The English Heritage Podcast

As we head into the summer holidays, we’re turning back time to the early 20th century to explore the world with a very well-heeled couple. Stephen and Virginia Courtauld lived at Eltham Palace in southeast London, but when they weren’t in residence, which was often during the British winter, they could be found cruising the world in luxury on board ocean-going liners or their own private yacht. And their well-documented travels provide a fascinating insight into the lifestyles of the 1930s wealthy elite and an era before commercial flights had gone mainstream. Taking a trip with us — and the Courtaulds — is English Heritage’s properties historians team leader Dr Andrew Hann. To read more about the Courtauld’s travels, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/courtaulds-cruises To read more about Eltham Palace or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/eltham Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by English Heritage properties curator Win Scutt at Arthur’s Stone in Herefordshire. We will be exploring the history of this 5,000-year-old neolithic tomb, where a team of archaeologists are about to embark on the latest round of excavations to uncover its secrets. Join us as we discuss why this fascinating site was built, who used it, what we’re hoping to discover and how you can join us to see the excavations taking place. To find out more about Arthur’s Stone or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/arthursstone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When people think of the medieval peasant, they may conjure up images of the character Baldrick from the TV series Blackadder, who has arguably become the poster boy of peasantry. For most, the term ‘peasant’ suggests poverty, ignorance, missing teeth, threadbare rags and poor personal hygiene, but how close is this negative image to the truth? And what was daily life actually like for them? Joining us to separate fact from fiction are English Heritage properties historian Al Oswald and Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Leicester Christopher Dyer, who were both involved in the investigations at the famous deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy in North Yorkshire. To find out more about Wharram Percy Deserted Medieval Village or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/wharram-percy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re out for a walk to celebrate an anniversary. The Ridgeway is sometimes referred to as England's oldest road — and this year also marks its 50th anniversary as a designated National Trail. But how far back into history does this track go? What can you find along its route? And what is its link to the summer solstice? Joining us to show us the way are anthropologist, TV presenter and author Mary-Ann Ochota and English Heritage properties historian Dr Jennifer Wexler. To find out more about The Ridgeway or plan your own walk along the National Trail, go to www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/the-ridgeway. To find out more about the Uffington Castle — White Horse and Dragon Hill or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/uffington-castle-white-horse-and-dragon-hill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you maintain a castle? And not just any castle – one that’s stood tall for over 850 years but has recently started to show its age. Well, that’s the question we’re putting to our English Heritage experts following a £1 million conservation project to rescue the unique keep of Orford Castle in Suffolk. This eye-catching stronghold has weathered many storms – both physical and metaphorical – in its time and, after a much-needed facelift, is ready to welcome a new generation of visitors. Talking us through the transformation are head historic properties curator and castle expert Dr Jeremy Ashbee and senior properties curator Dr Shelley Garland. To find out more or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/orford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by English Heritage’s head of learning and interpretation Dr Dominique Bouchard and interpretation coordinator Nick Collinson to shine a light on the lives of the LGBTQ+ people from the past who have a connection to our properties or are commemorated through London blue plaques. Join us to discover the stories of Lord Beauchamp, Anne Seymour Damer, Virginia Woolf and Radclyffe Hall, and what we’re doing to share more stories of LGBTQ+ people at our sites. To discover more LGBTQ+ history, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/lgbtq-history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by English Heritage properties historian Andrew Roberts and curator Cameron Moffet to explore the story of Wroxeter Roman city in Shropshire. Though a small village today, Wroxeter was once the fourth largest town in Roman Britain, when it was known as Viriconium. It was almost the same size as Pompeii in Italy and its true size can best be judged by the scale of the surviving defences and ramparts. Discover how the city grew out of a legionary fortress, what life would have been like for its residents and how we’re sharing its story in new ways with visitors today. To find out more or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/wroxeter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by English Heritage’s curator of collections and interiors Dr Peter Moore and Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences archivist Sandra Jane Freshney to reveal how Audley End House in Essex became home to a diverse collection of natural history specimens and curiosities dating back to the 19th century. Discover the story of amateur scientific collectors Richard and Jane Neville, how and where they obtained their specimens and the objects from their collection that visitors to Audley End can see during a visit today. To find out more or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/audleyend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From a military base to a thriving port town and back again, Richborough Roman Fort in Kent is a hugely significant Roman site in Britain, often referred to as the ‘gateway to Britannia’. As work concludes on a major project to share its stories with visitors in new and innovative ways, we’re joined by senior properties historian Paul Pattison and curator of collections and interiors Kathryn Bedford to discuss the fort’s history, and the exciting new additions that today’s visitors can expect to find. To find out more or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/richborough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re taking a look at how people literally left their mark on history through graffiti. Although we tend to think of graffiti as relatively modern phenomenon, the impulse to scratch, scrawl and draw on walls and buildings is nothing new — and there are plenty of examples at English Heritage sites. Joining us to reveal more are English Heritage’s senior curator Kevin Booth and Emma Bryning, who is studying our historic graffiti as part of her PHD at the University of York. To discover the story of the remarkable graffiti left by conscientious objectors at Richmond Castle, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/richmond-castle/richmond-graffiti. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the nation celebrates King Charles III’s coronation, we’re joined by English Heritage’s head historic properties curator Jeremy Ashbee and senior properties historian Steven Brindle to look back at the long and colourful history of royal coronations. Discover who was the first English monarch to be formally crowned, how the ceremony, regalia and anthems have changed over time, and the previous coronations where things didn’t quite go according to plan. To learn more about our kings and queens through history, please go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/monarchy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're focusing our attention on Warkworth Castle — once the favoured residence of the powerful Earls of Northumberland — to discover the fascinating history of this ruined medieval fortress and a project to share its stories in new and exciting ways with today's visitors. Joining us in the studio to explain more are English Heritage properties historian Dr Will Wyeth and senior interpretation manager Joe Savage. To discover more or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/warkworth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined in the studio by Senior Properties Historian Dr Amy Boyington to answer your questions about the Georgians. Famed for its fashions, grand houses and Industrial Revolution, this is a chapter of English history that many of us will be familiar with through Jane Austen novels, their TV and film adaptations, and, more recently, the Netflix series Bridgerton. Join us to discover the difference between the Georgian and Regency period, what was on the menu, where the era-defining fashion for powdered wigs came from and much more. To learn more about life in Georgian England, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/georgians Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re at a temporal and cultural crossroads in the early story of the British Isles. It’s the Iron Age – a time when the political landscape of the British Isles was complex and fragmented, with competing and collaborating groups ruling different regions. But their way of life was under threat from a powerful empire from the south: The Romans. We’re joined by English Heritage Properties Historian Dr Andrew Roberts and the Curator of the European Iron Age collections at the British Museum Dr Julia Farley to discuss how two native queens responded in very different ways to full-scale Roman invasion, their fates, and, of course, their historic legacies. To learn more about Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/cartimandua Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re joined by Collections Curator Susan Harrison, Senior Properties Historian Dr Steven Brindle and Interpretation Manager Ruth Haycock to discuss a new project to bring the story of Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island in Northumberland to life. Learn about the monks who lived here, the cult of St Cuthbert, the famous Lindisfarne Gospels, the vicious Viking raid of AD 793 and the new displays, artefacts and experiences that you can discover during a visit. To discover more or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/lindisfarne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re shining a light on the clandestine machinations of high-ranking spy Jane Whorwood, who worked for King Charles I during the English Civil War. Her story is one of mystery, intrigue, coded letters, codenames, ambiguous and strained relations, high stakes, high drama and personal disappointment. Joining us to steer us through her life and legacy is our special guest contributor Nadine Akkerman, who is Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture at Leiden University in the Netherlands. To read more about Jane Whorwood’s life, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/carisbrooke-castle/history/jane-whorwood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we reveal the colourful history of Launceston Castle. This site has served as the administrative headquarters for the Duchy of Cornwall, a courthouse, a prison, a pleasure garden and a Second World War hospital. The castle is also home to an intriguing collection of artefacts discovered during site excavations, including a near-complete whale vertebra measuring more than half-a-metre across. Joining us to pick up the story are Curator of Collections Ian Leins and Head of Historic Properties for Cornwall and Devon Georgia Butters. To discover more about Launceston Castle or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/launceston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women's history is often lost to the ages, obscured or even unexplored. But there are numerous examples of women from the past who have played a pivotal role in shaping England and who are linked to sites that are now in the care of English Heritage. Joining us to discuss some of these stories, and to explore why it's important to celebrate the achievements of women in the past, are Senior Properties Historian for English Heritage Dr Amy Boyington and British art historian Dr Janina Ramirez. To discover more stories of inspiring women throughout English history, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Steven Brindle to discuss the life and legacy of Britain’s most famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren, as we approach the 300th anniversary of his death. We discuss how he discovered his talent for design, his commission to create St Paul’s Cathedral and a possible link to Stonehenge in Wiltshire. To discover the story of Christopher Wren’s blue plaque at his former London home, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/christopher-wren Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re talking about one of the oldest and most important Neolithic sites in Britain, which has recently come into English Heritage’s care. Thornborough Henges comprises three circular earthworks that dot the landscape about seven miles north of the cathedral city of Ripon in North Yorkshire. We’re joined by former Senior Properties Historian Dr Susan Greaney and Senior Interpretation Manager Joe Savage to reveal the history of these henges, their significance and how their story will be told to future visitors. To learn more about English Heritage’s prehistoric sites or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/prehistoric-monuments Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of 16 forts along Hadrian’s Wall, Carrawburgh Roman Fort is also home to the Temple of Mithras, which was built to worship a Persian god. But who was Mithras, what was Mithraism and why was the temple built here, in northern England? Joining us to reveal all are Senior Properties Historian Paul Pattison and Curator of Hadrian’s Wall and the North East Dr Frances McIntosh. To learn more about Roman life along Hadrian’s Wall or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/hadrianswall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by two ancient pottery technology specialists – father and daughter team Graham Taylor and Sarah Lord – and Stonehenge Interpretation Manager Melanie Coussens to explore potted history at our most famous Neolithic site. Discover the role of eating and drinking vessels in prehistoric daily life, where they’ve been found in the landscape, what they were made of and how replicas of them made today are helping visitors get closer to the ancient past. To learn more about prehistoric life at Stonehenge or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re making our own little piece of history as we reach episode 200 of the English Heritage Podcast. To celebrate, we’re joined by English Heritage’s Chief Executive Kate Mavor and Head of Learning and Interpretation Dr Dominique Bouchard to discuss six amazing but little-known sites to visit in 2023, which have all benefitted from a major project to re-tell their stories in new and exciting ways. To plan a visit to any of our sites, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Steven Brindle and historian Karen Hearn to discuss the story of Lady Anne Clifford (1590–1676). As High Sheriff of Westmorland and the last member of one of England’s great medieval dynasties, she became something of a legend in her own lifetime and has remained a celebrated figure in the history of northern England ever since. We’ll reveal how, after fighting a 40-year battle for her right to inherit her father’s estates, she devoted herself to restoring and enhancing the castles and churches on her lands. To read more about Lady Anne Clifford’s life, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/anne-clifford Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re returning to Osborne, Queen Victoria’s home on the Isle of Wight. With its sandy beach and beautiful gardens, it’s often been depicted as something of a holiday home for Victoria and her family. But, as we’ll discover, this impressive island retreat was also a real political powerhouse. Joining us to explain more are English Heritage’s Properties Historians’ Team Leader Dr Andrew Hann and Dr Lee Butcher, who researched Osborne’s place as a global diplomatic hub as part of his PhD studies. To discover more about Osborne or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/osborne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined in the studio by Senior Properties Historian Dr Amy Boyington and Properties Curator Roy Porter to answer all your questions about the Tudors. Discover what Henry VIII’s relationship was like with his father, if Jane Seymour was the favourite of his six wives and whether he bonded with his own children. Plus, we’ll reveal what treats you might have found at a Tudor feast, what sports the Tudors liked to play and which Tudor monarch might be considered the greatest of them all. To learn more about life in Tudor England, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/tudors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of an English biologist, naturalist and explorer who helped develop the theory of evolution in the middle of the 19th century. No, we’re not talking about Charles Darwin, but rather his contemporary Alfred Russel Wallace. Joining us to talk about Wallace’s life, his blue plaque and the role he played in the development of evolutionary theory, is Senior Historian for the blue plaques scheme, Howard Spencer, and Head Gardener at Home of Charles Darwin – Down House, Antony O’Rourke. To learn more about our blue plaques scheme, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/blue-plaques To plan a visit to Down House, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/downhouse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by English Heritage’s Senior Gardens Advisor Dr Michael Klemperer and historian and author Emma Kay to embark on a culinary odyssey from prehistory to Victorian times and reveal what our ancestors ate during the cold months of winter. Discover how Neolithic hunter gatherers sustained themselves, what the Romans did for our diet and the tasty treats you might have found on the table of a Tudor king. To see a timeline of food in Britain, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/history-and-stories/history/food-and-feasting-at-stonehenge/food-timeline Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re taking a very festive look back at the Christmas traditions that started in the Victorian period and are still with us today. We'll also examine the role that Charles Dickens played in shaping Christmas as we know it – and find out how the man himself celebrated the festive season with his family. Joining us are Properties Historians’ Team Leader, Dr Andrew Hann, and Director of the Dickens Museum in London, Dr Cindy Sughrue. 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

As Christmas festivities get into full swing, we’re delving into the history of the Roman midwinter festival Saturnalia to discover what it was, how it was observed and its role in influencing today’s traditions. Guiding us through the history of this ancient pagan celebration is Curator for Hadrian’s Wall and the North East region, Dr Frances McIntosh. To find out more about the history of Christmas, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/christmas/the-history-of-christmas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you visit the ruins of abbeys and priories today, it can be hard to imagine that these places were once teeming with people – and not just monks and nuns, with an army of workers employed to keep them running smoothly. We’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Dr Michael Carter to look back at working life at England’s medieval monasteries and discuss the role and importance of servants in their stories. To find out more about our abbeys and priories, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/monasteries-and-abbeys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Built around 1365 to house Edward III’s treasures and known as the ‘King’s Privy Wardrobe’, the Jewel Tower has a fascinating history stretching back over 650 years. We’re joined by Head Curator Dr Jeremy Ashbee to discover the rich history of this intriguing building in the heart of Westminster that few people have heard of – but have almost certainly seen on TV. To find out more about the Jewel Tower or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/jewel-tower Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the centenary of the founding of the Irish Free State, we’re joined by English Heritage blue plaques historian Howard Spencer and senior lecturer in modern history at the University of Sheffield, Dr Caoimhe Nic Dháibhéid, to discover how it came to exist, who the key players were and how the story of its creation still resonates today. To find out more about our London blue plaques, including those relating to the story of the Irish Free State, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie Chaplin was one of the greatest stars of early cinema, as well as a pioneer behind the camera. But less well known is the story of his impoverished upbringing in London. We’re joined by historian Howard Spencer to discuss his journey from grim workhouses to Hollywood stardom, and the blue plaque that commemorates his time at 15 Glenshaw Mansions in Lambeth, where he lived with his brother Sydney from 1908–10 before departing for America. To find out more about Charlie Chaplin’s blue plaque, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/charlie-chaplin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the nation honours members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty on Remembrance Day on 11 November, we’re joined by Head Properties Curator Dr Jeremy Ashbee and historic building specialist Dr Roger Bowdler to reveal the stories of six of London’s finest war memorials that are cared for by English Heritage. Together, all six memorials reflect the impact of the Great War, while their fascinating stories reveal different approaches to commemorating the dead. To discover more about the story of the war memorials in our care, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/london-statues-and-monuments/london-wwi-memorials Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re joined by properties historian Dr Andrew Roberts and historian Dr Elizabeth Norton to take a look at the one of the people behind the Gunpowder Plot and his family home. His name was Francis Tresham and the property was Rushton Triangular Lodge in Northamptonshire. Join us to learn about Tresham’s role in the Gunpowder Plot, what Rushton Triangular Lodge tells us about religious persecution and Catholic resistance, and why we continue to mark Bonfire Night on 5 November. To discover more about the story of bonfire night, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/real-story-of-bonfire-night To find out more about Rushton Triangular Lodge or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/rushton-triangular-lodge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Amy Boyington to answer all the questions we received about England’s grand country houses from English Heritage Members and followers on our social media accounts. Discover what the difference is between a house, hall, manor, palace, and stately home, what working life was like for the staff and how accurate the depictions in series such as Bridgerton and Downton Abbey really are. To find out more about our historic houses, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/group-visits/inspiring-itineraries/historic-houses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the third and final course of our mini-series on feasts enjoyed at English Heritage sites through the ages, we’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Dr Nick Holder and Senior Curator Kevin Booth to look back at the feasting and food preparation that took place at one of England’s biggest and best-preserved medieval manor houses: Gainsborough Old Hall. Discover who built the hall, who worked in its kitchens and the kings who came to dine here. To find out more or plan a visit to Gainsborough Old Hall, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/gainsborough-old-hall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by English Heritage Senior Properties Historian Dr Michael Carter and Dr Mary Going, a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield, to discuss how the dramatic ruins of Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire played their part in inspiring Bram Stoker’s Gothic novel Dracula. Discover what brought Stoker to the abbey, how the author developed his famous story and the Guinness World Record attempt inspired by the 125th anniversary of the publication of the book. To find out more about Whitby Abbey and Dracula, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/whitby-abbey/history-and-stories/dracula Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the autumn nights draw in and our thoughts turn to chilling tales of death, darkness and the afterlife, we’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Dr Michael Carter to discuss historical beliefs about the supernatural and commemoration, and their significance to monastic sites in English Heritage's care. Learn about ghost-story-loving monks, the Gothic imagination and a new series of free events that will use the dead to bring the past vividly back to life for today’s visitors. To find out more or book one of the upcoming Revenants and Remains events, go to www.revenantsandremains.mmu.ac.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a sneak preview of the latest special exhibition at Stonehenge, which reveals the surprising parallels between our most famous Neolithic monument and the stone circles created in Japan at Isedotai and Ōyu during the same period. Talking us through the similarities – and differences – are Interpretation Manager Melanie Coussens and Dr Simon Kaner, the executive director of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures. Plus, we reveal the must-see exhibits, the colourful characters that have been created to guide visitors and what the objects in the exhibition tell us about prehistoric life at Stonehenge. To find out more or plan your visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Steven Brindle to discuss the story of one of London’s more usual landmarks – the Wellington Arch. Discover why it was built, how it came to be in one of the capital’s most coveted locations and why it’s giant quadriga sculpture courted controversy. We’ll also reveal the many ways it has been used over the last 200 years and what you can expect to find during a visit today. To find out more about the Wellington Arch or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/wellington-arch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we prepare to recreate the events of the Battle of Hastings, we’re profiling the man who lost on that battlefield in 1066. A man who (if you believe a certain tapestry) was killed by an arrow to the eye. Here to talk about the rise, reign and fall of Harold Godwinson is historian, author and expert on the middle ages, Dr Marc Morris. Plus, we’re joined by English Heritage Event Manager Diana Evans to find out what you can expect to see at this year’s re-enactment. To plan a visit to 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield, or book your place at this year’s event, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/battle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As summer turns to autumn and harvest time approaches, we’re joined by curator of collections and interiors Eleanor Matthews and properties curator Winn Scutt to learn about the agricultural history of two very different properties – Brodsworth Hall in South Yorkshire and Leigh Court Barn in Worcestershire. Join us to discover how they were farmed, what working life at both sites was like and what would have been happening here during harvest time. To discover more about Brodsworth Hall or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/brodsworth. To discover more about Leigh Court Barn or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/leigh-court-barn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by Head Properties Curator Dr Jeremy Ashbee, to explore the history of Restormel Castle in Cornwall. Standing in ruins surrounded by beautiful countryside in a valley with views down to the River Fowey, Restormel is one of the most remarkable castles in Britain. We discuss who built it, how it was used, its royal visitors and its links with the Duchy of Cornwall. To discover more about Restormel Castle or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/restormel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by Properties Historian, Dr Andrew Roberts, and Curator of Hadrian's Wall, Dr Frances McIntosh, to answer all of your questions about the Romans. Discover why the Romans never conquered all the British Isles, how long it took to get a letter to Rome from Hadrian’s Wall, whether Romans ever really used urine as a mouthwash and much more! To discover 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

For the second helping in our series about historic food and feasts, we’re joined by Curator of Collections and Interiors Cameron Moffett, and Senior Properties Curator Louise Bartlett, to discuss a 13th century feast that took place at Stokesay Castle in Shropshire. We’ll discover who was hosting, their guest of honour, what was on the menu and the politics of the medieval dining table. To discover more about Stokesay Castle or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/stokesaycastle This series is brought to you by Côte at Home, who offer a wide range of luxury chilled meals and French wines, delivered direct to your door, from the kitchens of the Côte Brasserie restaurants. To get a free bottle of French red or white wine with your first order over £60, go to www.coteathome.co.uk and use the promo code EH-RED or EH-WHITE at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Visiting gardens became a favourite pursuit of 18th century upper classes. It’s also a passion that many of us enjoy today: visiting historic gardens, admiring carefully crafted landscapes and maybe even picking up a few ideas for our own outdoor spaces. But were the garden tourists of the Georgian era anything like us? To answer that question and more, we’re joined by English Heritage Landscape Advisor, Emily Parker and PhD researcher, Jemima Hubbertsey. To discover a selection of English Heritage’s finest historic gardens, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/historic-gardens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Britain’s beaches are a popular day trip destination when the sun is shining, but this wasn’t always the case. Joining us to discuss the origins of the beach holiday, the history of British seaside resorts and how visits to the seaside have changed over the centuries is Dr Allan Brodie, a senior investigator at Historic England and a visiting fellow at Bournemouth University. To discover a selection of English Heritage’s best historic beach escapes, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/travel-guides/beach-escapes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re discussing 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. Joining us to discuss Alice’s story, including her connection to the English Heritage site of Middleham Castle in North Yorkshire, are Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Edinburgh Dr Cordelia Beattie, English Heritage Properties Historian Will Wyeth and Post-Doctoral Researcher Dr Jo Edge. 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