Keith Lilley

Professor Keith Lilley is a leading historical geographer at Queen's University Belfast, affiliated with the School of Natural and Built Environment and the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. His work bridges historical geography, cartography, and urban archaeology, focusing on medieval landscapes and their digital remapping. He leads the interdisciplinary PAST research cluster and the Heritage Hub initiative.

Key research themes include:

• Interdisciplinary use of GIS and geospatial technologies to reconstruct medieval urban landscapes
• Colonial cartography and its legacy in projects like OS200
• Heritage studies, particularly dissonant heritage tied to Anglo-Norman impacts

His recent publications highlight trends in digital humanities, medieval urbanism, and commemorative cartographies. Scientific accolades include the Royal Geographical Society’s Cuthbert Peek Award (2018) and fellowships from the Royal Historical Society and the Leverhulme Trust. He has supervised PhD students like C. Porter and secured over £1.7m in grants, including AHRC funding for the Living Legacies 1914-18 project.