The English Heritage Podcast

This week on the English Heritage podcast, Amy Matthews dips into the rivers of Northern England for an insight into Roman beliefs and the celebrity culture of gladiators. English Heritage’s Dr Frances Mcintosh and Dr Philippa Walton from the University of Leicester discuss gladiator memorabilia and the celebrity status of these icons in Roman Britain, with the aid of some amazing objects. The offerings made by Romans to the rivers at Piercebridge Roman Bridge and Corbridge Roman Town give us a snapshot into everyday lives, diverse beliefs and rituals. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/ Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/ The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we head to Brodsworth Hall and Gardens in Yorkshire and step back in time to discover a love story from the early 20th century. And it all starts with a camera. Join Amy to unravel the story of two country house servants who met and fell in love against the background of the First World War in a Downton Abbey-worthy tale. English Heritage curator Eleanor Matthews explains how a very special bequest of items revealed valuable insights into Brodsworth Hall and its past residents – including the lives of Alf and Caroline Palmer. Their grandson Gordon also joins us to share their story, their memories of life in service at a country house, and a surprising inheritance. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/ Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/ The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The shadow of the Cold War loomed over the 20th Century. But how did this affect day-to-day life for ordinary people and how was anxiety about the possibility of conflict normalised? Starting with an innovative piece of technology from York's Cold War Bunker, Amy and her guests discuss civilian volunteers, the protest movement and the ever-present threat of war, using living memory and oral history to connect the past to our present. Megan Thomas, a PhD student at the University of Liverpool, tells us about her research into imagined futures in our culture. Kevin Booth, Head Collections Curator at English Heritage, shares stories from Noreen, a Royal Observer Corps volunteer who spent 30 years serving in York’s bunker as part of the British nuclear deterrent. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/ Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/ The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does the view from London’s tallest building have in common with your kitchen tea towels and your favourite summer holiday outfit? This week on the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews and her guests dive into the history of Shrewsbury Flax Mill and the industrial revolution. Find out how a humble bobbin can unravel a story about the linen and textile industries; how technical innovation changed the lives of working people and how it offered us the architecture that makes modern day skyscrapers possible. English Heritage’s Dr Steven Brindle and Barrie Trinder, a historian with a passion for industrial Shropshire explore the minds and the hands behind the mill, all the way through to its present-day impact. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/ Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/ The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Wrest Park’s Jemima, Marchioness Grey, was widowed, she unleashed her purse strings to install lavish Chinese art across the Bedfordshire estate: perfect for taking tea with friends. You can get lost in the intricate birds, plants and people featured in Wrest Park’s Chinese wallpapers, but how was this part of a wider fashion in textiles, design and landscaping? Dr Andrew Hann and volunteer Richard Luscombe join writer and comedian Amy Matthews to find out how trade between Europe and China started a centuries long love affair with Chinese design and textiles, and how consumer demand and exotic ideals were used by skilled manufacturers to develop the Chinoiserie style we still enjoy in our clothes, homewares and furnishings today. You can plan your visit to see Wrest Park and its Chinese wallpapers at https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/wrest/ Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/ Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/ The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does a fish connect us to a story of working women’s rights? Join comedian, writer and history fangirl Amy Matthews and her guests find out about tough and resilient seasonal workers in the Great Yarmouth fishing industry. From frozen fingers to salty cuts and a work hard play hard attitude (not to mention the stench of fish at the end of the day), working women travelled the coastlines on the trail of herring shoals, bolstering local fishing industries with seasonal work and bringing a whole new vibe to the towns they landed in. English Heritage’s Dr Megan Leyland and researcher Dr Jill de Fresnes explore the lives of working people in Great Yarmouth’s Row Houses during the peak of the fishing industry, and the essential role of women in the supporting textile industry in the early 20th Century. You can find out more about Great Yarmouth Row Houses at https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/greatyarmouthrowhouses Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/ Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/ The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. Framlingham Castle was home to the fiercely powerful Dukes of Norfolk for 400 years – so how did it end up as a workhouse in the 17th century? Join Josie Long as she delves into the castle’s second life and English society’s changing attitudes towards poverty over the centuries. Hear about people who lived and worked in the workhouse, and why life wasn’t always like a scene from Oliver Twist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it. At Pevensey Castle in East Sussex, we learn about Joan of Navarre, the medieval Queen of England who was accused of witchcraft and imprisoned at the castle by her stepson, Henry V. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. Discover the story of a 17th century woman who left an amazing literary legacy. Alice Thornton wrote four books, including three autobiographies, which provide a remarkable insight into life during the English Civil Wars. To discover more about Middleham Castle or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/middlehamcastle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it. Clifford's Tower in York was the site of a tragedy in 1190 where the entire Jewish population of the city was persecuted to their deaths. We ask how and why such a shocking event could take place and hear how the local Jewish community reflect on it today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. One of 12th century Europe’s richest and most powerful women, Eleanor became Queen of France as the wife of King Louis VII and then Queen of England as the wife of Henry II. Discover the story of her remarkable rise to power, her imprisonment following a plot to remove her second husband as king and her return to power as queen dowager. To discover more about Eleanor of Aquitaine’s life, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/eleanor-aquitaine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it. In this episode, Josie discovers the story of Gwen Lally, a former actress who directed thousands of performers in Battle’s 1932 pageant. We hear about Lally’s pioneering role as the first female pageant master and her exploration of gender roles both on and off stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. Join senior interpretation manager Nick Collinson, properties historian Andrew Roberts and young producer Katie Burke to discuss the LGBTQ+ history connected to a selection of the objects in the Wernher Collection at Ranger’s House. To discover more about Ranger’s House or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/rangershouse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it. In this episode, Josie travels to Birdoswald Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall to learn about the complex and diverse communities that travelled there from across the Roman Empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. 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. 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

We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it. Beside Richmond Castle’s imposing Norman keep lies an unassuming military cell block with an extraordinary secret. Its fragile walls are inscribed with thousands of graffiti, many of them left by conscientious objectors imprisoned there during the First World War. These were men from all walks of life, united by one belief: that war was wrong. Thanks to the very personal graffiti these men left behind, we’ve been able to piece together the stories of some of their lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows. It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it. In this episode, we visit Portchester Castle to hear about the black prisoners of war who were captured during the Napoleonic wars and brought all the way from the Caribbean to be imprisoned at the castle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. In this episode, we put your questions on England’s monasteries to senior properties historian Dr Michael Carter and Janet Burton, Professor of Medieval History at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Discover what life was like for the monks and nuns who lived worked and worshipped at them, how they amassed such wealth, what happened to the monks and nuns after they were closed and much more. To learn more about English Heritage’s monastic sites or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/monasteries-and-abbeys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. Did you know that English Heritage cares for more castles than anyone else? 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

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. This week, we join archaeologist Dr Susan Greaney and Stonehenge curator Dr Heather Sebire to answer your questions about the Neolithic period. Discover what Neolithic people ate, how they navigated their way across the British Isles and if Neolithic people ever got married. Plus, learn the secrets of our most famous Neolithic monument, Stonehenge. To learn more about the history of Stonehenge, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. With Christmas now (just) behind us, we’re joined by former English Heritage trustee and Professor of History at the University of Bristol, Ronald Hutton, to look at the origins of some of England’s other winter traditions. Discover the origins of Plough Monday, Wassailing, Mummers’ plays, Valentine’s Day, Shrove Tuesday and Kissing Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. This week, we join properties historians’ team leader Dr Andrew Hann, and director of the Dickens Museum in London Dr Cindy Sughrue, to take a very festive look back at the Christmas traditions that started in the Victorian period. We also examine the role that Charles Dickens played in shaping Christmas as we know it – and how the man himself celebrated the festive season with his family. To learn more about the Victorian origins of some of today’s Christmas traditions, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/christmas/victorian-christmas-traditions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a bonus episode created in partnership with The Gilded Gentleman podcast. English Heritage senior properties historian Dr Michael Carter and host Carl discuss Christmases past at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire. Starting with some special stories from the First World War, they then delve back into history to discover the origins of some of our most celebrated traditions, from plum pudding to Twelfth Night. Wrest Park boasts some of the finest gardens in England, with dazzling parterres, fragrant borders, idyllic woodland walks, and hidden gems to discover. Book your visit here: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/wrest For more information on the American Friends of English Heritage, visit https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/american-friends/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re bringing you some of our favourite episodes from the archive. This week, as Christmas festivities get into full swing, we’re delving into the history of the Roman midwinter festival of Saturnalia. Guiding us through the details of what it was, how it was observed, and its role in influencing today’s traditions is curator for Hadrian’s Wall and the North East, Dr Frances McIntosh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. This week, we unwrap the history of Christmas party season at four of our English Heritage sites, with properties historians team leader, Dr Andrew Hann. Discover how their rich and powerful former residents celebrated, what was on the menu at festive feasts, and how the guests were entertained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the next few weeks, we’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes. This week, revisit the Romans of ‘Britannia’ with English Heritage properties historian, Andrew Roberts and curator, Cameron Moffett. Discover who the Romans living and working in Britain at that time were, where they had come from and how their way of life fitted in with existing British culture. To learn more about life in Roman Britain, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/romans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the summer of 2024, eight catapult shot were discovered at Kenilworth Castle during a project to improve paths in and around the castle. Ranging in weight between 1kg and 105kg, the stone balls are believed to have been fired during the momentous 172-day-long siege of the castle in 1266. We’re joined by properties historian Dr William Wyeth to discover the story of the siege, the people who took part and its legacy today. To discover more about the history of Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenilworth-castle/history-and-stories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’ve got a mouthwatering treat for you as we’re joined by food historian Sam Bilton to dig into the story and evolution of this much-loved winter warmer. Discover what constitutes a pie, the earliest record of one, the ingredients pie makers through the ages experimented with and whether the humble pie still has a place in our 21st century, health-conscious world. To discover more about the history of the English pie, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/a-history-of-the-english-pie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re looking back at the history of Hailes Abbey, a ruined monastery in the Cotswold countryside, which was once one of the most significant pilgrimage sites in medieval England. For centuries, visitors flocked here to see the Holy Blood of Hailes – a prized relic said to be a portion of the blood of Jesus Christ. We’re joined by English Heritage senior properties historian Dr Michael Carter and Hailes Abbey’s property manager Jess Eyres to discover how the Holy Blood came here, the miracles attributed to it, what happened to it and everything today’s visitors can expect to find. To discover more about the story of Hailes Abbey and the Holy Blood, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/hailes-abbey/history-and-stories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re joined by English Heritage’s senior properties historian, Dr Steven Brindle, and head properties curator, Dr Jeremy Ashbee, to answer all your questions about England’s medieval kings and queens. Join us as we reveal which medieval monarch had the greatest impact on English history, the perils of being a member of the Royal Family at the time, what happened to Henry VIII’s tomb and more. To discover more about England’s kings and queens through history, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/monarchy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we head into the darker part of the year, we’re preparing for a trio of historical events designed to commemorate the dead. Everyone knows Halloween, of course, but what about All Saints' Day and All Souls’ Day, which follow straight after? We’re joined by English Heritage’s senior properties historian, Dr Michael Carter, to find out more. To discover more, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/halloween-saints-souls/ For more spooky stories, gruesome tales and unmissable Halloween events, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/Halloween Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re marking 100 years since the 1924 general election, which saw 41 women compete for seats in the UK’s House of Commons. One of the candidates that year was Mary Katherine Middleton of Belsay Hall in Northumberland, northeast England. Joining us to talk about her life, her accomplishments, and the women’s political movement of the time are properties historian Andrew Roberts and historian of women and politics in modern Britain Dr Lisa Berry Waite. To learn more about the Mary Middleton’s story, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/mary-middleton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined in the studio by the founders and young members from the Voices Project to learn about a new walking tour they’re creating to celebrate the Black history of Brixton, London. Discover the stories they uncovered, the blue plaques that feature on their route and what they hope their new tour will help to achieve. To learn more about English Heritage’s youth engagement project, Shout Out Loud, go to www.shoutoutloud.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us are familiar with ‘William the Conqueror’, but he was also William, Duke of Normandy and William the Bastard. So how did a duke with questionable legitimacy rise through the nobility on the opposite side of the Channel then seize a foreign crown? Who was he? What did he do after the invasion? And how did his story end? Joining us with the answers are senior properties curator Roy Porter and curator of collections and interiors Dr Kathryn Bedford. To learn more about the legacy of William the Conqueror, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/blog-posts/what-was-the-legacy-of-william-the-conqueror Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John of Gaunt was the Duke of Lancaster, a medieval prince and the richest man in England for most of his life. The founder of the Lancastrian dynasty, he ensured that three Henrys would become king and had connections to six castles that are cared for by English Heritage today. Joining us to discuss his life and legacy is curator of collections and interiors, Dickon Whitewood. To discover more about John of Gaunt’s former home, Kenilworth Castle, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're on-site at North Leigh Roman Villa in Oxfordshire – one of the larger villas of Roman Britain, which once included 16 mosaic floors and 11 rooms with underfloor heating. As a major conservation project gets underway, we find out about who lived here, how the site was discovered and the important work taking place to protect it. Joining us are senior properties curator (west) Win Scutt, collections conservator (west) Wendy Richardson, and national project manager Zoe Stubbs. For more information on North Leigh Roman Villa, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/north-leigh-roman-villa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re getting to know possibly the first woman in England to be accorded the role of ‘Keeper’ of a castle. As well as possessing Donnington Castle, Lady Elizabeth Russell was highly educated and ambitious, and her extraordinary life even included a run-in with Shakespeare. Here to tell us more are English Heritage interpretation manager Jessica Freeland, and associate professor at the Shakespeare Institute Dr Chris Laoutaris. To find out more about Donnington Castle, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/donnington Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a young man working for Dutch art dealer Goupil & Co, Vincent Van Gogh was sent to London in 1873 to work in the firm's Covent Garden branch. Two months later he moved to a house in Stockwell – a building now marked by a blue plaque. In this episode, we're joined by Van Gogh House London's Alice Childs and Livia Wang, and art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon, to explore Van Gogh's life in the city and the role it played in inspiring him to become an artist. To find out more about London's blue plaques, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/blue-plaques Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nuns played an important part in Anglo-Saxon religion and society, and remained integral to English religious, social, political and economic life for the rest of the Middle Ages. But what was daily life like, why did women choose to become nuns, and what happened to nunneries following the Dissolution? To find out more, we're joined by senior properties historian Dr Michael Carter and professor of medieval history Janet Burton. To discover more about women and monasticism, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/abbeys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Henry 'Hotspur' Percy (1364–1403) was the most admired knight of his time. He fought in several campaigns against the Scots and the French during the Hundred Years' War, was a prime mover behind the deposition of Richard II, rebelled against Henry IV and was featured in plays by Shakespeare. Here to discuss his remarkable life is properties historian Dr William Wyeth. To find out more about Warkworth Castle, go to: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/warkworth/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode created in partnership with The Gilded Gentleman podcast, English Heritage curator of collections and interiors Christopher Warleigh-Lack joins host Carl to discuss Queen Victoria’s grand estate on the Isle of Wight. Osborne House reveals an intimate view of the private life of Queen Victoria and her family. Book your visit here: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/osborne/ For more information on the American Friends of English Heritage, visit https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/american-friends/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King John, who reigned from 1199 to 1216, has gone down in history as one of England's worst monarchs, thanks to his military failures and excommunication by the pope. Yet he is associated with significant historical events, including the signing of the Magna Carta. Senior properties historian Dr Steven Brindle and senior properties curator Roy Porter join us to determine why this medieval ruler's reputation is so terrible – and whether it's deserved. To learn more about King John and the sieges of Dover Castle, go to: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/sieges-of-dover Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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