The English Heritage Podcast

Join Jeremy Ashbee, Head Historic Properties Curator at English Heritage, as he dives into the intriguing life of Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, and the monumental Dunstanburgh Castle he built. Discover the political turmoil surrounding Thomas, his rivalry with Piers Gaveston, and the fiery confrontations that marked his legacy. Explore the architectural grandeur of Dunstanburgh and its connections to Arthurian legends. Was Thomas a martyr or a misfit? Ashbee unravels how this controversial figure has been shaped by history and myth alike.

On the 30th anniversary of the death of Queen frontman Freddy Mercury, we’re joined by English Heritage’s blue plaque historian Howard Spencer to discover the story behind Mercury’s blue plaque in Feltham, West London, along with those commemorating a supergroup of other rock and pop stars at their former residences across the capital. From Mercury to Marley and Lennon to Hendrix, discover the stories of these late greats and the places they called home.For more details about our blue plaques scheme, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/blue-plaques Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we mark Remembrance Day, we’re joined by historian Dr Fiona Reid and English Heritage audience development manager Rachel Morrison to look back the armistice, remembrance, and how the red poppy became a symbol of those who gave their lives in conflicts since the First World War.We’ll also find out how and where the commemorative poppies are made today – 100 years since the first poppy appeal – and what’s happening at Marble Hill in London to commemorate its wartime history.For more details about Marble Hill or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/marblehill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re getting to know the Romans of Britain, or to use Latin, ‘Britannia’. But who were the Romans living and working in Britain at that time? Where had they come from? And how did their way of life fit in with existing British culture?Joining us to answer these questions and more are English Heritage Properties Historian, Dr Andrew Roberts and curator, Cameron Moffett.To learn more about life in Roman Britain, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/romans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re investigating some of the medieval beliefs and practices that existed to keep illness and death at bay in the Middle Ages. At a time when good health was far from guaranteed, discover how many people turned to England’s monasteries as the healthcare providers of the day, while others put their faith in magic, miracles and the supernatural.Joining us to reveal more are senior properties historian, Dr Michael Carter and Professor Catherine Rider from the University of Exeter’s Department of History.To watch our video about medieval medicine, go to youtu.be/fuEuaSmDOec Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As English Heritage launches an appeal to repair and restore the 13,000 historic windows at their sites, we’re joined by senior estates manager Nicola Duncan Finn, senior properties historian Steven Brindle and properties curator Kristian Kaminski to find out what is happening and why.Discover the stories of the windows that witnessed and illuminated some of our most renowned history, from the attempted escape of Charles I and the revolutionary experiments of Charles Darwin to the final days of Queen Victoria. Plus, learn why over one million pounds’ worth of repairs will be needed in the next five years and the traditional techniques and skills required to save them.To learn more about the historic windows appeal, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/windows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're joined by food historian Dr Annie Gray to discover the story of a delicious everyday foodstuff: butter – and some of the historic dairies where it was produced. Learn when it was first produced, when and why it became a staple food and who the biggest butter lovers in English history were. Plus, discover the stories of the butter-producing dairies and farms at Kenwood, Audley End, Wrest Park, Osborne, Brodsworth Hall and Boscobel House.To watch our video about how to make butter the Victorian way, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV7hop4m0YQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore the historic journey of two refugees from slavery and campaigners for its abolition, who escaped from America to England. Ellen and William Craft ended up in London – and now, more than 170 years after they arrived, a blue plaque marks their former home in Hammersmith.Joining us to discuss their journey to England and abolitionist campaigns are English Heritage’s senior historian for blue plaques, Howard Spencer, and Dr Hannah-Rose Murray, a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh, specialising in the history of enslaved people.To learn more about the Crafts, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/ellen-and-william-craft/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re discussing how art is being used to explore the link between Brodsworth Hall and the transatlantic slave trade. The property and its gardens near Doncaster in South Yorkshire will be hosting a collection of five sculptures created by artist Carl Gabriel and inspired by the story of Peter Thellusson, a former owner of the estate who made his fortune from goods connected with slave-based production and the slave trade itself.Joining us to explain more are senior interpretation manager Joe Savage and historian, archivist and researcher John Angus Martin.To learn more about Brodsworth Hall and Gardens or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/brodsworth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re gearing up for the Battle of Hastings. Or at least, its re-enactment next month by 500 history enthusiasts in the location where this key turning point in English history took place. Of course, many of us know the story, including that unforgettable date: 1066. But what happened in the build-up to the battle, and who had the strongest claim to be king?Joining us to answer these questions and more are senior properties curator Roy Porter and curator of collections and interiors Dr Kathryn Bedford.To learn more about the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/1066-and-the-norman-conquest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices