the University of Newcastle and is now working towards a publication.
Spaces of nineteenth-century congregational faith: James Smetham (1821-1889) and Methodism in Stoke Newington Funded by a Royal Geographical Society Small Research Grant (as PI, £1400 over 12 months, May 2019 – May 2020).  Exploring James Smetham's experiences of Methodism in nineteenth-century north London.

Current PhD topics supervised:

Dates	Details
From: 01-Sep-2024 Until:	The nanny, a forgotten British export Jules Garner Rudman  Self funded  Second supervisor
From: 01-Oct-2025 Until:	Faith and the threat of war in Britain in 1940 Eugene Luning Self funded First supervisor
From: 01-Oct-2023 Until: 01-Oct-2024	The Classical Campus: Architecture and Privilege at Elite New England Boarding Schools Justin Muchnick

Past PhD topics supervised:

Dates	Details
From: 01-Sep-2021 Until: 01-Jul-2025	Exploring ‘the domestic’ in contemporary hospice architecture: a critical examination of the architecture and design of in-patient palliative care facilities in England Lucia Crowther  Funded by the Wellcome Trust.
From: 01-Jan-2018 Until: 01-Oct-2022	The impact of women on family dynastic ambitions and legal change in England, 1550-1800 Stormm Buxton-Hill (University of Hull)
From: 01-Jan-2018 Until: 31-Mar-2020	Reading the academic library Lee Fallin (University of Hull)
From: 01-Jan-2018 Until: 01-Oct-2022	Agricultural heritage of Saltaire Ruth Quinn (University of Hull)  Funded by an AHRC Collaborartive Doctoral Award.

Available for doctoral supervision: Yes

Professional Affiliations

Collaborations:

Name	Type	Activity	Start date	End date
200 Years of James Smetham	Collaborative coproduction with Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History, curators, artists, and art educators.	Public-art workshops, online exhibitions, digitalisation programme, and online course.	03-Sep-2019	31-Jan-2024

Relevant Events

Related events:

Date	Details
15-May-2026	Women and Methodism: Contested Identities, Past and Present Contributor to a roundtable conversation about women and aging in the Methodist Church.  Event held at Wesley Memorial Church, May 2026.
24-Apr-2026	New Sources of Social History Contribution to a panel discussion about new sources of Social History at the Festival of Social History, hosted at Senate House on the 24th April 2026.
10-May-2025	Sacred Squares Presentation of a conference paper about James Smetham and his squarines at the Sacred Arts Conference, St Anne's College, Oxford, May 2025.
30-Aug-2024	The implications of the historical geographies of Christian mission for geographies of contemporary faith-based social action Organisation of a roundtable discussion at the Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference (2024).
18-Jun-2024	The Victoria County History as a community of knowledge production and sharing 1899-2024 Conference paper presented at the one-day conference: Community of Knowledge Sharing and Production, held at Bath Royal Science and Philosphical Society, June 2024.
01-May-2024	Seeley and Paget: Restoration and Reputation in the Twenty-First Century Host and member of the organising committee of a one-day, interdisciplinary, cross-sector, public conference at The Charter House
01-Sep-2023	Participatory Historical Geographies Co-convenor of two sessions around this theme at the 2023 Annual International Royal Geographical Society Conference.
31-Aug-2023	Geographies of Religions, Faith, and Spiritualities Co-organiser of two sessions around this theme at the Annual International Royal Geographical Society Conference (2023).

Other editing/publishing activities:

Date	Details
2026	Victoria County History, Northamptonshire 8 Co-General Editor (Architecture)
2026	Victoria County History, Wiltshire 20 Co-General Editor (Architecture)
2025	Guest Editor of a special section of Area: Participatory Historical Geographies Guest editor of the special section 'Participatory Historical Geographies', in Volume 57, Issue 4 of Area (published by the Royal Geographical Society).
2025	Victoria County History, Westmorland 1 Co-General Editori (Architecture)
2024	Victoria County History, Oxfordshire 21 Co-General Editor (Architecture)
2019	Guest Editor of a special section of Area: Materialities and Historical Geographies Guest editor of the 'Materialities and Historical Geographies' special section of vol. 51, issue 1 of Area (published by the Royal Geographical Society).

Knowledge transfer activities:

Details
Oxfordshire VCH Local History Training Contributor to Oxfordshire VCH's local history training series. Specifically providing training on architectural history post-1660.
Methodist Way of Life Contributor to the Methodist Way of Life workshop at Wesley Memorial Church, April 2025.
Wiltshire and Swindon Archives Local History Training Contributed architectural history training to the Wiltshire and Swindon Archives Local History Training series, run in collaboration with Wiltshire VCH (November 2024).
Let’s Talk About … Sacred Places Contributor to the Society of Australian Genealogy ‘Let’s Talk About … Sacred Places’ online roundtable, July 2024.
The Methodist Women’s Collection Alongside my research partner Hannah Worthern, I spoke about our research into the The Methodist Women’s Collection at the 2024 Methodist Women in Britain Garden Party at Epworth Old Rectory.
Pre-Raphaelite Society Podcast: James Smetham as a Pre-Raphaelite Outsider With my research collaborator Peter Forsaith I contributed to a panel discussion about James Swmtham for the Pre-Raphaelite Society Podcast.
The Victoria County History a community of knowledge production and sharing 1899-2024 Conference paper at the one-day conference: Communities of Knowledge Sharing and Production hosted at the Bath Royal Science and Philosophical Society.
James Smetham: spaces of spirituality Seminar paper given in collaboration with L. Barret, T. Dobson, P. Forsaith, S. Middleton and D. Read as part of the Institute of Historical Researcher's People, Place and Community seminar series.
Buildings Histories Contributor to the Gloucestershire Archives Local History Training Series organised in collaboration with VCH Gloucestershire and UWE.
Methodist Women in Britain exhibition Consultant working with Epworth Old Rectory to curate their permanent exhibition space about the history of Methodist Women in Britain
200 Years of James Smetham Part of the curatorial team for the 200 Years of James Smetham exhibition at Bewdley Museum, September - October 2023.
A place amongst many: James Smetham’s Orrery of Personal Responsibility Collaborative public creative workshop run with Sarah Middleton exploring James Smetham's Orrery of Personal Responsibility.
James Smetham and his Orrery of Personal Responsibility A video introducing James Smetham and an aspect of his work. I produced and presented this video alongside Sarah Middleton.

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