The English Heritage Podcast

This week, we're in Oxfordshire to unravel the story of a landmark that has been here for around 3,000 years: the Uffington White Horse. As excavations of the site take place, we join senior properties curator Win Scutt and archaeologist David Miles to discover more about their research, and to find out about the work taking place to restore the oldest chalk-cut hill figure in Britain.For more information on the Uffington White Horse project, go to: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/uffington-wh-project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re looking at the history of one of the last complete surviving Georgian villas along the River Thames in south-east London. Marble Hill belonged to Henrietta Howard and was created to provide an escape away from her life in Georgian court society. But how was it designed? And how did Henrietta start building this remarkable property? We’re joined by senior properties historian Dr Megan Leyland to find out more.To learn more about Marble Hill or plan a visit, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/marblehill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're marking South Asian Heritage Month with a look at the Ayahs' Home – the Hackney property for nannies and nursemaids from Asia that is now honoured by a blue plaque. Joining us to reveal the stories of the pioneering Indian and Chinese women who lived here in the early 1900s are blue plaques historian Dr Rebecca Preston and the manager of Hackney Museum, Niti Acharya. To learn more about the Ayahs' Home, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/ayahs-home Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we meet English Heritage landscape advisor Emily Parker and head gardener Andrew Luke to explore the eye-catching parterre gardens at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire. Discover the history of these ornamental flower beds, what goes into planting and maintaining them today and where else you can admire similar schemes.To learn more about our perfect parterres, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/perfect-parterres/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the Corbridge Hoard, we’re joined by English Heritage collections curator Dr Frances McIntosh and archaeologist and writer Mike Bishop to reveal the story of one of the most significant finds from Roman Britain.To learn more about the Corbridge Hoard, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/corbridge-roman-town-hadrians-wall/things-to-do/the-corbridge-hoard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Team GB athletes prepare to compete at the Paris Olympics, we’re going back a hundred years to discover the stories of the Olympic heroes of Paris in 1924 who are commemorated with blue plaques in London today. Joining us to discuss their lives and achievements are blue plaques senior historian Howard Spencer and director of the International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University, professor Martin Polley.To learn more about our blue plaque Olympians, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/blue-plaque-stories/olympic-heroes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re looking back at the origins and effects of a global pandemic that shook the medieval world. Joining us on our journey back to the 1340s, when the Black Death started to claim its first victims in England, is Professor of Later Medieval History at the University of East Anglia, Mark Bailey. We discover its causes, how it swept across Europe and its legacy in England today.To learn more about the history of our medieval monasteries, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/abbeys-and-priories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re joined by English Heritage historians’ team leader Dr Andrew Hann and senior properties historian Dr Steven Brindle to discuss the story of Sutton Scarsdale Hall in Derbyshire. We'll cover the decline of this Georgian mansion, the issues that affected many of England’s grand country houses and the work of charities such as English Heritage to save them for the nation.To learn more about Sutton Scarsdale Hall or to plan a visit, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/sutton-scarsdale-hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we approach midsummer, we’re joined by English Heritage senior properties historian Jennifer Wexler to answer your questions about the summer solstice at Stonehenge. Discover why the solstice is important, how Neolithic people understood and celebrated it and how living traditions can help us to understand the function of the site. We’ll also reveal where the idea of creating stone circles came from, what happened to Stonehenge’s missing stones and more. To learn more about Stonehenge or plan a visit, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To mark Pride month this June, we’re taking a look at LGBTQ+ history and the private lives of four rulers who had same-sex relationships with their ‘favourites’. Joining us to discuss Roman Emperor Hadrian, Edward II, James I and Queen Anne are interpretation manager Nick Collison, head properties curator Dr Jeremy Ashbee, queer historian Kris Reid and curator of collections & interiors (Osborne House & Isle of Wight) Dr Christopher Warleigh-Lack.To discover more LGBTQ+ history at our sites, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/lgbtq-history Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices