Professionals in Residence with Dr Chris Ferguson FSA

 

Venue: Lecture Theatre

Date: Thursday 30 April 2026

Time: 5:15pm - 6:30pm (followed by a drinks reception)

Booking: Booking required via form.

chris ferguson

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to attend "From Anglo-Saxon Kings and Queens, to Whisky Dreams" a lecture by alumnus Dr Chris Ferguson FSA (2005, MSt European Archaeology and DPhil Archaeology), the founding Museum Director of Ad Gefrin Anglo Saxon Museum & Distillery. In conversation with Elizabeth Gilkey, St Cross Archaeology DPhil student & SRC Food & Drink Representative, Chris will share how he played a key role in creating one of the UK’s most ambitious cultural ventures, combining an immersive Anglo-Saxon museum with a working whisky distillery into a sustainable rural destination in Northumberland.

The journey from a DPhil in Anglo-Saxon Archaeology to creating an English Single Malt whisky may not seem obvious at first glance. Yet the skills developed in doctoral research - adaptability, curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to dive head-first into college life - can shape a career in unexpected ways.

In this session, he will explore how embracing flexibility and entrepreneurial thinking can open doors far beyond the boundaries of your academic discipline. From seizing opportunities in challenging circumstances to recognising the value of unconventional paths, the talk reflects on how archaeological training became the foundation for building a modern craft whisky brand alongside a museum of Anglo-Saxon Northumbria and its royal summer palace - a story of saying “yes” more often, learning in public, and discovering that the past and present can be blended as creatively as any spirit.

The Professionals in Residence Programme is generously made possible by our alumnus, and prominent U.S. lawyer, Doug Wigdor (1993, MLitt Social Studies), with the scope to attract to St Cross, highly distinguished professionals from outside the world of academia.

The lecture is to be followed by a drinks reception.

If you require any further information regarding this event, please contact ​​James Brazier on alumni.events@stx.ox.ac.uk.

 

We look forward to seeing you!

 

 

Biography

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Dr Chris Ferguson FSA is a museum leader, curator, and cultural strategist whose work explores how heritage shapes place, identity, and public understanding of the past. As the founding Museum Director of Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum & Distillery, he has helped to develop one of the UK’s most ambitious examples of cultural entrepreneurship – combining an immersive Anglo-Saxon museum with a working whisky distillery to create a sustainable, regenerative cultural destination in rural Northumberland.

At Ad Gefrin, Chris has blended rigorous academic scholarship with bold new approaches to cultural funding. The integration of a premium spirits brand with a heritage offer represents an innovative hybrid model that uses commercial activity to underpin long-term cultural resilience. His leadership has been central to shaping both the interpretive vision and the wider strategic framework that positions Ad Gefrin as a pioneering model for the future of rural culture, place-based regeneration, and sustainable heritage.

Chris’s career builds on a D.Phil. from St Cross College on Early Medieval Northumbria, alongside senior roles at York Museums Trust, Auckland Castle Trust, and previously the Ashmolean Museum and Oxfordshire Museums Service. He has delivered multi-million-pound capital projects, led interdisciplinary teams, and developed strategic cultural programmes grounded in historical integrity and public value. He has led on partnership building, including major loans and collaborations with institutions such as the British Museum, the Museo del Prado, and the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid.

Deeply embedded in the cultural development of Northumberland, Chris sits on the Board of Visit Northumberland, chairs the Northumberland Strategic Culture Network, and is Trustee and Chair of the Bailiffgate Museum Northumberland Hall Project, where he leads an ambitious £6.5 million capital redevelopment to relocate this volunteer-led museum and transform its community and visitor offer. He is also an Honorary Fellow in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University.