When the Far Right looks back…University historian awarded prestigious research grant to investigate Far-Right use of medieval history

One medieval historian at the University of Northampton has been awarded a prestigious joint research grant from the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust to investigate how far-right groups in Britain have historically misused medieval imagery and narratives to promote extremist ideologies.

Associate Professor in History Dr Rachel Moss hit ‘start’ on her latest research project earlier this year, exploring how the extreme right in Britain has engaged with the Middle Ages between 1962 and 1982.

Her research draws on the University’s unique Searchlight Archive, one of the only archives of its kind in the world documenting anti-fascist efforts and far-right activity.

“This period is particularly interesting,” explains Dr Moss. “It comes just before the British National Party reformed in its modern guise and marks a key moment of transformation within the post-war British far right.”

Dr Moss, who specialises in medieval and gender history, explained that the research is part of a wider examination of medievalism, notably the use and reinterpretation of the Middle Ages by later cultures. While medievalism often appears in literature and popular media, she further explains: “Medievalism Is often used in more sinister ways by extremist groups looking to project a nostalgic, racially pure and hyper-masculine vision of the past.”

“Far-right rhetoric has long idealised the Middle Ages as a “golden age” of strict gender roles and white supremacy. They imagine a world where men were men, women were women, and where non-white people only feature as enemies in crusades.”

This grant-funded research builds on Dr Moss’s earlier work examining far-right discourse on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter). With the assistance of Dr Siobhan Hyland, a recent PhD graduate and expert in the extreme right, the team is currently sifting through decades of archival material to trace the origins and evolution of this troubling strain of political nostalgia.

The project will culminate in two major events:

• A large academic conference in Summer 2026, focusing on nostalgia and political extremism, which will contribute to a forthcoming edited volume with Arc Humanities Press.
• A practitioner-focused workshop in Autumn 2026, bringing together academics, archivists, and policy-makers to discuss the real-world impact of far-right historical narratives and explore potential policy responses.

Dr Moss is also serving as series editor for a new academic book series on political nostalgia and is in early stages of developing a larger book project examining post-war far-right medievalism up to the present day.

Through this timely research project, Dr Moss hopes not only to contribute to academic understanding, but also support broader efforts to counter extremism through education, public engagement and policy insight: “It’s about understanding how dangerous ideas take root in popular history – and finding ways to push back with evidence and critical thinking.”

This research project from Dr Rachel Moss falls within the University of Northampton’s Extreme Right Research Network, an interdisciplinary community of academics, professionals and practitioners who are concerned with the study of right-wing extremism, past and present.