The Story of London

A bumper episode that focuses on the last, pathetic years of King Edward III; an increasingly isolated monarch, being controlled by cunning courtiers and his glamorous mistress causes a political miasma that leads to the most explosive parliament for decades. But alongside this, London boiled as three, and then four, new political factions began to dominate the body politic; London became a place...

After a short Christmas break, The Story of London returns with a deep dive into the life and early career of that most distinguished of London poets- Geoffrey Chaucer. This week we follow his life, and his career in service of the crown, leading to the moment he gained possession of one of the more desirable residences in London. Meanwhile around him, London was carrying on with all the frantic e...

The story continues with a three-part episode; we look at the behind the scenes economic reasons why London’s trades were becoming more organised and how this was driving massive new political factions being born upon it’s streets; we examine the third outbreak of the plague, once again killing thousands of the cities residents, and we witness the declining health and fortunes of that most imperio...

We return with a fast paced episode documenting five busy years in the city; in the aftermath of the second outbreak of the plague, London began to organise itself. And in doing so, ushered in a new era of rules and regulations. London in this era becomes a place filled with stories- of inept con-men; violent vendettas between fishmongers; rotten wine being dumped on the head of vintners; ever so...

On the surface, London was busy BEING London and doing all the things London liked to do in the 13th century; complaining about the state of their public toilets, attacking Italians, moving dung off the streets, and working out how to exploit big changes in the Kings foreign policy. But out of nowhere the Plague returned. The second outbreak, the ‘Secunda Mortalitas’, and as London tried to cope w...

Just after the Black Death, the character and nature of the rule of King Edward III changed… and suddenly the nation around London began to sow the seeds of a profound alteration of its very essence. This weeks episodes ranges far and away from our city, covering events in France, and in the royal court, but focuses on how after the plague Edward began to change the very fabric of the city. From a...

The Black Death has passed… and now the disaster begins. In the aftermath of the plague, London finds itself in a new political climate; without fuss and fanfare many of its ancient rights are removed, and we study a few years where new political fortunes were made. This week we follow a myriad of stories, but crucially how a secretive fraternity based in a local London parish church, was to becom...

The saga of the Black Death continues as The Story of London spends an episode detailing the epidemic in London continuing into 1349. As the weather warmed up and the massive death toll of the winter gave way to a fresh onslaught that Spring, we follow as London tried its best to cope with the chaos this caused, and the effects it had, upon rich and poor, old and young… and the plethora of orphans...

The Story of London reaches Book 5 of its epic saga… covering the era between the arrival of the Black Death to the rise of the Tudor Dynasty. And era of great change for the city and the country as the 100 Years Wars ended and the insanity of the War of the Roses erupted… welcome then to London’s Roses.

The year is 1348 and everything changes… welcome as we take a detailed look at what London was doing in the year of the arrival of the Black Death; and how it coped when the terrible disease took hold of the city, leaving hundreds dying every day. We close out book 4 of the story, with a guide to how London responded to the first advent of the disease that was to shape the City for centuries to co...

We rapidly race to the end of Book 4 of the story, with a chapter filled with London spending fortunes to rebuild parts of the walls, the king triggering a national political crisis, fake rugs, drunken spur makers, and canons being fire as gun crews learned how too use them… 6 years in the life of the city as it tried to stay on top of ongoing economic difficulties, mayors suddenly dying, and abov...

So after chapters focused on London, its time to cast our gaze outwards for an episode… as Edward III, the young, dynamic and energetic King of England, finds himself dragged into a war with Scotland, which in turn leads to a war with France… and how this, mixed with complicated French dynastic politics, to produce the conditions that led to the start of the 100 Years War. Covering how the country...

The story returns with a wild episode, focusing on London’s vibrant life in the era; from rich orphans, to skinners-turned-burglars; from bolshy shopkeepers, to successful tent makers, this episodes looks at the little people of London in a busy decade. We see the first ever mention of gunpowder weapons (six canons hidden in Guildhall), encounter drunken outbursts at official ceremonies, the king...

We have reached the reign of King Edward III, easily one of THE most important King’s in English history, and begin this episode with a guide to the influences upon the young teenager who had taken the throne, how London was trying to get back to ‘normal’ after the follies and passions of the rule of his father, and more than that? How a glorious celebration upon Cheapside almost turned into total...

The final part of the epic saga of the reign of Edward II and his impact on London comes to its bloody conclusion; when the Queen rebels against the King and launches an invasion of England, the result is a savage eruption of mass violence and death on London’s streets. But this month long anarchy cannot cannot stem the ongoing internal political conflicts in the city, and the final bevvy of Londo...

Rebellion stirred, the position of Mayor was restored and London hoped to get respite from the capricious king… but it was a ray of hope that was not to last. And in the years that followed, London was to see it come under the most sustained political attack in its history. Each and every one of its right, of its liberties were to be eroded as the city was to basically become the plaything for Edw...

In 1316 the City had managed to calm down a little under a pragmatic alliance of a radical mayor, and a leading conservative Alderman, who allied with the Lords Ordainer’s to keep a lid on things. But economic issues, trade opportunities, and a terrible famine destabilised this alliance and then? Then one of the greatest political operators in the cities history, the King’s new favourite Hugh Desp...

The city of London finds itself torn between two competing factions- the radical elements, hostile to foreigners, and supporters of the Lord Ordainers, who finally get a Mayor who supports them… and the conservative, monied merchants, who seek to prevent London breaking to far away from the King are reduced to silent opposition. But as the King’s favourite is murdered, the war in Scotland turns, a...

We celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Story of London with the first of two episodes dropping this week, as we return to the story of the birth of London’s livery companies. As London was dividing between its political factions, the nation as a whole became caught up in the issues related to the King’s favourite, Piers Gaveston; and this episode explores why he became one of the most contentious...

Edward I was dead… a new era was about to begin in the story of London. But to understand what was to come we need to go back in time a decade or so. Because under the surface, deep political divisions were brewing in London; the city was at odds with itself over how it should be ran. This episode we go back a few years to examine the events that had taken place over the last 5 episodes, but in a...

One of the most famous executions in London during the medieval period was that of William Wallace, the great hero of Scottish indepedence. And yet, there was more to his execution… why was he dragged all the way TO London to be killed? And why were the great and the good of the City so heavily involved in seeing him to his grisly fate? These questions, plus the building of medieval Southwark’s mo...

The Great Robbery of the Crown Jewels and the entire Royal Treasury of Westminster had been discovered and the culprits found… or had they? This episode we look at the FULL circumstances behind the robbery, follow the story of the vast cabal of criminals who pulled off this most daring raid and discover that London and many of its most important citizens (as well as many of its poorer ones), went...

A saga within a saga; in 1303 a daring band of robbers raided and plundered the royal treasury of King Edward I, making off with a fortune in gold, silver, precious items and jewels. What was worse was that the robbery seemed to have been an open secret known by dozens in and around London… but no one seemed to have bothered to tell then king for weeks. The story of the circumstances, the people a...

We take a break from the recent events by looking at London’s behind the scenes economic situation; and the rise of the importance of what was for a while one of cities most important places- the lost street of Soper’s Lane. Why did dozens of merchants move here and what has this to do with the sudden and dramatic changes in the fortunes of London’s merchants? And why did the rope-makers of London...

In the final years of the 13th Century, England was gripped in a crisis caused by a series of ongoing wars all around them; economically, socially, as well as militarily, the country was being pushed to its limits. And in this episode, which details a lot of what was going on around it, the City of London, and a former mayor of London, saw an opportunity to exploit this situation for their advanta...