Could medieval meteorologists have forecast winds when Henry V’s ships sailed to invade France, did armies use a foretelling of storms to their advantage during the Wars of the Roses and was sunshine predicted on Richard III’s coronation? Anne’s research centres on the interactions between medieval magic and science. She hopes to disprove the critics and demonstrate that medieval science and medieval scientific weather forecasting really did exist.
Anne’s findings have shed light on a logical and radical scientific system being developed from c. 700 and flourishing until 1600. By using the sun’s rays, astronomers and meteorologists developed new technologies like the astrolabe for interpreting the world around them, measuring the movements of the planets and understanding their effects.
Embedding her research into teaching, Anne’s first-year students begin discussing medieval magic and science under her supervision, and her second-year module on medieval women sees lively debates on scientists and witches. Her third-year module focuses on the forms of magic practised between c.1100 and c.1500 and traces the gradual changes in attitudes towards magic and science.