The English Heritage Podcast

This week, we’re putting your questions on England’s monasteries to senior properties historian Dr Michael Carter and Janet Burton, Professor of Medieval History at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.These remarkable religious buildings were centres for incredible wealth and power throughout much of England's history until Henry VIII began the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536. Discover what life was like for the monks and nuns who lived worked and worshipped at them, how they amassed such wealth, what happened to the monks and nuns after they were closed and much more.To learn more about English Heritage’s monastic sites or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/monasteries-and-abbeys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by curator Michael Hunter to discover the story of Osborne’s Swiss Cottage – a little Alpine-style chalet with its own gardens and museum at Queen Victoria’s palatial former home on the Isle of Wight. This was the royal children’s private world, where they could play at being adults and learn the skills Prince Albert believed would make them better rulers.To learn more about Osborne and the Swiss Cottage or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/osborne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we have an explosive episode in store as we look into the history of English Heritage’s artillery collection – and how it was used to defend the nation. We’ll also hear about the conservation work being undertaken to ensure these rare guns and cannons survive for future generations to admire.Providing the expert firepower are senior properties historian Paul Pattison, curator of collections Ian Leins and senior collections conservator Beth Stanley.To learn more about English Heritage’s cannon and the appeal to save them, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/our-appeals/save-our-cannons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Dr Susan Greaney and Howard Williams, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Chester, to discuss the early medieval period of British history that followed the collapse of Roman state control of lowland Britain and ended with the Norman conquest of 1066.This was a time of migrations and far-reaching contacts, Christian conversion, kingdom formation and expansion, and Viking raids and settlement. But archaeological evidence tells us so much more about these fascinating centuries. Discover what happened after the Romans left Britain, who replaced them, why this period is often referred to as ‘The Dark Ages’ and why this problematic description is now being phased out.To learn more about life in early medieval England, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/early-medieval/To read Howard’s open-access publication Digging into the Dark Ages: Early Medieval Public Archaeologies, visit https://www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/displayProductDetail.asp?id=%7BDE9A5B19-7AAD-4FA7-A097-060E0525533D%7D Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the world finally gets to enjoy the Tokyo Olympics, we’re taking a look at some of the British athletes of Olympics past, who have been honoured with blue plaques at their former London homes. Joining us to introduce this diverse array of sporting greats are two historians for the blue plaques scheme, Howard Spencer and Dr Rebecca Preston.To learn more about the blue plaques scheme, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by senior curator Kevin Booth and senior properties historian Nick Holder to discover the story of one of England’s best-preserved medieval buildings, its former owners, and its changing uses over the centuries. We also reveal what has been happening behind closed doors to prepare it to be reopened to visitors under English Heritage’s stewardship and what to look out for during a visit.To learn more about Gainsborough Old Hall or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/gainsborough-old-hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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