The English Heritage Podcast

On the 70th anniversary of the publication of author George Orwell’s most famous novel 1984, presenter Charles Rowe interviews historian Howard Spencer to discover the story behind Orwell’s blue plaque in London and discuss how accurate he was in predicting the future.To find out more about our blue plaques scheme or order a copy of our guide to London’s Blue Plaques, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Stonehenge prepares to welcome visitors to its new exhibition, Conversations in Making, which opens on 24 May 2019, we headed to artist Linda Brothwell’s studio at Spike Island in Bristol to get a preview of her artwork about to go on display.The exhibition will feature a collection of 40 copper and silver bowls, beakers and vessels that form a portrait of the area, charting the connections between Stonehenge and the communities that have lived around the monument, both past and present.For more information, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/things-to-do/linda-brothwell/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We travel to Hampstead Heath in London to explore the breathtaking interiors and world-class art collection of Kenwood in the company of assistant curator Louise Cooling. Discover the story of this hidden gem, its former owners and its renowned collection of paintings, which remain free for everyone to enjoy today.To learn more about the history of the house and its treasures, or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenwood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we join food historian Annie Gray at Audley End House and Gardens in Essex to discover the story of Victorian cook Avis Crocombe, whose cookbook was discovered by a relative and donated to English Heritage.It provides a fascinating insight into the food that she prepared for Lord and Lady Braybrooke and their guests. More recently Mrs Crocombe has been featured as the main character in our popular series of YouTube videos in which a re-enactor prepares a selection of her original recipes.To watch the videos, go to www.youtube.com/englishheritage and search for The Victorian Way playlist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We join Guy Hayward and Jason Goodwin from the British Pilgrimage Trust to walk a section of the South Dorset Old Stones Way – one of 10 historic trails taking in English Heritage sites en-route.Listen on to discover the meaning of pilgrimage, the mental and physical benefits of exploring our past, and what you can expect to discover along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A £2.3 million project called ‘Re-discovering Walmer’s Lost Pleasure Grounds’ has enabled us to restore two previously inaccessible areas of the award-winning gardens at Walmer Castle in Kent.Presenter Charles Rowe heads down to this Tudor fortress in Kent to meet senior properties historian Paul Pattison and head gardener Mark Brent to discover the story of the castle and its gardens, and find out what visitors can expect to see when the project is completed in the coming weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year English Heritage is celebrating the myths, legends and folklore connected to our properties, but where did these stories originate and how do they become rooted in the history of places?We interview leading expert Professor Ronald Hutton to discover the key elements of a really good myth, legend or folktale, how these stories endure and why there has recently been a resurgence of mythology in popular culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we interview senior properties historian Michael Carter to find out about Whitby Abbey’s role in setting the date for Easter celebrations, why it was selected to host the Synod and the wider significance of that decision. Following the completion of a £1.6 million project to transform Whitby Abbey’s visitor centre and museum, we also discover what visitors can find during a trip to the abbey today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most important anniversaries we are celebrating this year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of both Queen Victoria (24 May, 1819) and Prince Albert (26 August, 1819).In this launch episode of the podcast, presenter Charles Rowe interviews art curator Michael Hunter at Osborne, the royal couple’s beloved former holiday home on the Isle of Wight, to find out how they celebrated their birthdays here, the gifts they gave to each other, and the new exhibition and trail planned to honour the occasion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming soon - The English Heritage Podcast by English Heritage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices