Explore every episode of the podcast The English Heritage Podcast

Three years after he was crowned, William was struggling to keep the whole of his new kingdom under control. In the winter of 1069, he led his army north, determined to crush those that kept rising against him. The written sources describe how his forces destroyed swathes of Yorkshire, Northumberland, Durham and beyond — burning crops, killing livestock, and making it impossible for people to feed themselves. It’s become known as ‘the harrying of the north’.   Join Amy and guests English Heritage Curator of History, Dr Will Wyeth and medieval archaeologist, Dr Aleksandra McClain from the University of York.  To what extent can we take the written sources at face value? Was William’s campaign a calculated act of political terror, or does a closer study of our evidence reveal a different understanding?? Plus, what does it tell us about the beginning of Norman rule on these shores?  Watch this episode on our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/EnglishHeritage Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠    Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*      Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠       The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.       *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wondered how to trick an enemy army into fighting a battle that doesn’t even exist?    At 34 Rutland Gate in London’s Knightsbridge, an arresting inscription commemorates Brigadier Dudley Clarke as "Master of Military Deception". Bound by the Official Secrets Act, Clarke’s genius in inventing fake armies to save thousands of Allied lives went unrecognised in his lifetime. Today, his blue plaque ensures his achievements are finally remembered.    In this episode, Amy Matthews explores Clarke’s extraordinary legacy with English Heritage Senior Historian Howard Spencer and author Dr Whitney Bendeck, Professor at Florida State University and author of two books about British military deception and Clarke’s work. Together, they step into his world to discover the phantom armies, false battle plans, and how he helped inspire the British Commandos to save thousands of Allied lives during World War II.    Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠    Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*      Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠       The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.      *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the fifth episode of our special 1066 series, host Amy Matthews takes a deeper look at the Bayeux Tapestry - and in particular, at the women featured in it.  The Bayeux Tapestry is 70m long. It has 58 different scenes including 623 human figures. Only six of those figures are women and only three of those women are in the main panels. While the renowned struggle for the throne is very much in the foreground, there are strong female figures behind the scenes, manipulating events and wielding a different kind of power.  Join Amy and her guests – historian and author, Sharon Bennet Connelly and English Heritage Senior Collections Curator, Dr Kathryn Bedford - as they explore the queens who shared the lives of these battling kings, the matriarchs pulling the strings of family connection, what the Norman Conquest meant for ordinary women of the time, and why so little has been told about the female side of this story. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠    Find out more about Sharon’s book Silk and the Sword: Women of the Norman Conquest Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*      Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠       The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.       *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Chester Castle truly haunted, or is there a historical explanation behind its eerie encounters? Join host Amy Matthews as she uncovers nearly a thousand years of spooky stories and real history from behind its walls perched high above the River Dee.   In this special Halloween episode, Amy is joined by Chester Castle Site Manager Gary Ashby, who shares firsthand chilling encounters - from mysterious phantom figures captured on camera to spectral voices whispering in Norman French. Weighing in with historical scepticism is Will Wyeth, English Heritage Curator of History, who reveals the human stories behind the haunting lore, including medieval miracles, royal prisoners, and 17th-century witch trials.   Whether you’re a die-hard believer or a sceptic, discover how ghost stories help us connect with the past.   Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the fourth episode of our special 1066 series, host Amy Matthews takes a step back from the battlefield to look up at the skies. Did a cosmic sign destabilise an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, or was it medieval political spin? Dr Will Wyeth (English Heritage Curator of History) and Dr Jo Edge (historian and writer) join Amy to examine how celestial phenomena were deployed to reshape history. They explore interpretations attributed to the Bayeux Tapestry’s famous "long-haired star" - Halley’s Comet – and the ominous “ghost ships” that pre-empted William of Normandy’s invasion. Also, how numerology shaped medieval worldviews and why comets became linked to fratricide and the fall of monarchs. Find out more about Jo's work here https://joanneedge.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1911, when Cecila Payne was eleven, she was so musically gifted that none other than the great composer Gustav Holst encouraged her to take up music as a career.   But her sights were set – literally – much higher. Her passion for science would lead her to become one of the leading astronomers of her generation and she changed our understanding of the universe forever when she discovered what stars are actually made of. But in an age where female scientists were frequently marginalised and dismissed, she was initially made to repress her results and struggled against prejudice and discrimination her whole life. To tell her incredible story, Amy is joined by English Heritage Blue Plaques historian, Dr Susan Skedd; Centre for Astrophysics’ Thom Burns and Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, herself a pioneering astrophysicist whose groundbreaking discovery of pulsars in the late 60s also transformed our understanding of the universe. She was subjected to a similar lack of recognition when her name was missed off the Nobel Prize for Physics awarded to her supervisor. We discover how she is working tirelessly to increase diversity in science and to carry on the fight Cecilia began over a century ago.   If you’d like to nominate someone for an English Heritage Blue Plaque – especially a woman who has achieved in science – you can do so here: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/propose-a-plaque/ Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠    Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*      Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠       The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.       *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The day that changed English history forever has dawned. In this episode of English Heritage’s special 1066 series, host Amy Matthews looks at the Battle of Hastings as it happened, using established facts and some creative speculation. Joining her are Roy Porter, Senior Curator of Properties at English Heritage, and Professor Tom Licence, Professor of Medieval History and Literature at the University of East Anglia and author of Harold: Warrior King. Together, they unpack fresh research to separate myth from reality and explore the chaotic rumours and turning points that nearly tipped the scales in either direction as the day progressed. And with such different fighting styles and armies, was William's triumph was down to tactical genius or simple good luck? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following our look at the Bayeux Tapestry in Episode 1, host Amy Matthews explores the dramatic events leading up to the Battle of Hastings. Joining her are regular guest Roy Porter (Senior Curator of Properties at English Heritage) and Dr Rebecca Tyson (expert in 11th-century maritime history at the University of Bristol).    Together, they dive into the chaos following Edward the Confessor's death, Harold Godwinson’s rapid coronation, and Duke William of Normandy’s perilous Channel crossing. From Viking-style ship experiments to Harold’s bloody victory at Stamford Bridge, discover the practical challenges, stormy weather, and high-stakes drama on the very eve of the Battle itself.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Long Meg and her Daughters to the Devil’s Arrows to Hetty Pegler’s Tump, the British Isles is dotted with ancient places with curious names. But who came up with those titles and what inspired them?   This time, Amy is joined by English Heritage’s Curator of History, Al Oswald and Curator of Properties, Stonehenge and the West, Win Scutt, to uncover the myths and folklore that have been woven around these sites. Join them to discover, amongst other things, the inspiration for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, why dancing on the sabbath was a terrible idea if you’re a woman, why counting stones could be fatal and why the Devil wasn’t a very good shot.  Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*       Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠        The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.        *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the first episode of our brand-new, seven-part English Heritage Podcast video series exploring the historic events of 1066.    This episode unravels the years long journey to bring the iconic 70-metre Bayeux Tapestry back to English soil for a landmark exhibition at the British Museum. From negotiations and transport logistics to hidden embroidery secrets and missing end panels, discover how this 11th-century masterpiece survived and how it still captivates us today.    Join host Amy Matthews as she kicks off our journey with two expert guests: Jeremy Ashbee, Head Curator of Properties at English Heritage, and Professor Michael Lewis, Curator of the Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition at the British Museum.    Step back nearly 1,000 years and watch or listen now.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, host Amy Matthews is joined by Kevin Booth, English Heritage’s Head Curator of Collections, and Professor Caroline Wilkinson, Director of Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University. Together, they explore how forensic science created a lifelike facial depiction of "Conquest Man" found buried at St Peter’s Church in Barton-upon-Humber around 50 years ago and known archaeologically as skeleton SK1863.   What can three mysterious applewood wands and a grass pillow reveal about his burial? How do tooth isotopes and 3D digital facial mapping uncover the overseas roots and facial features of someone who lived at the time of the Norman Conquest?   Discover how cutting-edge technology can bridge the gap to an ordinary person from the past and breathe new life into history life one thousand years later.  Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*       Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠        The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.        *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The English Heritage Podcast goes live! Host Amy Matthews records in front of a live audience at Audley End House during the 2026 Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair.  Joined by English Heritage experts Andrew Hann, Michael Klemperer and Emily Parker, Amy explores how gardening evolved from a practical necessity into a passion for beauty, leisure and horticultural showmanship.  From the rigid geometry of Tudor gardens to Capability Brown’s sweeping natural landscapes, discover how changing tastes transformed the way we garden. Hear about the lives of the people who made these gardens possible - including the head gardeners who became the horticultural celebrities of their day.  Plus, a rare 18th-century apprentice gardener’s diary from Audley End offers a fascinating glimpse into what it was really like to learn the trade.  Follow this podcast wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠      Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*        Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠         The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.         *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore how a simple piece of Roman pottery - a red Samian bowl - can reveal the hidden lives of people living in Britain nearly 2,000 years ago.     Found at Corbridge Roman Town, this artifact features a unique bit of ancient graffiti translating to "Nico slave of Atticus".    Joining host Amy Matthews are English Heritage historian Dr. Andrew Roberts and Collections Manager, David Hanks. Together, they unpack what this discovery tells us about the social fabric of Roman Britain. We dive into the complex and often oppressive world of Roman slavery, where individuals like Nico might have possessed personal items, or even managed businesses, despite being legally considered property.     From the poignant reality of iron shackles to inspiring stories of freedom, we bring to light the human traces left behind by those whose voices are rarely heard in history books.    Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠      Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*        Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠         The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.         *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall is Britain's most complete Roman fort. From the remains of its buildings, we can get a good idea of what it looked like. But how did the bathhouse smell? Or, perhaps more importantly, what about the latrines? What did the food taste like? And what sounds would the Roman soldiers stationed there have heard?  Join Amy, English Heritage Curator of History, Andrew Roberts and sensory archaeologist Dr Giacomo Savani on site as they explore this remarkable fort.  Follow this podcast wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you love the show.   Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠    Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*      Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠       The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.       *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Step through the doors of Britain’s surviving medieval barns and you enter a space that once fed whole communities. This week, Amy Matthews meets Dr Lydia Miller and Dr Nick Holder to explore the surprising power of England’s great barns. This year marks 600 years since the construction of Harmondsworth Barn, an agricultural workhorse that sat at the heart of medieval life. Far from the quiet buildings we know today they were once places of noise, hard work and very high stakes. Hear about the legacy of the people that once used this place: from mysterious carved horses and protective symbols to the astonishing carpentry that raised these timber giants. With Heathrow now humming nearby and modern debate gathering pace, these humble barns have stories to tell us about community, survival and heritage in the modern day too. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show  Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.       *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Audley End House in Essex is still one of England’s finest mansions. To look at it today, you’d never know it started life as Walden Abbey, a Benedictine monastery dissolved by Henry VIII. The story of its journey from monastery to mansion involves intrigue, fraud, brazen ambition and a cast of colourful characters. Join Amy, art historian and curator, Dr Peter Moore, and volunteer researcher, Fiona Wilkinson, as they bring the tale to life – quite literally!   Follow this podcast wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠    Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*      Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠       The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.       *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With their monasteries and castles, historic ports and seaside towns, our coastlines can feel timeless. But the truth is these landscapes, and the communities within them, change all the time. Join Amy and English Heritage’s Senior Properties Curator, Roy Porter, and Assistant Curator of Collections for the South East, Grace Parsonage. Together, they explore how coastal sites have evolved over time, the unique challenges of caring for historic buildings on the shoreline, and what it takes to protect these treasured places for future generations. You can watch our coastal series as well as listen to it - either on Spotify or go to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EnglishHeritage Follow this podcast wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Step into the "blazing mind" of Margaret Cavendish, the 17th-century Duchess of Newcastle who challenged the conventions of her age. In this episode of the English Heritage Podcast, host Amy Matthews is joined by Senior Curator of History Megan Leland and PhD researcher Sophie White to explore the life of a true original. A pioneering science fiction writer, philosopher and trailblazer, Cavendish carved out her own place in a male-dominated world. From The Blazing World to becoming the first woman to attend a meeting of the Royal Society, she was always writing for "after-ages". Discover Bolsover Castle, her creative retreat and "pleasure palace", and learn how the Mind Lab project is bringing her ideas to life for a new generation. Plus, hear how participants Delilah and Henry have followed Cavendish's creative trail to build "Blazing Worlds" of their own. Margaret Cavendish's Mind Lab is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, English Heritage has been able to deliver this two-year project in partnership with Junction Arts, Writing East Midlands and the University of York. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.     *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A day out at the seaside is still a summertime staple for many British families. From fish and chips on the promenade to a classic 99, messing about in rock pools and trying your luck on the 2p machines, there's so much nostalgia and tradition wrapped up in a day out by the sea. But what started our love affair with the seaside holiday? As with so many things, the Victorians had a big part to play. Join Amy and guests English Heritage's Dr Andrew Hann and Dr Allan Brodie of Bournemouth University as they go back to where it all began. A trip to the coast was a trend that crossed class boundaries, attracting everyone from the royal household and landed gentry to factory workers and office clerks. Along the way, uncover the surprising reasons the Victorians flocked to the beaches and how their passion for sea air, bathing and leisure helped shape the great British holiday we still enjoy today. After all, everybody decided they liked to be beside the seaside. You can watch our coastal series as well as listen to it - either on Spotify or go to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EnglishHeritage Don’t forget to follow this podcast wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, join host Amy Matthews and Howard Spencer, English Heritage senior historian for blue plaques, Judith Garfield MBE, executive director of Eastside Community Heritage, and Sumita Mukherjee, historian at the University of Bristol, as they celebrate the unveiling of London’s 1,035th English Heritage blue plaque, dedicated to the remarkable Kamal Chunchie. After arriving from Sri Lanka, Chunchie joined the British Army and later undertook missionary and outreach work, with special responsibility for missionary work among Black and Asian sailors of the dockland area. He spent over 30 years supporting marginalised Black and Asian sailors and their families as they faced poverty and prejudice in the East End dockyards. Installed at his former workplace, the Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest in Poplar, the plaque formally honours Chunchie's legacy as a pioneering pastor and anti-racist community activist. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What it is about our cliffs, beaches, islands and headlands that makes them so perfect for pilgrimage, prayer and retreat? In the fourth of our special series on Britain’s coastline, join Amy and English Heritage curators Susan Harrison and Jeremy Ashbee for a spiritual seaside journey. From the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to St Catharine’s Chapel near Chesil Beach and plenty of places in between, they explore why the shoreline has been such an important part of our religious history. You can watch our coastal series as well as listen to it - either on Spotify or go to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EnglishHeritage Don’t forget to follow this podcast wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you love the show. Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout*. ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠      'If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider supporting our work to conserve and celebrate our places by making a donation. ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To celebrate the men's football World Cup this year, join host Amy Matthews as we dribble through the surprisingly long history of the beautiful game. Historian Will Wyeth and curator Peter Moore unpack a fascinating cabinet of curiosities, from a Victorian leather football discovered in a castle toilet to records of Mary, Queen of Scots watching an early match at Carlisle Castle. We also discover how Polish Special Forces kept morale high with a pitch at Audley End during World War II and explore the childhood homes of sporting legends Bobby Moore and Laurie Cunningham. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠ https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/ The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Henry VIII separated from the Catholic Church, he was left feeling vulnerable to invasion from France and Spain. His answer was to build England’s first national coastal defence network. Rising like medieval spaceships along the English coast, these ‘device forts’ were a series of rounded stone fortresses. But how did they operate? What made them so formidable? How did they change the nature of warfare with their cutting-edge cannon technology? Join Amy, alongside English Heritage’s Andrew Roberts and Kathryn Bedford, as they explore the story of Henry VIII's spectacular coastal fortifications and the threats they were built to face. You can watch our coastal series as well as listen to it - either on Spotify or go to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EnglishHeritage Don’t forget to follow this podcast wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Ian McKellen recently unveiled an English Heritage Blue Plaque at 22 Lupus Street in London’s Pimlico. That was the childhood home of the man many still regard as the greatest actor of the twentieth century: Sir Laurence Olivier. We were there to capture the moment, including a remarkable impromptu performance of Shakespeare’s Henry V’s speech before Agincourt, delivered from the steps of the house just before revealing the plaque! Join Amy and English Heritage historian Howard Spencer as they explore what made Olivier an extraordinary talent. Alongside Sir Ian, hear from the Guardian’s Michael Billington who witnessed many of Olivier’s legendary stage performances; Society of London Theatre President Kash Bennett; and Indhu Rubasingham, Director of the National Theatre, which was founded by Olivier. Together, they paint a vivid picture of a theatrical giant whose influence continues to shape theatre and acting today. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠    Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*      Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠       The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.       *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

England’s coastline isn’t just a story about keeping invaders at bay. For centuries, our shorelines were bustling gateways, connecting communities through trade, travel and the everyday goods arriving by sea. It’s a story that pre-dates fortification and invasion, revealing the heart of the close and enduring relationship between English communities and the sea. Plus, it might well be behind our love of cheese! Join Amy as she explores the hidden history of England’s maritime past with Craig Lambert, Professor of Maritime History at the University of Southampton, and Win Scutt from English Heritage. You can watch our coastal series as well as listen to it - either on Spotify or go to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EnglishHeritage Don’t forget to follow this podcast wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout the ages, people have been forced to leave their homes due to conflict and instability and find refuge in another country - or a different part of their own country.   In this episode of the English Heritage Podcast, host Amy Matthews sits down with English Heritage historian Dr Will Wyeth and Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge Prof Bart Lambert to look at that phenomenon across the Middle Ages, in particular during the Wars of Independence in Scotland and the Hundred Years' Wars in France and the Low Countries. Together they discuss how during this period, refugees came from all social levels, from nobility, clergy and the political elite to the poor, especially women.  This episode reveals the everyday realities of seeking safe haven in the medieval world and challenges the common assumption that medieval people rarely travelled far from home. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that Roman emperors had a weakness for English oysters? The Romans arrived in Britain around 43AD and one of their first settlements was at Richborough in Kent, where they found oysters so good they sent them back home. In the first of our special series on the English coastline, we go back to Roman times. It wasn’t just a military invasion, it was an influx of culture and people from across three continents. It shaped our country and our shores. Today English heritage experts Dr Andrew Roberts and Dr Kathryn Bedford reveal more about what the Romans actually did for us. Now you can watch our coastal series as well as listen to it - either on Spotify or go to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EnglishHeritage Don’t forget to follow this podcast wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the English Heritage Podcast brings the sights, sounds, and even the smells of 4,000 BC to life as host Amy Matthews visits Stonehenge for a remarkable experiment in archaeology: the building of a full‑scale Neolithic Hall. Join host Amy as she explores a groundbreaking experimental archaeology project: the construction of a full-scale Neolithic Hall and discover how English Heritage curator of properties Win Scutt, experimental archaeologist Luke Winter, and English Heritage volunteer Suzie are using authentically recreated stone tools and ancient techniques to bring prehistory to life. Amy explores the realities of 4,000 BC, the incredible timber engineering of our ancestors, and how this immersive space will serve as an educational gateway for thousands of schoolchildren – and adults. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Berwick-upon-Tweed is England's most northerly town. Today, it's known for its stunning architecture and beautiful views over the North Sea.   In the past, though, it was a contested spot. Berwick’s strategic position, near the England–Scotland border, meant that it had always been an important garrison town. The imposing and slightly foreboding structure of the barracks has been a significant landmark on the border for centuries. We take you back to the 16th century to discover what life was like in the shoes of those who walked those streets - starting with the leather they were made from! Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next week marks 86 years since Operation Dynamo: the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk during the Second World War. But beyond the history that we all know lies a far more complex human story. Beginning inside the wartime tunnels beneath Dover Castle, Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage historian Dr Kathryn Bedford alongside Yves Janssen and Gautier Jacqmaire from the Dunkirk 1940 Museum to explore the pressure, fear and exhaustion experienced on both sides of the Channel. From sleepless radio operators and WRENs in Dover to French soldiers waiting under bombardment on the beaches themselves, this episode reinterprets Dunkirk through personal stories, oral histories and different national perspectives. From Britain’s story of rescue and survival to France’s memory of loss and defeat, we look at how Dunkirk has been remembered differently across generations and national borders, as well as why reinterpretation matters and how revisiting familiar stories can deepen our understanding of the past. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠  Visit Dover Castle: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/     Musée Dunkerque 1940: http://www.dynamo-dunkerque.com/ Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the 14th to the 17th century, survival in the turbulent borderlands between England and Scotland depended on family, loyalty and the strength to defend what was yours. In this episode of the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews explores the violent world of the Border Reivers, the families who controlled this contested landscape for centuries, through fortified farmhouses and ruined peel towers. Historian and writer Alistair Moffat and English Heritage curator Andrew Roberts uncover how raiding, blackmail and shifting allegiances shaped everyday life along the Anglo-Scottish frontier, leaving traces that are felt through the landscape and culture of the Borders today. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday, Amy Matthews explores how Britain learned to observe, record and make sense of the living world and why those early questions about nature still matter today. Beginning at Down House, the family home of Charles Darwin, this episode explores how natural history was shaped not just by Darwin’s famous ideas, but by generations of collectors, classifiers and curious observers. From ancient thinking to early citizen science and the origins of modern-day questions, history-of-science expert Dr Edwin Rose from the University of Leeds and English Heritage’s Sabrina Villani explore how this became both a science and a national pastime. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the banks of the River Tweed, where England meets Scotland, Norham Castle has stood watch over one of Britain’s most contested landscapes for centuries. But beyond the sieges, treaties and shifting borders lies a more human story.   In this episode, Amy Matthews explores a world of fishermen casting nets below the castle walls and soldiers bracing for attack.   Historian Dr Will Wyeth and Norham local Jim Gibson explain how Norham has always been a working community as well as a strategic stronghold in the grand backdrop of Anglo-Scottish relations.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mills have towered over English landscapes since the medieval period. In this episode, Amy finds out how modern conservation and passionate people are working to keep windmills alive today.  Sibsey Trader Windmill is a magnificently restored mill, now reopened to the public in Lincolnshire. This Victorian tower mill has been rescued from the brink after decades of decline. Nick Holder and Joseph James explain how these beautiful buildings have shaped communities, powered industry, and transformed landscapes. Plus, they tell the story of how this mill and its mechanics have been painstakingly restored to their former glory.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A stone knight, an emerging frontier and a story of shifting identity: this time, Amy and her guests explore how the Anglo-Scottish border began to evolve in the centuries following the Norman Conquest, right through to a critical 1237 treaty.  English Heritage’s Will Wyeth and Professor Richard Oram from the University of Stirling explain how the people and landscape of Northumberland were critical in shaping this story of competing loyalties, powerful figures and soap-opera style characters, from knights and nobles to bishops and kings.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some blocked plumbing at Brodsworth Hall, a pre-ball dancefloor drama and the fiercely competitive annual May Queen crowning at the local school: these are just some of the stories that emerge from this country house’s ‘floral’ history!  This week, Amy is joined by Eleanor Matthews for a joyful celebration of flowers. They’ll listen to the memories of gardeners, housemaids and locals to find out how flowers have connected the house and gardens at Brodsworth to its local community through the decades.   What’s more, Brodsworth Hall is continuing this tradition with this year’s ‘Flowers’ season, which invites the public to enjoy this special history–and its present-day incarnation too.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It might feel like an everyday treat now, but a dip into the history of chocolate reveals a story of global trade, empire, aristocratic tastes and industrial revolution.   This week, Amy is joined by food historian Sam Bilton and English Heritage historian Dr Andrew Hann to trace chocolate’s journey from a bitter, spiced drink of status and ceremony to the sweet comfort and ritual we know today.   From a commemorative chocolate tin sent to troops in the Boer War through royal courts, chocolate houses and country house kitchens, this chat sweeps through history. We’ll explore what chocolate has meant to people over time: as a medicine, a mood lift and a status symbol.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creators of an Art Deco masterpiece at Eltham Palace in London, Seely and Paget were one of the most remarkable architectural partnerships of the 20th century.  In this episode, Amy explores the men behind the names, tracing how two well-connected young men who met at Cambridge went on to leave their mark on churches, colleges and country houses across the country and reshape Eltham Palace into one of Britain’s most striking Art Deco homes.   English Heritage’s Dr Andrew Hann and Seely and Paget expert Dr Peter Forsaith unpick the story of a partnership that defined the business and private lives of the pair and how architecture can balance modern living with respect for the past.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we picture the building of Britain’s great country houses, it’s easy to imagine architects, craftspeople and wealthy patrons...but they’re almost always men.   However, after a closer look at the records, a different story becomes clear. From brickfields and workshops to family building firms and busy construction sites, women have always been present during the construction of the buildings we know and enjoy today.  This time on The English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews is joined by Dr Megan Leyland and Professor Linda Clarke to uncover the hidden history of women in building, from the well-known business mind of Eleanor Coade to brick moulders, glaziers and more. They’ll discuss why it’s been so easy to miss these skilled workers and labourers in previous research and why that’s set to change as we look to a more equitable future for workers in the building industry.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiny enough to wear around your neck, yet big enough to hold secrets, memories and devotion: portrait miniatures give us an intimate insight into the private lives of the past.   In this episode, Amy Matthews is joined by curators Lydia Miller and Peter Moore to explore remarkable stories from this pre-photography phenomenon and delve into English Heritage’s special collections.   From beaver teeth used to prepare ivory painting surfaces to secret eye miniatures exchanged between lovers, these intricate artworks reveal a hidden world of affection, remembrance and personal identity. They could be worn as jewellery, tucked into cabinets or carried close to the heart, and today they give us a glimpse into personal stories we don’t see in grand public portraits.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does an oyster shell have to do with medieval books? This week, Amy explores one of her favourite moments in history: when medieval scribes started to create beautifully illuminated manuscripts.   She’s exploring the complex, multi-faceted and highly skilled work that helped create these works of literature and art. From a stinky parchment creation process to fine pigments and steady hands working by candlelight, making medieval books was far from a simple task, as English Heritage’s Dr Susan Harrison and Dr David Rundle from the University of Kent explain.   Find out about artistry, quiet devotion, cheeky doodling in the margins and how these objects moved from monastic workshops into wider medieval life.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do deer shelters, cosmic theories and serpentine garden paths have in common?  The brilliant (but often overlooked) mind of Thomas Wright of Durham. This week on The English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews explores the life and work of an Enlightenment polymath who rose from carpenter’s son to mathematician, stargazer and garden visionary.   Biographer Simon Webb and historian Dr Andrew Hann explain how this brilliant and influential mind blended poetry, physics, myth and maths to shape ideas about garden designs, buildings and even the structure of the Milky Way.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was Maiden Castle really the site of a brutal Roman massacre? Or have we been telling the wrong story for decades?   This vast Iron Age hillfort in Dorset is home to human remains that have shaped our understanding of conquest, conflict and resistance for nearly a century. In this episode, we return to the skeletons that made the site famous: young men, women and children bearing signs of violence, to find out what they can tell us about life and death in Iron Age Britain.  Amy Matthews is joined by experts to unpack the latest research and investigate how new interpretations raise questions about the narratives and stories we take for granted.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forget roses and chocolates this Valentine’s Day. Lovers from the past set the bar high, with romantic poetry, locks of human hair, beautifully crafted silver and even a new city dedicated to a lost love.  Join Amy Matthews and English Heritage historians and curators for a look at love tokens, secret messages and heartbreak memorials from our sites, to discover how people in the past flirted, mourned, adored and remembered. It turns out that whether it’s a sonnet, a statue or a sentimental keepsake, love has always been messy, meaningful and very human.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This isn’t a story of castles and conquest, but of carved pins, private churches, timber halls and even a king’s toilet.  In this episode, we’re exploring early medieval England to uncover how wealth, status and authority were expressed before the Norman Conquest. Far from a sharp break in history, new archaeological research reveals deep continuities in how England’s elites lived, ruled...and showed off!  Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage curator Dr Will Wyeth and medieval archaeologist Dr Duncan Wright to explore a society in transition, where rising gentry built impressive residences, decorated themselves with finely crafted objects, controlled landscapes and resources, and used architecture to project power long before stone castles dominated the skyline.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What could a postal worker, a murdered emperor, and a Roman grain measure possibly have in common?  In this episode of The English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews is joined by Dr Francis McIntosh to explore a remarkably well-preserved Roman modius, or grain measure. Discovered by pure chance in 1915 near Hadrian’s Wall, this object carries an extraordinary story.   An official measuring vessel, the modius opens a window into everyday life on the empire’s northern frontier. It tells of Roman bureaucracy and standardisation – and a possible case of fraud. On top of that, a scratched-out inscription also reveals political assassination and the chilling practice of damnatio memoriae.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Darwin’s pigeons to peregrines on Parliament, birds have always been more than background noise. They’ve shaped science, symbolism, status and the very landscapes we live in.   In this episode, Amy chats with three passionate bird enthusiasts: English Heritage’s Dr Louise Crawley, head gardener and bird obsessive Anthony O’Rourke, and zoologist and broadcaster Megan McCubbin. Together, they explore our long, tangled relationship with birds: from Victorian taxidermy and medieval falconry to folklore, fashion and the fight for biodiversity today.  Along the way, there are moon-flying woodcocks, pigeon-breeding experiments in a country kitchen, and a powerful reminder that heritage sites aren’t just windows into the past but vital refuges for wildlife right now.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From steamy jungles and boiling mud pools to a bathroom aboard a luxury yacht, this is a plant story like no other. Sir Stephen and Lady Virginia Courtauld weren’t just art deco tastemakers; they were globe-trotting orchid obsessives, chasing rare blooms across Southeast Asia in the 1930s and (legally!) bringing them home against the odds.  Joined by English Heritage’s Dr Andrew Hann and gardener-researcher Hannah Pearson, Amy Matthews follows the Courtaulds’ trail through diaries, photographs and maps, uncovering a tale of privilege, passion and peril. Along the way, orchids are dealt, gifted, bombed, evacuated and lovingly preserved through war, displacement and decades of change.   It’s a story of people and plants and how a collection of extraordinary flowers travelled the world and were conserved through conflict for the benefit of the world today  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From one brown leather dog collar unfolds a story of a family that loved their dogs for generations. And the Thellussons of Brodsworth Hall weren’t the only grand family whose history we can understand more deeply through accounts of their four-legged friends.   This time, Amy is joined by English Heritage historians Dr Megan Leyland and Eleanor Matthews to explore how dogs lived alongside people as companions, workers, status symbols and family members.   From lapdogs and greyhounds to working dogs, canine hierarchies and pet cemeteries in the garden, we trace centuries of affection, symbolism and sentiment. We hear how dogs were fed, memorialised and painted into portraits that allow us to understand the values of the past today.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two near-identical paintings. One great Dutch master. And a mystery that has spanned more than 350 years. In this episode of The English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews travels to Kenwood to explore “The Guitar Player”, Johannes Vermeer’s celebrated painting, and its striking counterpart from the Philadelphia Art Museum. Displayed side by side for the first time, these two works are inviting spirited debate from visitors, and cutting-edge research too.   English Heritage’s Wendy Monkhouse, Ella Letort and Alice Tate-Harte take Amy through questions of authorship, technique, condition, and provenance. From pigment analysis and imaging technologies to the marks of time visible on canvas, this episode reveals how art history and science work together to interrogate one of the most intriguing puzzles in Vermeer scholarship.   Look closely and decide for yourself: are these two paintings the work of the same hand or do their subtle differences tell another story?   You can find out more about this collaboration with the National Gallery (London), the National Gallery of Art (Washington) and the Philadelphia Art Museum in the notes below.   Episode Notes   The scientific research on the Philadelphia painting was undertaken by:   Dr. Kate Duffy (Senior Scientist)   Dr. Aleksandra Popowich (Conservation Scientist)   Mark Tucker (The Neubauer Family Director of Conservation), Philadelphia Art Museum   In collaboration with:   Dr. John Delaney (Senior Imaging Scientist)   Dr. Kate Dooley (Imaging Scientist), National Gallery of Art, Washington   The scientific research on the Kenwood painting was carried out by:   Dr. Helen Howard (Senior Scientist)   Dr. Marta Melchiorre Di Crescenzo (Senior Scientist), National Gallery, London   In collaboration with:   Dr. John Delaney (Senior Imaging Scientist)   Dr. Kate Dooley (Imaging Scientist), National Gallery of Art, Washington   Alice Tate-Harte (Paintings Conservator), English Heritage   Curatorial research was carried out by:   Dr. Jennifer Thompson (The Gloria and Jack Drosdick Curator of European Painting and Sculpture and Curator of the John G. Johnson Collection)   Dr. Wendy Monkhouse (Senior Curator, English Heritage)   Ella Letort (Curator, Kenwood House)   You can find out more about the scientific research in this online article: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenwood/history-stories-kenwood/guitar_player_vermeer/   Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.     Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠     Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*    Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠     The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices