For more than 150 years kings, queens and cardinals have been among the few people permitted to tread on one of Britain’s greatest treasures: a medieval mosaic foretelling the end of the world.

Made with rare marbles, glass and gemstones, the Cosmati Pavement in Westminster Abbey is the exact spot on which British monarchs have been crowned for centuries.

Days after the coronation of the King, the 700-year-old artwork will be opened to the public for the first time — on condition that they remove their shoes.

Professor Jennifer Alexander, an art historian at Warwick University, said the pavement tours would “certainly be a rare opportunity for the public to walk in the footsteps of medieval kings”.

She said it was “entirely fitting that they should be barefoot, as medieval pilgrims to St Edward’s shrine would have been”.

What do a golden retriever called Bowie, women’s rights in history, and a start-up supporting later living have in common? They all set arts alumna and marketing expert Harriet Stanger’s (BA History, 2016) heart on fire.

Ruth Ntumba (BA History, 2021) has spent her first 18 months since graduating helping drive engagement and culture at one of the world’s leading media corporations, Warner Brothers Discovery. Ruth shares why you should go at your own pace and trust your gut instinct when searching for your next role.

A veteran of the City of London, Chris Wheeler (MA Modern History, 2021) spent more than 40 years in banking, working, and travelling across the globe. But he swapped investment banking for US antebellum history and Irish diaspora and fulfilled his childhood dream when he began furthering his education journey, first studying History at the University of Oxford before completing an MA in Modern History at Warwick. Chris embarked on his PhD at the University of Edinburgh in September 2022.

The Department of History hosted some very different visitors in the Faculty of Arts Building. Students and staff were delighted to see three alpacas visiting the building. They took the lift to the 3rd floor departmental space for a meet and greet with the staff and student community.

Tiny Traces: African and Asian Children at London’s Foundling Hospital, which runs until 19 February 2023 at the museum in Bloomsbury, London, explores the stories of these children. It presents a history of London life across this period. Hannah Dennett, a postgraduate researcher in the University of Warwick's Department of History, has carried out the research behind the exhibition.

Professor James Poskett from the Department of History at the University of Warwick has had his book Horizons: A Global History of Science voted one of the best books of the year by BBC History Magazine.

In Horizons: A Global History of Science, James Poskett challenges the traditional Eurocentric narrative in a radical retelling of the history of science and celebrates scientists from Africa, America, Asia and the Pacific and the parts they played in this story.

As a five-time Paralympic medallist, Kare Adenegan’s (BA History, 2022) sporting endeavours have played a big part in her university experience. No stranger to making history, Kare graduated with a first-class honours degree a week after claiming silver in the T33/34 100m at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Here Kare reflects on her studies and how we can all learn a lot from history.

Professor Mark Knights is a Director of Postgraduate Research Studies in our History Department. Here, he asks if we can draw comparisons between Britain’s new monarch, King Charles III, and Charles II, who reigned more than 300 years before him.

Promoting a protest at Warwick propelled Dr Andrew Whitehead (MA Social History, 1989; PhD History, 2013) towards a career in journalism. Having joined as a trainee at the BBC for just three months, Andrew went on to spend 35 years with BBC News. In his last role as Editor of BBC World Service News, Andrew was responsible for programming on the BBC's most widely listened to radio network, with a global weekly reach of about 100 million listeners.

Andrew returned to campus earlier this year, where he spoke at a Careers event for History students, and was interviewed by final year History student Enoch Mukungu (pictured left).