The English Heritage Podcast

To mark the 350th anniversary of Rembrandt’s death a new exhibition has been launched at Kenwood, the London home of the Dutch artist’s most famous painting, Self-portrait with Two Circles. The exhibition, called #nofilter, sees the painting re-presented alongside a new digital artwork which will be comprised of ‘selfies’ taken by visitors.We meet senior curator Wendy Monkhouse to find out more about the enduring appeal of the painting, how it came to be at Kenwood and what visitors can expect during a visit to see it and the rest of Kenwood’s remarkable collection of art today.For more information or to plan a visit, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenwood/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We head to 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield in East Sussex to discover what goes into recreating history at our infamous annual Battle of Hastings re-enactment on the very site where the armies of King Harold and William the Conqueror clashed.We meet events manager Diane Evans and re-enactor Nigel Amos, who has played both King Harold and William the Conqueror in previous years, to reveal what is involved in organising and taking part in the biggest event in the entire English Heritage calendar.To find out more or plan a visit, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/1066-battle-of-hastings-abbey-and-battlefield/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we interview historian Howard Spencer to reveal the story behind the new blue plaque at the Chelsea house where reggae singing sensation Bob Marley lived in 1977 after fleeing from Jamaica.It was while living here that Marley and his band the Wailers finished recording songs for what became the Exodus album, including Waiting in Vain, Three Little Birds, One Love and Jamming. The house is also near the pitches in nearby Battersea Park where Marley and his bandmates played football.To find out more about our blue plaque scheme, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachel Turnbull, a Senior Collections Conservator, and Stephen Brindle, a Senior Properties Historian, dive into the fascinating world of England's largest collection of historic wall paintings. They discuss the delicate nature of these artworks and the urgent five-year conservation plan aimed at preserving them across 76 sites. From the impact of the Reformation on painted imagery to the ongoing challenges like water damage, hear how experts are working tirelessly to safeguard these cultural treasures for future generations.

We’re at Beeston Castle, one of the most spectacular medieval sites in England, to meet the team behind a project to build a replica of a Bronze Age Roundhouse in its grounds and bring its prehistory to life for visitors.Discover what goes into building a prehistoric home, the difference between an Iron Age and Bronze Age roundhouse and how it will be used once it has been completed.To find out more about Beeston Castle’s history or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/beeston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the new Downton Abbey film opens in cinemas, we head over to Brodsworth Hall and Gardens in South Yorkshire to meet curator Eleanor Matthews and discover how the story of this Victorian country house and its inhabitants can be compared to the fictional world of Downton Abbey.Learn about the Thellusson family who lived here, what the house would have been like during its Victorian heyday and how, after years of gentle decay, it was finally saved for the nation.To find out more about Brodsworth Hall and Gardens or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/brodsworth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter to discover the story of the J.W. Evans silver factory with the founder’s grandson Tony Evans.Listen on to find out what life would have been like working here during the factory’s heyday in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, the difference between die sinkers and drop stampers and how this industrial treasure house came to be under the care of English Heritage today.To find out more or book a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/j-w-evans-silver-factory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 240th anniversary of the creation of the iconic Iron Bridge in Shropshire, we meet head collections curator Matt Thompson to find out how its creation marked a turning point in engineering history, how it revolutionised the use of iron, and how it’s paved the way for other engineering projects.To find out more about the Iron Bridge or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/ironbridge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At Stott Park Bobbin Mill on the shores of Lake Windermere in Cumbria, we meet site manager Michael Callaghan and historic property supervisor Tracy Shaw to discover the story of this unique industrial heritage site.We reveal what life would have been like for the ‘Bobbin Boys’ who worked here, the secrets of producing the perfect bobbin and the challenges of maintaining the mill as they fire up their repaired steam-powered boiler.To plan a visit to see it yourself, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/stottpark Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we join head historic properties curator Jeremy Ashbee at Framlingham Castle in Suffolk to discover how it came to be at the centre of a succession crisis in 1553, which saw the crowning of England’s first official queen.Listen on to discover how the castle played a key role in events leading up to Mary’s coronation and why her subsequent reign was ultimately cut short.For more details about Framlingham Castle and to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/framlingham Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices