The English Heritage Podcast

One of the questions that English Heritage staff and volunteers get asked all the time is what life would have been like inside a castle.We’re joined by head historic properties curator, Dr Jeremy Ashbee, to find out what constitutes a true castle, who would have lived and worked at them and what the typical sounds, sights and smells would have been. We also reveal what life would have been like for the soldiers who defended them and for the prisoners held in their dungeons.To discover more about English Heritage’s castles, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/castles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 200th anniversary of the launch of HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin’s famous voyage that helped him formulate his theories on natural selection, we’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Dr Steven Brindle to find out more. Discover where Darwin travelled, what he found and what happened to the ship after Darwin disembarked.We’re also joined by Anthony O’Rourke, head gardener at Down House, Darwin’s former home in Kent, to find out about the key experiments the naturalist conducted in his own garden and how these are replicated today.To discover more about Down House and Darwin’s story, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/downhouse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re combining history and horticulture as we’re joined in the studio by the head of English Heritage’s gardens and landscape team, John Watkins, and acclaimed landscape designer Dan Pearson, to find out about the planned transformation of the gardens at Belsay Hall in Northumberland.Discover the history of the gardens, the plans to bring them back to their blooming best, and the wider project to transform the visitor experience at this spectacular site.To discover more about Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/belsay-hall-castle-and-gardens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On 16 May 1568, a small fishing boat carrying Mary Queen of Scots set sail from Scotland for English shores. After months of conflict and turmoil in Scotland, she had decided to entrust her fate to her cousin, Elizabeth I of England. Two days later Mary was escorted to Carlisle Castle in Cumbria – and so began almost 19 years as a prisoner, before her eventual execution in 1587.To find out how and why the story unfolded, we’re joined by senior properties historian Steven Brindle who reveals why she sought refuge in England and how her two-month stay at Carlisle turned into the rest of her life held captive.To discover more about Carlisle Castle or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/carlisle-castle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Michael Carter, Senior Properties Historian for English Heritage and expert on St. George, takes us on a captivating journey through the life of the legendary figure. He explores St. George's historical context amid Roman persecution and demystifies his transformation from martyr to dragon-slayer. Listeners learn about the cultural symbolism of St. George, his evolution as the ideal knight, and the significance of his flag. Moreover, he highlights how St. George became a powerful emblem of English identity across the ages.

It’s almost Easter, when egg hunts take place in gardens across the country, but have you ever wondered how and why this curious seasonal tradition started?We’re joined in the studio by senior properties historian Dr Andrew Hann to reveal why eggs were first hidden for children to find, how the tradition has since evolved, and when natural eggs were replaced by the chocolate variety we’re more familiar with today.To find out more, read Andrew’s blog post on Easter egg hunts at http://blog.english-heritage.org.uk/the-history-of-the-egg-hunt/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Carrawburgh Roman Fort and Temple of Mithras in Northumberland became the latest Hadrian’s Wall site to be cared for by English Heritage, we’re joined by Properties Curator Mark Douglas to discuss the stories of this and the other key forts we look after.Discover what purpose they served, what daily life would have been like for the soldiers stationed at them, the artefacts that have since revealed their secrets and how their stories have been brought to life for visitors today.To discover more about the Hadrian’s Wall sites that we look after, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/hadrians-wall/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To mark the end of Women’s’ History Month, we’re joined in the studio by Senior Properties Historian Dr Megan Leyland and Curator of Collections Olivia Fryman to discuss the lives and accomplishments of a selection of the most remarkable women with a connection to our historic sites.Discover the stories of Henrietta Howard at Marble Hill House in London, Bess of Hardwick at Hardwick Old Hall in Derbyshire, Lady Anne Clifford at Brough and Brougham Castles in Cumbria and Emma Darwin, wife to the famous scientist Charles Darwin.To learn about the stories of more remarkable women with a connection to our sites, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year we’re celebrating the many ways the past has shaped our nation through our year-long ‘Voices of England’ campaign – and here on the podcast we’re launching our own investigations, starting with an interview with English Heritage trustee Professor Ronald Hutton to discuss the legacy of pre-Christian beliefs.Discover what the earliest settlers in England believed, the evidence that can still be found in our historic landscapes, our ancient ritual monuments and our language, and how the arrival of Christianity changed English society as a whole.To find out more about our Voices of England campaign, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/voicesofengland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’ve travelled to Saxtead Green Post Mill in Suffolk to meet Jonathan Sullivan, whose family have owned and run the mill for generations, along with English Heritage national project manager Joseph James and millwright Tim Whiting to reveal the work that has just gone into restoring and repairing this unique agricultural gem.Discover the mill’s history, the challenges of caring for it and what visitors can expect during a visit today.To find out more about the mill or plan a visit, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/saxtead-green-post-mill/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices