The English Heritage Podcast

On the 850th anniversary of an event that shook medieval Europe, we’re joined by senior properties historian Steven Brindle to look back at the murder of Thomas Becket, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury, and how it happened.We’ll also discuss how King Henry II, whose knights carried out this crime in 1170, tried to salvage his tattered reputation. And we’ll investigate how the building of Dover Castle’s Great Tower for the king can be traced back to Becket’s assassination.To find out more or plan your visit to Dover Castle, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/dover Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week expect winter chills as we’re joined by senior properties historian Dr Michael Carter to delve into stories of ghosts, ghouls and hauntings at our sites.Join us as we learn about the monks who loved a spooky story, medieval beliefs about death and the afterlife, remarkable revenants and the impact of the Reformation on people’s beliefs in ghosts.To discover some more spooky stories connected to English Heritage sites, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/halloween/spooky-stories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here on the podcast we spend most of our time discussing the actions of people at the places where they worked or lived through the ages. But far less well known are the stories of the animals and pets that lived alongside them.This week, we’re joined by properties historians team leader Dr Andrew Hann, senior properties historian Dr Megan Leyland and landscape advisor Emily Parker to discuss some of the remarkable animals that played their own part in making history at our sites, from dancing horses and talking parrots to ring-tailed lemurs and royal elephants!To learn about another story of exotic animals on an aristocratic estate, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/chiswick-house/history-chiswick-menagerie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Dr Susan Greaney and Properties Curator Mark Douglas to reveal the story of a prehistoric site – and the man who unearthed it.Decades before Time Team turned its experts into much-loved celebrities, one archaeologist was making a name for himself through the new medium of television. That man was Sir Mortimer Wheeler. Discover the story of his dig at Stanwick Iron Age Fort in North Yorkshire which he carried out as part of the Festival of Britain in 1951.To learn more about Stanwick Iron Age Fort or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stanwick-iron-age-fortifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re delving into the hidden history of spies, intelligence personnel and secret agents with English Heritage’s senior historian for blue plaques, Howard Spencer.Find out about six men and women whose exploits were crucial to British intelligence and, for some, to our endeavours in World War Two. In the past, their lives, work and achievements were shrouded in secrecy. But today, their service, contributions and memory are honoured through blue plaques at their former homes in London.To read more of the stories behind our blue plaques, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/blue-plaque-stories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that English Heritage cares for more castles than anyone else? That’s why we invited you to put your questions to our experts: head properties curator, Dr Jeremy Ashbee and properties historian, Dr William Wyeth.Join us as we discover the definition of a castle, why the Normans couldn’t stop building them and how they have changed over time. If you’ve ever wondered what a Motte and Bailey castle is or which was the most besieged English Heritage castle, this is the episode for you!To learn more about our mighty collection of castles, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/castles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grab your broomsticks and warm your toes by a bubbling cauldron as we explore the history of witches, witchcraft and witch trials in England with Diane Purkiss, Professor of English literature at Oxford University.Discover when stories of witchcraft really started to take hold in England, the meaning of the phrase ‘the witching hour’ and the purpose of the mysterious witch marks that have been found in historic buildings across the country.To discover some more spooky stories connected to English Heritage sites, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/halloween/spooky-stories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by English Heritage properties historian Andrew Roberts and collections curator Frances McIntosh to discuss the story of Chesters Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall, which remains the most complete Roman cavalry fort in Britain.Discover what life was like for the men stationed here, the importance of the cavalry and the story of John Clayton, who excavated the fort from 1843 until his death in 1890, helping to save this section of Hadrian’s Wall and unearthing many of the objects on display in the fort’s museum.To discover more about Chesters Roman Fort or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/chesters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every October, Black History Month celebrates the many achievements of black Britons throughout the centuries. But it also encourages us to look at Britain's dominant role in transatlantic slavery, and to understand the legacies of the trade that still shape our world today.We’re joined by Professor of History and Memory of Slavery at the University of Bristol, Olivette Otele, to find out more.To discover more about slavery connections to English Heritage sites, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/research/slavery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we continue to celebrate Black History Month with a journey through time – and the streets of London. We’re joined by curatorial director Anna Eavis and historian Steve Martin to discuss a president, a doctor, a nurse, two stars of stage and screen, and a footballer, who are all commemorated with English Heritage blue plaques at their former homes in the capital.To discover more about the black history celebrated through our blue plaques scheme, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/blue-plaque-stories/londons-black-history Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices