Cumberland Lodge
2026/27
Department of International History, LSE
Cumberland Lodge Weekend
Friday 30 October - Sunday 1 November 2026
Every year, the International History Department holds an event at Cumberland Lodge, a country house and conference centre in Great Windsor Park. Students and faculty meet to socialise and to explore a theme of historical and contemporary interest in a relaxed, relatively informal atmosphere.
The programme consists of a range of seminars and sessions that take place throughout the weekend, featuring academics from our Department, and sometimes external.
Alongside the sessions, there will be free time for further historical discussion and debate, whether on walks through the park or in the Lodge’s fine drawing rooms. There will also be time to socialise with fellow students and staff members at meals and in the bar in the evenings.
The cost of the weekend is £100 per person. This includes coach transport to and from Cumberland Lodge, accommodation and all meals.
Cumberland Lodge 2026: "Ideas across Borders"
A distinguishing feature of international history is its insistence on looking beyond the rigidity of borders and nation states. Political and social movements, it maintains, are seldom limited to one nation or group but instead circulate widely and freely. Taking this dynamism as its central concern, this year’s retreat at Cumberland Lodge considers how ideas move and evolve across borders and time. To what extent do ideas change in accordance with local contexts, and – conversely – to what extent can they maintain consistency even in radically different settings? Are there ways that ideas themselves can act as borders, effectively redrawing the social and political terrain they have traversed? Six scholars of the Department of International History will reflect on these questions in the context of their own research and thematic expertise. In doing so, they will seek to create a dialogue with one another and with the postgraduate students in attendance, whose feedback and perspectives they will heartily welcome.
Tickets for 2026 are SOLD OUT
- Resistance and Change (2025)
- Nations and Their Frontiers (2024)
- Turning Points in History (2023)
- History and Historian in an Era of Uncertainty (2022)
- State and Society in Crisis(2021)
- Statues, Memorials and Controvery (2020)
- Histories of Citizenship in International Perspective (2019)
- Individuals and Institutions (2018)
- Anti-Democratic Movements in Global Perspective (2017)
- Historical (Re-)Unions and Separations (2016)
- Freedom and Subjugation in History (2015)
- Voices from the Grave: Commemorating War and the Politics of Remembrance (2014)
- Historical Revisions (2013)
- Shahs, Tsars, and Emperors: An International History of Monarchy (2012)
- Revolutions: Historians of the World Unite! (2011)
- Conflict Resolution and Peacemaking in History (2010)
- War in History (2009)
- Ideas, Ideologies and Intellectuals (2008)
- The Role of Personalities in Politics (2007)
- Cultural Imperialism (2006)
"Overall it was a very well organised and perfect event."
Yener (2018-19)
PhD International History
"I had a great time meeting some lovely people from the department over the weekend and I was grateful for the opportunity to get some fresh air! The lodge itself had a great deal of charm, and the lectures were conducive to some very interesting conversations. The food was pretty good too!"
Harry (2018-19)
MSc Theory and History of International Relations
"The Cumberland Lodge weekend has been one of the highlights of my time at LSE so far. The Lodge itself was like a palace, and, with its rich past and royal connections, was the perfect place to learn about the histories of freedom and subjugation. I really enjoyed the diversity of topics that were covered, from gulags in Siberia and human rights in Iran, to Communism in Poland and the four freedoms of post-World War II America. These all opened my eyes to completely different parts of history that I’d never considered before, and it was great to be introduced to some of the current research that members of staff are doing. The best part of the weekend, however, was getting to know other historians, whether that was through exploring the beautiful grounds and park together or just chilling in the bar of an evening. There was a real community atmosphere the entire weekend, and I’ve gained so many friends because of it. The weekend was such a brilliant experience – I learned a lot, met some great people, and loved it so much that I would thoroughly recommend everyone to take advantage of it."
Scott Gibson (2015-2016)
MSc Empires, Colonialism and Globalisation