The English Heritage Podcast

This week, we’re talking about King Henry V, who is famous for his victory over the French at the 1415 Battle of Agincourt, his military abilities during the Hundred Years’ War with France and the Shakespeare play named after him. Joining us to reveal more about this celebrated medieval king and the time he spent at Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire are head historic properties curator Dr Jeremy A...

This week, we’re heading behind the scenes at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens as the finishing touches are put on the major project to conserve and transform this historic country estate in Northumberland. Joining us to talk us through the project – which was partly funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund – and the history that has been brought to life as a result are national project manager...

When we think of our most famous prehistoric site, Stonehenge, we don’t automatically think of flowers. But in 1842, the site played host to a huge dahlia exhibition, attended by around 10,000 people. Joining us to reveal the story of this event and how it is being recreated over four days this autumn are English Heritage landscape advisor and historian Louise Crawley and archivist for the Nationa...

We’re joined in the studio by senior properties historian Paul Pattison and senior properties curator Roy Porter to answer all the questions we received about the English Civil Wars and Restoration from English Heritage Members and followers on our social media. Join us to discover the origins of the war, if the Roundheads always intended the country to become a republic and the role of Scotland,...

This week we’re joined by broadcaster and author Anita Anand and historian Susan Skedd to reveal the story of Indian princess, campaigner for women’s votes and goddaughter of Queen Victoria, Sophia Duleep Singh. Join us as we reveal how she came to be part of the British royal family, her role in the Suffragette movement and the story behind her blue plaque at her former London residence near Hamp...

This week we’re joined by English Heritage senior properties historian Dr Megan Leyland to look back at the remarkable life and achievements of this former duchess, philosopher, poet, playwright, science-fiction pioneer and socialite on the 400th anniversary of her birth. Discover how Margaret Cavendish became one of the most published women of the 17th century, how she came to live at Bolsover Ca...

Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Erroll Flynn and Sean Connery are just a few of the actors who have performed as Robin Hood on the big screen. But who was this legendary English outlaw, whose name continues to be recognised worldwide centuries later? Helping us to understand the story of Robin Hood and his connection to English Heritage sites you can visit today are our two guests: English Heritage...

This week, we’re joined by two English Heritage curators of collections and interiors, Louise Cooling and Peter Moore, to paint a picture of one of the greatest portrait artists of the 18th century, Sir Joshua Reynolds. Discover the story of his life and art, the Reynolds paintings you can find on display at Kenwood in London today and how we’re celebrating the 300th anniversary of his birth. To d...

As we head into the summer holidays, we’re turning back time to the early 20th century to explore the world with a very well-heeled couple. Stephen and Virginia Courtauld lived at Eltham Palace in southeast London, but when they weren’t in residence, which was often during the British winter, they could be found cruising the world in luxury on board ocean-going liners or their own private yacht. A...

This week, we’re joined by English Heritage properties curator Win Scutt at Arthur’s Stone in Herefordshire. We will be exploring the history of this 5,000-year-old neolithic tomb, where a team of archaeologists are about to embark on the latest round of excavations to uncover its secrets. Join us as we discuss why this fascinating site was built, who used it, what we’re hoping to discover and how...

When people think of the medieval peasant, they may conjure up images of the character Baldrick from the TV series Blackadder, who has arguably become the poster boy of peasantry. For most, the term ‘peasant’ suggests poverty, ignorance, missing teeth, threadbare rags and poor personal hygiene, but how close is this negative image to the truth? And what was daily life actually like for them? Joini...

Today, we’re out for a walk to celebrate an anniversary. The Ridgeway is sometimes referred to as England's oldest road — and this year also marks its 50th anniversary as a designated National Trail. But how far back into history does this track go? What can you find along its route? And what is its link to the summer solstice? Joining us to show us the way are anthropologist, TV presenter and aut...

How do you maintain a castle? And not just any castle – one that’s stood tall for over 850 years but has recently started to show its age. Well, that’s the question we’re putting to our English Heritage experts following a £1 million conservation project to rescue the unique keep of Orford Castle in Suffolk. This eye-catching stronghold has weathered many storms – both physical and metaphorical –...

This week, we’re joined by English Heritage’s head of learning and interpretation Dr Dominique Bouchard and interpretation coordinator Nick Collinson to shine a light on the lives of the LGBTQ+ people from the past who have a connection to our properties or are commemorated through London blue plaques. Join us to discover the stories of Lord Beauchamp, Anne Seymour Damer, Virginia Woolf and Radcly...

This week, we’re joined by English Heritage properties historian Andrew Roberts and curator Cameron Moffet to explore the story of Wroxeter Roman city in Shropshire. Though a small village today, Wroxeter was once the fourth largest town in Roman Britain, when it was known as Viriconium. It was almost the same size as Pompeii in Italy and its true size can best be judged by the scale of the surviv...

This week, we’re joined by English Heritage’s curator of collections and interiors Dr Peter Moore and Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences archivist Sandra Jane Freshney to reveal how Audley End House in Essex became home to a diverse collection of natural history specimens and curiosities dating back to the 19th century. Discover the story of amateur scientific collectors Richard and Jane Neville, h...

From a military base to a thriving port town and back again, Richborough Roman Fort in Kent is a hugely significant Roman site in Britain, often referred to as the ‘gateway to Britannia’. As work concludes on a major project to share its stories with visitors in new and innovative ways, we’re joined by senior properties historian Paul Pattison and curator of collections and interiors Kathryn Bedfo...

This week we’re taking a look at how people literally left their mark on history through graffiti. Although we tend to think of graffiti as relatively modern phenomenon, the impulse to scratch, scrawl and draw on walls and buildings is nothing new — and there are plenty of examples at English Heritage sites. Joining us to reveal more are English Heritage’s senior curator Kevin Booth and Emma Bryni...

As the nation celebrates King Charles III’s coronation, we’re joined by English Heritage’s head historic properties curator Jeremy Ashbee and senior properties historian Steven Brindle to look back at the long and colourful history of royal coronations. Discover who was the first English monarch to be formally crowned, how the ceremony, regalia and anthems have changed over time, and the previous...

This week we're focusing our attention on Warkworth Castle — once the favoured residence of the powerful Earls of Northumberland — to discover the fascinating history of this ruined medieval fortress and a project to share its stories in new and exciting ways with today's visitors. Joining us in the studio to explain more are English Heritage properties historian Dr Will Wyeth and senior interpret...

We’re joined in the studio by Senior Properties Historian Dr Amy Boyington to answer your questions about the Georgians. Famed for its fashions, grand houses and Industrial Revolution, this is a chapter of English history that many of us will be familiar with through Jane Austen novels, their TV and film adaptations, and, more recently, the Netflix series Bridgerton. Join us to discover the differ...

This week, we’re at a temporal and cultural crossroads in the early story of the British Isles. It’s the Iron Age – a time when the political landscape of the British Isles was complex and fragmented, with competing and collaborating groups ruling different regions. But their way of life was under threat from a powerful empire from the south: The Romans. We’re joined by English Heritage Properties...

This week we’re joined by Collections Curator Susan Harrison, Senior Properties Historian Dr Steven Brindle and Interpretation Manager Ruth Haycock to discuss a new project to bring the story of Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island in Northumberland to life. Learn about the monks who lived here, the cult of St Cuthbert, the famous Lindisfarne Gospels, the vicious Viking raid of AD 793 and the new dis...

Today, we’re shining a light on the clandestine machinations of high-ranking spy Jane Whorwood, who worked for King Charles I during the English Civil War. Her story is one of mystery, intrigue, coded letters, codenames, ambiguous and strained relations, high stakes, high drama and personal disappointment. Joining us to steer us through her life and legacy is our special guest contributor Nadine A...

This week, we reveal the colourful history of Launceston Castle. This site has served as the administrative headquarters for the Duchy of Cornwall, a courthouse, a prison, a pleasure garden and a Second World War hospital. The castle is also home to an intriguing collection of artefacts discovered during site excavations, including a near-complete whale vertebra measuring more than half-a-metre ac...