Explore every episode of the podcast The History of England

Paul Greengrass' The Uprising covers the Peasant's Revolt in 1381 from start to bloody finish. Did you see it? What did you think? This is a few minutes from me about how I found it, and an invitation tio come along to post your views with other listeners on the History of England Podcast Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/314746805305339/

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Eating in England and indeed Britain is delightfully varied, with a diversity mix of heritages and styles from across the world. Neil Buttery, chef, food historian and host of the British Food History Podcast, joins me to answer some questions, and consider the origins of a few iconic English dishes

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The very same day that the Seven Bishops were acquitted, another seven men met at a secret meeting, and together composed as letter. The ex-admiral, Arthur Herbert, smuggled it to the Netherlands, to present it to William of Orange. The Immortal Seven had sent William the invitation he needed.

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Full of confidence at his progress, in 1688 James decided he would suffer no more equivocation from the Church of England. The Indulgence was re-issued, this time with a command that it be read by every priest from every pulpit - thus aligning them with a policy they detested, making them royal servants. The atmosphere was hot with conflict - and everything was heightened by the news of a birth - of a royal prince and heir. The Three kingdoms would now permanently be held by a Catholic. At Whitehall, Seven Bishops decided it was time to stand their ground.

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1686 had seen progress for James - but he was puzzled and frustrated by Anglican opposition from the English and Scottish parliaments. 1687 saw a continuation of the old strategy to raise the status of Catholics, and stifle independence of civil and military institutions. But it would also see a new strategy - to bypass parliament, and appeal to Dissenters as well as Catholics.

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From a happy start in 1685, James had begun to hit resistance in England to his campaign for Catholic emancipation. In 1686, he planned to accelerate the process. He expected rapid success in Ireland and Scotland, and confidently expected that education, propaganda, and the reality of supreme royal authority would subdue any resistance in England and Wales. 

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As the English parliament was preparing to sit, news came in of a protestant cataclysm in the making in October 1685, and soon after refugees started arriving with horror stories of persecution. The rumours were confirmed. Louis XIV had revoked the Edict of Nantes which protected 800,000 French Protestants, and made their religion illegal. Nor was this the only matter on the minds of MPs as they assembled, and heard their King address them on 9th November.

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At the parliament on April 1685, Scotland demonstrated how loyal subjects should treat their king - an example which was duly followed by their southern neighbours soon afterwards. Yet despite this enthusiastic reception, within weeks James faced two rebellions. In Western Scotland the Earl of Argyl raised the fiery cross to summon the clans, and in South West England the Duke of Monmouth was joined by thousands of rebels eager to fight for religious freedom. The outcome would be soaked in blood.

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The reign of James II and the Glorious Revolution was a central part of the national story built by Whig historians. But since the 20th century the picture has been heavily revised with new perspectives, such as the view from all three kingdoms, a more nuanced view of James and his intentions, criticisms of the idea of a bloodless revolution, how much the voice of the people mattered - and was it a Revolution at all? Or a conserative assertion of ancient right? This episode is about James and the historiography Glorious Revolution.

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The Dutch raid on the Medway effectively brought the Second Anglo Dutchto an end, and also the honeymoon period. From 1667 to 1681, Charles sought to play off factions in parliament, to keep his freedom of action, enhance royal power where he could and court the French - their friendship, and bribes. The public announcement of James' catholicism in 1677 became the driving factor in an increasingly unruly politics, of Whig and Tory. Until at the Oxford parliament in 1681, Charles chose one side - the Tory. He would never allow parliament to sit again.

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After dismissing parliament of Oxford in 1681, Charles pursued alliance with the Tories and emasculation of the Whigs and Dissenters at all political levels. He pursued a strategy with determination and consistency he had rarely shown at any other point.

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Eleanor and Martin of the Three Ravens podcast and I have one (probably last) walk round some objects that we think make us lie back and think of England.  

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In 1680 and 1681, Shaftesbury led an increasingly shrill and effective campaign, asppeling to popular opinion to force Charles into calling a new parliament. There he could be forced to learn about the power of the exlusionist movement which could be brought to bear. But Charles would learn a different lesson, and at Oxford in 1681, would start his own campaign.

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In 1678 a fantasist and charlatan, Titus Oates, made a series of wild and dramatic accusations of a Catholic plot to assasinate the king. A series of extraordinary co-incidences seemed to confirm his accusations, and the public mood became hysterical. The fevered atmosphere gave wings to a new political objective - to exclude James from the succession.

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In 1677, Danby finally seemed to have cracked Charles' problem with parliament - until a diplomatic game of will-he-won't-he in the Anglo Dutch war rose to the level of farce, and derailed everything. In the middle of it all - a 15 year old girl was pushed weeping into a highly significant marriage for which she had no wish

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Thomas Osborne, Earl of Danby had a plan as Charles' new 'Prime Minister', to repair the damage from the disastrous Third Anglo Dutch War. To rebuild his master's prestige on the pillars of financial stability, and Anglican alliance, and alliance with the Dutch.

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In 1672, Charles sought to put the Treaty of Dover into operation; to join Louis XIV in making war on the Dutch Republic. The plan was to replace de Witt's government with William of Orange as Stadholder, capture key Zealand ports for England, and secure further financial support from Louis. And thus have a free hand with parliament. All that was needed was victory at sea for the Anglo French fleet.

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Roifield and David talk about 5stories of England as part of the Very English Chat project, to tell stories of England in 50 objects.

‘A very English chat’ works is a wonderful project to escape division and polarisation, and the arid quarrels about flags - to build and celebrate a sense of Englishness, as part of a build up to England's national day, St George's Day on 23rd April. We are all invited to share our own 5 objects to be included in a virtual ‘pocket museum’ telling ‘The story of England 2026 in 50 objects. 

To take part in a conversation between parishioners of the History of England, add your comment below, or go to the History of England Facebook Group.

To share your 5 objects for submission to the Pocket Museum of Englishness, please go to the A Very English Chat site.

I'd love to hear from you - and have fun celebrating a shared, positive and inclusive vision of Englishness means to us.

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After a half an episode on the really important stuff - Nell Gwyn, Aphra Behn and Restoration theatre, we reach possibly the most remarkable treaty any British monarch has made, ever. The Treaty of Dover.  

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1667 had not been a great year for Charles, with the humiliation at the Medway, and his pro French strategy in ruins. So he needed a scapegoat, and he needed to re-assert the primacy of the Royal Prerogative.

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The period from 1670 to 1714 is a period of astounding and dramatic change; the Exclusion crisis, the Glorious Revolution, years of war, the formation of Geat Britain - and the birth of sulphurous party politics. George Owers has written a book on it - and he talks to me about the period 

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The settlements following the Restoration didn't turn out exactly as the Three Kingdoms or indeed Charles imagined, but nonetheless for the moment king and his parliaments were in a honeymoon period. Soon to be challenged by Plague, Fire and War.

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In the wake of the Great Fire, Charles worked with parliament to prepare for the 1667 campaigning season in the Second Anglo Dutch war. But there was a problem, and the problem was money. In the end a plan was hatched to ride out the year, while a treaty was negotiated. And it seemed to be working.

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'Where there's muck, there's brass', and that was certainly the case with rebuilding London from the mess of ash and rubble that remained. And developers like Nicholas Barbon knew how to make as much brass as possible, and as fast as possible. 

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Jeevun Sandher and I discuss some highlights from the story of how England and Britain made itself into a modern democracy, and some of the contribution it made towards the development of the modern world

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The war with The Netherlands in 1665 ended on a low, with the Thames blockaded. Poor London - trade was devastated by war, trade was devastated by plague. Hopefully 1666 would be better, as the royal court rumbled back into town. Money was short, but still a fleet was sent out into the Channel, as the good people of London started to rebuild their lives and their businesses. Nothing could be as bad as 1665.

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In May 1665, worrying reports of plague cases crop up inside the walls of London; by June the summer heat was oppressive and it became clear - the plague had returned. Charles and his court left to terrorise Oxford while Londoners died; in plague-stricken Eyam, the villagers cut themselves off to protect their neighbours

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It is possible that Charles and his Privy Council didn't necessarily want war - certainly Clarendon did not; but they were prepared to rattle the sabre and man the brink to try and force trade consessions which some unprovoked acts of agression.But they allowed themselves to be diplomatically isolated, and Johan de Witt was not scared - he had the world's most powerful navy, pots of money, and a French alliance. And so the Second Anglo Dutch war was joined. 

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Gavin Whitehead of the Art of Crime Podcast tells us the story of the art historian, soviet spy and traitor - Anthony Blunt

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In 1661 fresh elections brought together another Long Parliament. This, the Cavalier parliament, would sit, off and on, for 18 years. It was not inspired by a spirit of compromise. The programme they introduced tried very hard to squish the horrid innovations of the revolutionary period back into the bottle, and search for the uniformity and 'natural' order of things that seemed to have been lost.

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In 1660 the King returned and immediately sought to rebuild the damaged prestige of the Crown. And in popular memory, Charles II's reputation has been among the best - the Merrie Monarch, a polymath and breath of fresh air that brought back the joy. The episode covers the king's return, his character and historical reputation - and the Restoration settlement in Ireland and Scotland.

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In this first episode of Series 9, a a chance to talk about some of the themes which will drive our period of 1660 to 1715. The continuing role of religion in politics, the Rage of Parties, the varying fortunes and influences of the Three Kingdoms, the growing involvement of Britain in European conflict. But most of all a growing transformation of society, the age of improvement, the 'crucible of modernity' - the English Enlightenment.

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Throughout Europe, nations made sweeping social changes, driven the demands of war, the ideas of Absolutism and the growing belief in reason and improvement. This is the age of many of the great names of European history - Louis the Sun King, Peter the Great. It saw the ending of Spanish hegemony- and start of the French. And so - here it is, in this episode, a whistle stop tour of monarchs, mayhem, and madness.

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Late 17th century and the 18th century Europe was dominated by French culture, wealth, and military exploits. In the first of two epiosdes on the period between 1660 and 1715 (ish), we consider emerging themes in religion, colonialisation, trade - and the Age of Reason

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Part II of the Q&A where Will Clark of The French Revolution & Napoleon Podcast and I compare and contrast the French and English Revolutions and try to answer all your questions

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Will Clark of The French Revolution & Napoleon Podcast and I compare and contrast the French and English Revolutions and try to answer all your questions

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Welcome to our search for the Greatest Ruler of Wales. In these two Podcasts, Stephen aims to introduce some of the leaders who shaped Medieval Welsh History. Along the way, We’ll give a very succinct survey of the history of Roman and Medieval Wales.

In this episode, we cover the period from 1066 10 1415, and rulers Owain ap Gruffudd (Owain Gwynedd), Rhys ap Gruffydd, Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, The Great, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, The Last, and Owain Glyndŵr.

Enjoy the history – and visit the website to read biographies and take part in the voting! https://thehistoryofengland.co.uk/blog/2025/08/28/greatest-welsh-ruler

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Welcome to our search for the Greatest Ruler of Wales. In these two Podcasts, Stephen aims to introduce some of the leaders who shaped Medieval Welsh History. Along the way, We’ll give a very succinct survey of the history of Roman and Medieval Wales.

In this episode, we cover the period from 250 AD, to 1066, and rulers Macsn Wledig, Cunedda, Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Rhodri Mawr, Hywel Dda, ‘The Good’, and Gruffudd ap Llywelyn.

Enjoy the history – and visit the website to read biographies and take part in the voting! https://thehistoryofengland.co.uk/blog/2025/08/28/greatest-welsh-ruler

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Philip of the History of European Theatre podcasts talks about how theatre kept itself alive through the days of the Republic and burst into life once more at the Restoration  

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The course of the Protectorate was by no means smooth; but by 1658 the prospect of the return of the monarchy was remote indeed, stability had re-appeared, prosperity was returning. With a spirit of compromise and goodwill, it could surely survive Cromwell's death. Had enough been done to reconcile old factions, was there a desire for compromise for the greater good?

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What does the English Revolution mean for you? Did it change anything or, was John Dryden right when he wrote in 1670, 'Thy wars brought nothing about’? Although they clearly left business which would take until 1689 to finish, their impact was considerable - even if much of it was unintended or unforeseen. And why not get in touch with your favourote character from the period? Come and join us at the History of England Podcast Facebook group

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One of two self indulgent episodes to usher out the first phase of the English revolution, this episode is about the fates of some of those people in whose companies we have lived for some time, and what happened to them after the Restoration. This includes, of course, the Regicides, and we'll see some of those strung up while we are at it.

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The Army had mounted another coup, and its Committee of Safety now sought to carve out yet another form of the Republic in the face of the Rump's defiance - and the deep weariness of most of the ordinary people of England and Wales. But all eyes turned to General George Monk. Would his army march for Rump, or Committee of Safety - or some other future? In February 1660 Monk entered London, and before long, people would know.

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The transfer of power between the first Protector and the second was smooth and uneventful; in December 1658 it appeared that England was, and would remain, a republic. But when parliament reconvened, it quickly became clear that the fissures running through the political nation remained unhealed.

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Miranda Malins is an historian, author, novelist and a member of the Cromwell Association. She takes a look back at Cromwell, his life, times, achievements and failures, and the myths and opinions which have grown up around him.

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In 1658, the year started with hopeful clarity. There was a new constitution om a firmer footing, and a new parliament was about to sit. There was little sign any more of royalist rebellion, the Commonwealth name was feared and respected abroad and surely now the Protectorate could build from these foundations. But parliament displayed continuing division, and the Commonwealth was to lose the person around who it had been built

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Thomas Hobbes has been described as 'one of the true founders of modernity in Western culture'. His most famous work Leviathan was inspired by the issues raised by the Revolution, published in 1651 as he came home - and used to support the Protectorate. Meanwhile in Oxford, Wilkins, Boyle, Hooke, Petty, Ward and others were rewriting the rules of Natural Philosophy

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In London, and towns like Oxford, the Protectorate saw the return of stability, economic change and a revived social scene - and the arrival of the Coffee house, and the penny university. Stability and old rythmns re-established themslves around the country, and royalists reacted in different ways. Some like the L'Estrange family in North Norfolk preserved the old ways and accepted the new, though rattled by the Decimation tax. Others found artistic responses - like Katherine Philips, Izaak Walton, and Margaret Cavendish

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Cromwell's court struck a balance between the status required of a head of state, and the Cromwell's own openbness and informality. It was a court full of music, as was the supposedly joyless puritan state. There was little of the London theatre, though popular performance at fairs went on as before - but Britain saw its first Opera and John Playford's Dancing Master was all the rage. And in 1657, the first openly Jewish place of worship opened in Creechurch Lane

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After a year of the rule of the major generals, there was no money to support their militia. Now, the obvious solution was to repeat and continue the decimation tax; but the Council of State felt that parliament must be consulted. The opponents of the miliary regime gathered their strength - this was their opportunity to mount a coup of their own.

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