The English Heritage Podcast

One of the first black students at the Royal College of Music in 1890, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor would go on to compose some of the most-loved music of his time and ‘break’ America. Despite this global success, Coleridge-Taylor made his home in Croydon, where a blue plaque now marks his former home at Dagnall Park, Selhurst.    But who was this musical genius?   English Heritage’s Howard Spencer, broadcaster Petroc Trelawney and equity and musicology scholar Joquan Johnson join Amy to share his story. They reveal political, patriotic and powerful themes in Coleridge-Taylor’s music, from collaborations with civil rights campaigners to innovative uses of heritage melodies and rhythms, and how his work is finding new audiences and meanings today.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/    Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the summer of 1575, Robert Dudley hosted 19 spectacular days of entertainment for Elizabeth I, including lavish new apartments for the queen, a beautifully manicured private garden, plays, hunting and pageantry.    It was all in an ostentatious bid to win Elizabeth’s hand in marriage, but as she rode off at the end of her visit, Dudley was left empty-handed.    In this episode, Amy Matthews chats with Head Curator of Properties Jeremy Ashbee and Dr Elizabeth Goldring about this royal ‘will-they, won’t they’ and the complex reasons that meant Elizabeth I never chose to share her power with a husband.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/    Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We begin this episode with a fabulous and weighty pair of brooches. But which 1930s millionaire was sporting these tutti-frutti Cartier gems? And where might you have seen those designs before?   Steven and Virginia Courtauld were a well-balanced couple: one eccentric and daring, the other bookish and reserved. They used their millions to travel the world and host lavish parties, but their art-deco home at Eltham Palace was one of their most glorious achievements. No expense was spared but architects Seely and Paget still divided some opinions in their time.   Today on the English Heritage podcast Amy Matthews chats with curator Sabrina Villani and Andrew Hann to discover the story of these brooches and how the Courtaulds blended the latest living and cutting-edge design with a treasured historic building.    Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  More about the Eltham Palace Cartier Brooches: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/eltham-cartier-brooches Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/    Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes, historical research can offer unexpected questions and avenues of exploration. That’s what happened when English Heritage’s Will Wyeth was digging through a medieval manuscript.   References to a medieval woman spy dressed in men’s clothing were too tantalising to ignore, so he and Michael James got together to ask questions about the mysterious Margoth.    They join Amy Matthews on the English Heritage Podcast this week to reveal not only how Margoth’s espionage changed the course of a war, but also how references to cross-dressing can help us ask questions about identity in the past.   Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/    Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the summer solstice approaches, thousands flock to monuments like Stonehenge seeking spiritual connection and a spectacular sunset and sunrise.   But why are people still drawn to stone circles after thousands of years?   This time on the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage’s Dr Jennifer Wexler to explore how these monuments were built and why people have continued to visit them. Artist Sally Barton shares how communities continue to interact with these spaces and make them relevant today.   Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/    Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

J M W Turner is considered one of England’s great artists, but why?   This time on the English Heritage podcast, we dive into some of the 35 paintings Turner made of English Heritage sites to explore how he responded to a period of enormous emotional and political upheaval.   Working against a backdrop of war, industrial expansion, tourism, abolition, patriotism and shifting national identity, Turner’s varied and innovative styles helped shape contemporary reactions to architecture, landscapes and ruins.   The Museum of London’s Thomas Ardill and English Heritage’s Jeremy Ashbee join writer and comedian Amy Matthews to discuss the man and his works and ask what the concept of ‘heritage’ means today.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/  Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Churches and buildings around England are home to beautiful stained glass enjoyed by communities and visitors every day. But less well known are the fascinating stories and histories behind these national treasures.  This week on the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews is joined by Michael Carter and Susan Harrison to piece together what collections both in situ and in store can tell us about Christianity, the dissolution of monasteries, and the journey of stained glass into churches and buildings that stand today. Glass held both symbolic and intrinsic value to many people, from skilled glaziers to parish priests and opportunistic individuals. After monasteries were dissolved, their glazing lived some surprising second lives.  Plus, Susan explains how we are painstakingly piecing together the fragments of glass that were overlooked by our ancestors.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/  Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The summer of 1381 saw one of the biggest popular uprisings in Medieval Europe. Now, an innovative online resource is revealing how the Peasants’ Revolt impacted the lives of women, children and whole communities.  This week, Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage’s Dr Will Wyeth to unlock the complex social and political issues of the revolt and how we feel these forces today.  The University of Glasgow’s Dr Andrew Prescott and The University of Reading’s Dr Helen Killick share snapshots of lives from the People of 1381 database and explore how stories are pieced together from documents and records of this period to add depth to popular chronicles.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/   Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/   People of 1381 database: https://www.1381.online/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the English Heritage podcast, Amy Matthews dips into the rivers of Northern England for an insight into Roman beliefs and the celebrity culture of gladiators.  English Heritage’s Dr Frances Mcintosh and Dr Philippa Walton from the University of Leicester discuss gladiator memorabilia and the celebrity status of these icons in Roman Britain, with the aid of some amazing objects. The offerings made by Romans to the rivers at Piercebridge Roman Bridge and Corbridge Roman Town give us a snapshot into everyday lives, diverse beliefs and rituals.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/   Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we head to Brodsworth Hall and Gardens in Yorkshire and step back in time to discover a love story from the early 20th century. And it all starts with a camera.   Join Amy to unravel the story of two country house servants who met and fell in love against the background of the First World War in a Downton Abbey-worthy tale. English Heritage curator Eleanor Matthews explains how a very special bequest of items revealed valuable insights into Brodsworth Hall and its past residents – including the lives of Alf and Caroline Palmer. Their grandson Gordon also joins us to share their story, their memories of life in service at a country house, and a surprising inheritance.   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/   Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices