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PODCAST

The English Heritage Podcast

English Heritage

Every object has a story to tell. But how can one mystery item lead us on a journey through history, people and places? In the English Heritage podcast, comedian and writer Amy Matthews brings you entertaining tales from unexpected places. Each week, we begin with a mystery item and with the help of English Heritage experts and special guests, Amy explores what our past can tell us about our present and perhaps our future. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts.

history

All Episodes

52:54

From the archive: Alice Thornton: a woman’s...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/03/20

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. Discover the story of a 17th century woman who left an amazing literary legacy. Alice Thornton wrote four books, including three autobiographies, which provide a remarkable insight into life during the English Civil Wars. To discover more about Middleham Castle or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/middlehamcastle Learn

en

36:45

Speaking with shadows: The medieval massacre of the...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/03/13

We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it. Clifford's Tower in York was the site of a tragedy in 1190 where the entire Jewish population of the city was persecuted to their deaths. We ask how and why such a shocking event could take place and hear how the

en

75:57

From the archive: The extraordinary life and times of...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/03/06

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. One of 12th century Europe’s richest and most powerful women, Eleanor became Queen of France as the wife of King Louis VII and then Queen of England as the wife of Henry II. Discover the story of her remarkable rise to power, her imprisonment following a plot to remove her second husband as king and her return to power as queen

en

33:21

Speaking with shadows: Gwen Lalley - a 1930s pioneer

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/02/27

We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it. In this episode, Josie discovers the story of Gwen Lally, a former actress who directed thousands of performers in Battle’s 1932 pageant. We hear about Lally’s pioneering role as the first female pageant master and

en

54:45

From the archive: Exploring LGBTQ+ history in the...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/02/20

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. Join senior interpretation manager Nick Collinson, properties historian Andrew Roberts and young producer Katie Burke to discuss the LGBTQ+ history connected to a selection of the objects in the Wernher Collection at Ranger’s House. To discover more about Ranger’s House or to plan a visit, go to

en

30:15

Speaking with shadows: the people of Hadrian's Wall

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/02/13

We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it. In this episode, Josie travels to Birdoswald Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall to learn about the complex and diverse communities that travelled there from across the Roman Empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

en

24:44

From the archive: The story behind reggae legend Bob...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/02/06

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. This week, we interview historian Howard Spencer to reveal the story behind the new blue plaque at the Chelsea house where reggae singing sensation Bob Marley lived in 1977 after fleeing from Jamaica. To find out more about our blue plaque scheme, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/ Learn more about your ad choices

en

40:55

Speaking with shadows: Richmond Castle’s...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/01/30

We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it. Beside Richmond Castle’s imposing Norman keep lies an unassuming military cell block with an extraordinary secret. Its fragile walls are inscribed with thousands of graffiti, many of them left by conscientious objectors

en

35:12

Speaking with shadows: The Caribbean Prisoners of...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/01/23

We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it. In this episode, we visit Portchester Castle to hear about the black prisoners of war who were captured during the Napoleonic wars and brought all the way from the Caribbean to be imprisoned at the castle. Learn more

en

87:48

From the archive: Ask the experts: Everything you...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/01/16

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. In this episode, we put your questions on England’s monasteries to senior properties historian Dr Michael Carter and Janet Burton, Professor of Medieval History at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Discover what life was like for the monks and nuns who lived worked and worshipped at them, how they amassed such wealth, what

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67:36

From the archive: Ask the experts: everything you...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/01/09

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. Did you know that English Heritage cares for more castles than anyone else? Join us as we discover the definition of a castle, why the Normans couldn’t stop building them and how they have changed over time. If you’ve ever wondered what a Motte and Bailey castle is or which was the most besieged English Heritage castle, this is the

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64:58

From the archive: Ask the experts: Everything you...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2025/01/02

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. This week, we join archaeologist Dr Susan Greaney and Stonehenge curator Dr Heather Sebire to answer your questions about the Neolithic period. Discover what Neolithic people ate, how they navigated their way across the British Isles and if Neolithic people ever got married. Plus, learn the secrets of our most famous Neolithic monument,

en

34:19

From the archive: Celebrating England’s...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2024/12/26

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. With Christmas now (just) behind us, we’re joined by former English Heritage trustee and Professor of History at the University of Bristol, Ronald Hutton, to look at the origins of some of England’s other winter traditions. Discover the origins of Plough Monday, Wassailing, Mummers’ plays, Valentine’s Day, Shrove Tuesday and Kissing

en

52:51

From the archive: Exploring Victorian Christmas...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2024/12/19

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. This week, we join properties historians’ team leader Dr Andrew Hann, and director of the Dickens Museum in London Dr Cindy Sughrue, to take a very festive look back at the Christmas traditions that started in the Victorian period. We also examine the role that Charles Dickens played in shaping Christmas as we know it – and how the man

en

51:23

Bonus episode: Victorian Christmas Tales and...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2024/12/17

Join us for a bonus episode created in partnership with The Gilded Gentleman podcast. English Heritage senior properties historian Dr Michael Carter and host Carl discuss Christmases past at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire. Starting with some special stories from the First World War, they then delve back into history to discover the origins of some of our most celebrated traditions, from plum pudding to Twelfth Night. Wrest Park boasts some of the finest gardens in England, with dazzling parterres,

en

42:00

From the archive: Celebrating the Roman midwinter...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2024/12/12

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re bringing you some of our favourite episodes from the archive. This week, as Christmas festivities get into full swing, we’re delving into the history of the Roman midwinter festival of Saturnalia. Guiding us through the details of what it was, how it was observed, and its role in influencing today’s traditions is curator for Hadrian’s Wall and the North East, Dr Frances McIntosh. Learn more about your ad

en

42:27

From the archive: Christmas entertaining at English...

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2024/12/05

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. This week, we unwrap the history of Christmas party season at four of our English Heritage sites, with properties historians team leader, Dr Andrew Hann. Discover how their rich and powerful former residents celebrated, what was on the menu at festive feasts, and how the guests were entertained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

en

36:41

From the archive: Who were the Romans of Britannia?

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2024/11/28

Over the next few weeks, we’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. This week, revisit the Romans of ‘Britannia’ with English Heritage properties historian, Andrew Roberts and curator, Cameron Moffett. Discover who the Romans living and working in Britain at that time were, where they had come from and how their way of life fitted in with existing British culture. To learn more

en

58:24

Episode 294 - The 1266 siege of Kenilworth Castle

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2024/11/21

In the summer of 2024, eight catapult shot were discovered at Kenilworth Castle during a project to improve paths in and around the castle. Ranging in weight between 1kg and 105kg, the stone balls are believed to have been fired during the momentous 172-day-long siege of the castle in 1266. We’re joined by properties historian Dr William Wyeth to discover the story of the siege, the people who took part and its legacy today. To discover more about the history of Kenilworth Castle and

en

56:09

Episode 293 - A delicious history of the English pie

The English Heritage Podcast ·

2024/11/14

This week, we’ve got a mouthwatering treat for you as we’re joined by food historian Sam Bilton to dig into the story and evolution of this much-loved winter warmer. Discover what constitutes a pie, the earliest record of one, the ingredients pie makers through the ages experimented with and whether the humble pie still has a place in our 21st century, health-conscious world. To discover more about the history of the English pie, go to

en

394 results

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