The English Heritage Podcast

Edmund was King of East Anglia in the 9th century before becoming England’s original patron saint. Today, very little is known about his life, but the legends of his grisly death developed into a cult centred on his shrine at Bury St Edmunds Abbey, which was founded by King Cnut in 1020. As the cult grew, so did the abbey, which became one of the largest monastic sites in the country.We’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Dr Steven Brindle and Interpretation Manager Jessica Freeland to learn about Edmund’s reign, death and canonisation, along with the plans to share his story with visitors to the abbey today.To discover more about Bury St Edmunds Abbey or to plan a visit, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/bury-st-edmunds-abbey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Dr Steven Brindle to answer all of your questions about the Victorian period.Discover what the Victorians liked to eat and drink, their attitudes to child labour, how they expressed themselves through clothing, art and architecture, and Queen Victoria’s lifestyle at Osborne.To discover more about Osborne or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/osborne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Standing tall in the centre of historic York for almost 800 years, Clifford’s Tower has undergone a transformation to conserve its walls and create a multi-sensory celebration of its stories.Joining us to explain more are Head Properties Curator Dr Jeremy Ashbee, Senior National Project Manager Rachael Baldwin and Interpretation Manager Ruth Haycock.To discover more about Clifford’s Tower or to plan a visit to see it for yourself, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/cliffords Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new tour launching this summer explores the LGBTQ+ history behind a number of objects in the Wernher Collection at Ranger’s House in Blackheath, London.We’re joined by Senior Interpretation Manager Nick Collinson, Properties Historian Andrew Roberts and Young Producer Katie Burke to find out how and why they created the tour, and to reveal the LGBTQ+ history connected to a selection of the objects included.To discover more about Ranger’s House or to plan a visit to take the tour, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/rangershouse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Second World War saw a number of England’s country houses requisitioned by the military to play their part in the war effort. We’re joined by Curator of Collections and Interiors Eleanor Matthews, Properties Historians' Team Leader Dr Andrew Hann and Collections Manager David Hanks to discuss how Brodsworth Hall in South Yorkshire, Wrest Park in Bedfordshire and Belsay Hall in Northumberland were reinvented as a barracks, offices and training facilities as the war raged.To discover more about Brodsworth Hall, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/brodsworthTo discover more about Wrest Park, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/wrestTo discover more about Belsay Hall, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/belsay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re continuing our four-part mini-series on Hadrian’s Wall by looking at what life was like for the soldiers stationed at Housesteads Roman Fort in Northumberland. Lying half-way along the wall near Hexham in Northumberland, Housesteads is Britain’s most complete example of a Roman fort. It was built within 10 years of the wall’s initial construction, and for nearly three centuries was able to house 800 infantrymen.Joining us for a march through the history of Housesteads are Senior Properties Historian Paul Pattison and Curator for Hadrian's Wall Dr Frances McIntosh.To discover more or plan a visit to Housesteads Roman Fort, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/housesteads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the beginnings of modern archaeology in the early 20th century, women have made significant contributions to preserving and understanding our cultural heritage. However, their work has often been neglected. Many of them faced institutional sexism, worked in areas that were undervalued, or had their work attributed to male colleagues.We’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Dr Susan Greaney and Curator Dr Frances McIntosh to take a look at the work of a number of pioneering female archaeologists who worked on sites now cared for by English Heritage, and consider how their investigations have enriched our understanding of the past.To discover more about the archaeologists discussed in this episode, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/six-groundbreaking-female-archaeologists Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Less than 100 years after the Black Death, England was again uprooted by dramatic upheaval. The Wars of the Roses, fought between the two powerful houses of York and Lancaster, pitted families against each other. The series of conflicts – which took place between 1455 and 1485 – spanned multiple different reigns, involved numerous foreign kingdoms, and heralded changes in English politics, social order and battlefield technology.In this first episode of our two-part series, we’re joined by Curator of Collections and Interiors Dickon Whitewood to discuss what the Wars of the Roses were, how they started and the early battles that ended with Yorkist triumph.To discover more about medieval warfare, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/medieval/war Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Dr Steven Brindle and Professor Lindy Grant from the University of Reading to look back at the remarkable life of Eleanor of Aquitaine.One of 12th century Europe’s richest and most powerful women, she became Queen of France as the wife of King Louis VII and then Queen of England as the wife of Henry II. Discover the story of her remarkable rise to power, her imprisonment following a plot to remove her second husband as king and her return to power as queen dowager.To discover more about Eleanor of Aquitaine’s life, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/eleanor-aquitaine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A quest to discover the origins of several mysterious Indigenous American objects in the collection at Audley End House led Curator of Collections and Interiors Peter Moore on a fact-finding mission across the Atlantic.We’re joined by Peter and Curator of The Seneca Art & Culture Centre Michael Galban to reveal what they learned about the objects, how these came to be at Audley End and a surprising connection between the collections at Audley End House and the Seneca Art & Culture Centre.To arrange a visit to Audley End House and Gardens to see its collections, including the indigenous American objects discussed in this episode, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/audley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices