The English Heritage Podcast

We’re back in the studio with senior properties curator Dr Mark Douglas to mark the 950th anniversary of Richmond Castle in North Yorkshire.Towering above the river Swale in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, the castle is one of the finest and most complete Norman fortresses in the country, with a history stretching from the Norman Conquest to the First World War.Listen to discover why it was built, what life was like here through the ages and how it became home to the Richmond Sixteen. To learn more about Richmond Castle or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/richmond-castle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 300th anniversary of the creation of these barracks that served as a base for soldiers from the Civil War to the First World War, we’re joined by senior properties curator Dr Mark Douglas to discover why they were built, the regiments that were stationed here and what daily military life would have been like. Plus, we meet award-winning artist Chloe Cox to discover how the story of one First World War soldier who lived here has been immortalised in a painting as part of a national portrait exhibition.To learn more about Berwick-upon-Tweed Barracks and Main Guard or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/berwick-upon-tweed-barracks-and-main-guard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re looking back at a fairly recent chapter of Stonehenge’s long history and the story of a little girl, whose father was the custodian of the stone circle in the 1930s. Jean Grey, now 90, has recently shared her recollections of living near the site and we’re joined by Senior Properties Historian, Dr Susan Greaney, to discover what life would have been like at our most famous prehistoric monument at that time.To learn more about Stonehenge or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we approach Father’s Day in the UK on Sunday 20 June, we’re looking at how the ‘father of evolution’ enjoyed work and family life at his home. Charles Darwin lived at Down House in Kent for 40 years until his death in 1882 at the age of 73. In that time, he conceived his theory of natural selection – and also became the father to 10 children.Joining us to discuss family life with the Darwins is Curator of Collections and Interiors Dr Tessa Kilgarriff.To learn more about Down House or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/downhouse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re looking ahead to the start of a new 4-year archaeological excavation by Newcastle University and Historic England at Birdoswald Roman Fort in Cumbria. Joining us to reveal what is happening, where they will be excavating, and how you can see it for yourself, are Tony Wilmott, senior archaeologist at Historic England, and English Heritage’s collections curator for Hadrian’s Wall and the North East region, Dr Frances McIntosh.To learn more about Birdoswald Roman Fort or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/birdoswald Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by senior properties historian Paul Pattison and curator of collections and interiors Dickon Whitewood to get to know some of the real-life knights connected to English Heritage castles.Discover the stories of Hubert de Burgh at Dover Castle in Kent and Hadleigh Castle in Essex, John Lovell at Old Wardour Castle in Wiltshire and Thomas Hungerford at Farleigh Hungerford Castle in Somerset.To find out more about the history of knights, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/brief-history-of-knights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re focusing on a new exhibition of portraits, which have been commissioned to celebrate the lives of six people of the African diaspora, whose stories have contributed to England's rich history. One of the figures featured in these new portraits is Omoba Aina, later renamed Sarah Forbes Bonetta. The daughter of a West African ruler, Sarah was captured and enslaved by King Gezo of Dahomey (present-day Benin) at the age of five. In 1850 she was presented as a ‘diplomatic gift’ to Captain Frederick Forbes of the H.M.S. Bonetta and brought to England, where Forbes introduced her to Queen Victoria. The queen was so taken with the young child that she paid for her education and became her guardian.Joining us to discuss her life and the artwork her story has inspired are English Heritage’s properties historians’ team leader, Dr Andrew Hann and artist Hannah Uzor.To discover more about the new portrait exhibition, Painting our Past: The African Diaspora in England, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/painting-our-past Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re joined by English Heritage properties senior national project manager, Reuben Briggs, and head of collections conservation, Amber Xavier-Rowe, to reveal what’s happening at two of English Heritage’s major conservation projects at Marble Hill House in Twickenham, London, and Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens in Northumberland.Plus, we reveal the plans for English Heritage’s new conservation camper, which will be touring a number of English Heritage’s conservation projects (including these two) over the months ahead, to provide a pop-up workshop space where visitors can learn about the conservation work taking place.To discover more about English Heritage’s conservation in action, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/conservation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week is National Croquet Week, and to celebrate, we’re taking a look back at the lawn games and sports that have been played at our historic sites. From croquet and bowling lawns, to cricket pitches, tennis courts, and even golf courses, our sites have hosted a surprising variety of sports, with many continuing to be played today.Joining us to reveal more are English Heritage landscape advisor, Emily Parker, and sport historian Simon Inglis.To read more about the history of lawn games at our sites, go to https://blog.english-heritage.org.uk/sports-at-our-historic-places/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re heading back to the late 18th and early 19th century, when Europe was ravaged by the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic War, named after French military general and self-appointed emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte.On the bicentenary of his death, we’re joined by senior properties historian, Paul Pattison, and keeper of the Wellington Collection at Apsley House, Josephine Oxley, to discuss Napoleon’s life, legacy and defeat – and the heritage sites built here in England to defend against his threats of invasion.To learn more about the Wellington Collection at Apsley House, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/apsley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices