Harmondsworth: One of England’s Medieval Great Barns
Step through the doors of Britain’s surviving medieval barns and you enter a space that once fed whole communities. This week, Amy Matthews...
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Society & Culture
The English Heritage Podcast
English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites, and brings the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year.
Episodes
20 of 389 episodes
From monastery to mansion: The colourful history of Audley End House
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,...
Coastline Special 6: Time and tides – conserving our coastal history
With their monasteries and castles, historic ports and seaside towns, our coastlines can feel timeless. But the truth is these landscapes, a...
A Voice for After-Ages: The radical life of Margaret Cavendish
Step into the "blazing mind" of Margaret Cavendish, the 17th-century Duchess of Newcastle who challenged the conventions of her age. In this...
Coastline Special 5: A Very British Summer: The Victorian Seaside Boom
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, messi...
More than a missionary: The social work of Kamal Chunchie
This week, join host Amy Matthews and Howard Spencer, English Heritage senior historian for blue plaques, Judith Garfield MBE, executive dir...
Coastline Special 4: Where the sacred meets the sea
What it is about our cliffs, beaches, islands and headlands that makes them so perfect for pilgrimage, prayer and retreat? In the fourth of...
From Mob Rules to the Modern Match: A History of Football
To celebrate the men's football World Cup this year, join host Amy Matthews as we dribble through the surprisingly long history of the beaut...
Coastline Special 3: Henry VIII’s Super Forts
When Henry VIII separated from the Catholic Church, he was left feeling vulnerable to invasion from France and Spain. His answer was to buil...
Laurence Olivier: The making of an icon
Sir Ian McKellen recently unveiled an English Heritage Blue Plaque at 22 Lupus Street in London’s Pimlico. That was the childhood home of th...
Coastline Special 2: Shorelines, ships and the secrets of trade
England’s coastline isn’t just a story about keeping invaders at bay. For centuries, our shorelines were bustling gateways, connecting commu...
Seeking Sanctuary: fleeing conflict in the Middle Ages
Throughout the ages, people have been forced to leave their homes due to conflict and instability and find refuge in another country - or a...
Coastline Special: Romans by the sea
Did you know that Roman emperors had a weakness for English oysters? The Romans arrived in Britain around 43AD and one of their first settle...
The Neolithic Hall: Reconstructing History at Stonehenge
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 Stone...
Berwick-on-Tweed: life on the border in the 16th century
Berwick-upon-Tweed is England's most northerly town. Today, it's known for its stunning architecture and beautiful views over the North Sea....
Reinterpreting Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo
Next week marks 86 years since Operation Dynamo: the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk during the Se...
Northumberland and the Border Reivers
From the 14th to the 17th century, survival in the turbulent borderlands between England and Scotland depended on family, loyalty and the st...
A history of natural history
As broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday, Amy Matthews explores how Britain learned to observe,...
Northumberland: the story of Norham Castle
On the banks of the River Tweed, where England meets Scotland, Norham Castle has stood watch over one of Britain’s most contested landscapes...
Windmills: restoring England’s working giants
Mills have towered over English landscapes since the medieval period. In this episode, Amy finds out how modern conservation and passionate...