The English Heritage Podcast
The English Heritage Podcast, hosted by comedian and writer Amy Matthews, explores history through mystery objects. Each episode starts with a mysterious item and, with the help of English Heritage experts and special guests, uncovers stories about the past and its connection to the present. The podcast offers entertaining tales from unexpected places, blending humor and historical insight.
Episodes
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: the woman who discovered what stars are made of
In 1911, when Cecila Payne was eleven, she was so musically gifted that none other than the great composer Gustav Holst encouraged her to take up music as a career.
But her sights were set – literally – much higher.
Her passion for science would lead her to become one of the leading astronomers of her generation and she changed our understanding of the
universe forever when she discovere
1066: The Battle of Hastings blow by blow | Episode 3
The day that changed English history forever has dawned.
In this episode of English Heritage’s special 1066 series, host Amy Matthews looks at the Battle of Hastings as it happened, using established facts and some creative speculation.
Joining her are Roy Porter, Senior Curator of Properties at English Heritage, and Professor Tom Licence, Professor of Medieval History and Literature at
1066: Build up to the Battle | Episode 2
Following our look at the Bayeux Tapestry in Episode 1, host Amy Matthews explores the dramatic events leading up to the Battle of Hastings. Joining her are regular guest Roy Porter (Senior Curator of Properties at English Heritage) and Dr Rebecca Tyson (expert in 11th-century maritime history at the University of Bristol).
Together, they dive into the chaos following Edward the Con
King Arthur, goblins and dragons - how prehistoric sites got their names
From Long Meg and her Daughters to the Devil’s Arrows to Hetty Pegler’s Tump, the British Isles is dotted with ancient places with curious names. But who came up with those titles and what inspired them?
This time, Amy is joined by English Heritage’s Curator of History, Al Oswald and Curator of Properties, Stonehenge and the West, Win Scutt, to uncover the myths and folklore that have
The Bayeux Tapestry: 1066 Comes Home | Episode 1
Welcome to the first episode of our brand-new, seven-part English Heritage Podcast video series exploring the historic events of 1066.
This episode unravels the years long journey to bring the iconic 70-metre Bayeux Tapestry back to English soil for a landmark exhibition at the British Museum. From negotiations and transport logistics to hidden embroidery secrets and missing end pan
Skeleton 1863: Reconstructing the face of “Conquest Man”
In this episode, host Amy Matthews is joined by Kevin Booth, English Heritage’s Head Curator of Collections, and Professor Caroline Wilkinson, Director of Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University. Together, they explore how forensic science created a lifelike facial depiction of "Conquest Man" found buried at St Peter’s Church in Barton-upon-Humber around 50 years ago and known archaeologicall
From food to florals: The rise of the rockstar gardener
The English Heritage Podcast goes live! Host Amy Matthews records in front of a live audience at Audley End House during the 2026 Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair.
Joined by English Heritage experts Andrew Hann, Michael Klemperer and Emily Parker, Amy explores how gardening evolved from a practical necessity into a passion for beauty, leisure and horticultural showmanship.
From the rigid
Hidden lives: slavery in Roman Britain
In this episode, we explore how a simple piece of Roman pottery - a red Samian bowl - can reveal the hidden lives of people living in Britain nearly 2,000 years ago.
Found at Corbridge Roman Town, this artifact features a unique bit of ancient graffiti translating to "Nico slave of Atticus".
Joining host Amy Matthews are English Heritage historian Dr. Andrew Rob
The sights, sounds and smells of a Roman fort
Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall is Britain's most complete Roman fort. From the remains of its buildings, we can get a good idea of what it looked like. But how did the bathhouse smell? Or, perhaps more importantly, what about the latrines? What did the food taste like? And what sounds would the Roman soldiers stationed there have heard?
Join Amy, English Heritage Curator of Histor
Harmondsworth: One of England’s Medieval Great Barns
Step through the doors of Britain’s surviving medieval barns and you enter a space that once fed whole communities.
This week, Amy Matthews meets Dr Lydia Miller and Dr Nick Holder to explore the surprising power of England’s great barns.
This year marks 600 years since the construction of Harmondsworth Barn, an agricultural
From monastery to mansion: The colourful history of Audley End House
Audley End House in Essex is still one of England’s finest mansions. To look at it today, you’d never know it started life as Walden Abbey, a Benedictine monastery dissolved by Henry VIII.
The story of its journey from monastery to mansion involves intrigue, fraud, brazen ambition and a cast of colourful characters. Join Amy, art historian and curator, Dr Peter Moore, and volunteer researcher, F
Coastline Special 6: Time and tides – conserving our coastal history
With their monasteries and castles, historic ports and seaside towns, our coastlines can feel timeless. But the truth is these landscapes, and the communities within them, change all the time.
Join Amy and English Heritage’s Senior Properties Curator, Roy Porter, and Assistant Curator of Collections for the South East, Grace Parsonage. Together, they explore how coastal sites have evolved over t
A Voice for After-Ages: The radical life of Margaret Cavendish
Step into the "blazing mind" of Margaret Cavendish, the 17th-century Duchess of Newcastle who challenged the conventions of her age. In this episode of the English Heritage Podcast, host Amy Matthews is joined by Senior Curator of History Megan Leland and PhD researcher Sophie
White to explore the life of a true original.
A pioneering science fiction writer, philosopher and trailblazer, Cavendish
Coastline Special 5: A Very British Summer: The Victorian Seaside Boom
A day out at the seaside is still a summertime staple for many British families. From fish and chips on the promenade to a classic 99, messing about in rock pools and trying your luck on the 2p machines, there's so much nostalgia and tradition wrapped up in a day out by the sea. But what started our love affair with the seaside holiday? As with so many things, the Victorians had a big part to play
More than a missionary: The social work of Kamal Chunchie
This week, join host Amy Matthews and Howard Spencer, English Heritage senior historian for blue plaques, Judith Garfield MBE, executive director of Eastside Community Heritage, and Sumita Mukherjee, historian at the University of Bristol, as they celebrate the unveiling of London’s 1,035th English Heritage blue plaque, dedicated to the remarkable Kamal Chunchie.
After arriving from Sri Lanka, Ch
Coastline Special 4: Where the sacred meets the sea
What it is about our cliffs, beaches, islands and headlands that makes them so perfect for pilgrimage, prayer and retreat? In the fourth of our special series on Britain’s coastline, join Amy and English Heritage curators Susan Harrison and Jeremy Ashbee for a spiritual seaside journey. From the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to St Catharine’s Chapel near Chesil Beach and plenty of places in between,
From Mob Rules to the Modern Match: A History of Football
To celebrate the men's football World Cup this year, join host Amy Matthews as we dribble through the surprisingly long history of the beautiful game.
Historian Will Wyeth and curator Peter Moore unpack a fascinating cabinet of curiosities, from a Victorian leather football discovered in a castle toilet to records of Mary, Queen of Scots watching an early match at Carlisle Castle.
We also discov
Coastline Special 3: Henry VIII’s Super Forts
When Henry VIII separated from the Catholic Church, he was left feeling vulnerable to invasion from France and Spain. His answer was to build England’s first national coastal defence network. Rising like medieval spaceships along the English coast, these ‘device forts’ were a series of rounded stone fortresses. But how did they operate? What made them so formidable? How did they change the nature
Laurence Olivier: The making of an icon
Sir Ian McKellen recently unveiled an English Heritage Blue Plaque at 22 Lupus Street in London’s Pimlico. That was the childhood home of the man many still regard as the greatest actor of the twentieth century: Sir Laurence Olivier.
We were there to capture the moment, including a remarkable impromptu performance of Shakespeare’s Henry V’s speech before Agincourt,
delivered from the steps of th
Coastline Special 2: Shorelines, ships and the secrets of trade
England’s coastline isn’t just a story about keeping invaders at bay. For centuries, our shorelines were bustling gateways, connecting communities through trade, travel and the everyday goods arriving by sea.
It’s a story that pre-dates fortification and invasion, revealing the heart of the close and enduring relationship between English communities and the sea. Plus, it might well be behind our
Seeking Sanctuary: Fleeing conflict in the Middle Ages
Throughout the ages, people have been forced to leave their homes due to conflict and instability and find refuge in another country - or a different part of their own country.
In this episode of the English Heritage Podcast, host Amy Matthews sits down with English Heritage historian Dr Will Wyeth and Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge Prof Bart Lambert to look at that phenomenon a
Coastline Special: Romans by the sea
Did you know that Roman emperors had a weakness for English oysters? The Romans arrived in Britain around 43AD and one of their first settlements was at Richborough in Kent, where they found oysters so good they sent them back home.
In the first of our special series on the English coastline, we go back to Roman times. It wasn’t just a military invasion, it was an influx of culture and people
The Neolithic Hall: Reconstructing History at Stonehenge
This week, the English Heritage Podcast brings the sights, sounds, and even the smells of 4,000 BC to life as host Amy Matthews visits Stonehenge for a remarkable experiment in archaeology: the
building of a full‑scale Neolithic Hall.
Join host Amy as she explores a groundbreaking experimental archaeology project: the construction of a full-scale Neolithic Hall and discover how English Heritage c
Berwick-on-Tweed: life on the border in the 16th century
Berwick-upon-Tweed is England's most northerly town. Today, it's known for its stunning architecture and beautiful views over the North Sea.
In the past, though, it was a contested spot. Berwick’s strategic position, near the England–Scotland border, meant that it had always been an important garrison town. The imposing and slightly foreboding structure of the barracks has been a significant la
Reinterpreting Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo
Next week marks 86 years since Operation Dynamo: the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk during the Second World War. But beyond the history that we all know lies a far more complex human story.
Beginning inside the wartime tunnels beneath Dover Castle, Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage historian Dr Kathryn Bedford alongside Yves Janssen and Gautier
Northumberland and the Border Reivers
From the 14th to the 17th century, survival in the turbulent borderlands between England and Scotland depended on family, loyalty and the strength to defend what was yours.
In this episode of the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews explores the violent world of the Border Reivers, the families who controlled this contested landscape for centuries, through fortified farmhouses and ruined peel t
A history of natural history
As broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday, Amy Matthews explores how Britain learned to observe, record and make sense of the living world and why those early questions about nature still matter today.
Beginning at Down House, the family home of Charles Darwin, this episode explores how natural history was shaped not just by Darwin’s famous ideas, but
Northumberland: the story of Norham Castle
On the banks of the River Tweed, where England meets Scotland, Norham Castle has stood watch over one of Britain’s most contested landscapes for centuries. But beyond the sieges, treaties and shifting borders lies a more human story.
In this episode, Amy Matthews explores a world of fishermen casting nets below the castle walls and soldiers bracing for attack.
Historian Dr Will Wyeth and Nor
Windmills: restoring England’s working giants
Mills have towered over English landscapes since the medieval period. In this episode, Amy finds out how modern conservation and passionate people are working to keep windmills alive today.
Sibsey Trader Windmill is a magnificently restored mill, now reopened to the public in Lincolnshire. This Victorian tower mill has been rescued from the brink after decades of decline. Nick Holder and Joseph
Northumberland: castles and the borderlands of power
A stone knight, an emerging frontier and a story of shifting identity: this time, Amy and her guests explore how the Anglo-Scottish border began to evolve in the centuries following the Norman Conquest, right through to a critical 1237 treaty.
English Heritage’s Will Wyeth and Professor Richard Oram from the University of Stirling explain how the people and landscape of Northumberland were criti
Memories of flowers: a country house and its community
Some blocked plumbing at Brodsworth Hall, a pre-ball dancefloor drama and the fiercely competitive annual May Queen crowning at the local school: these are just some of the stories that emerge from this country house’s ‘floral’ history!
This week, Amy is joined by Eleanor Matthews for a joyful celebration of flowers. They’ll listen to the memories of gardeners, housemaids and locals to find out
The bittersweet history of chocolate
It might feel like an everyday treat now, but a dip into the history of chocolate reveals a story of global trade, empire, aristocratic tastes and industrial revolution.
This week, Amy is joined by food historian Sam Bilton and English Heritage historian Dr Andrew Hann to trace chocolate’s journey from a bitter, spiced drink of status and ceremony to the sweet comfort and ritual we know today.
The Partners: who were Seely and Paget?
Creators of an Art Deco masterpiece at Eltham Palace in London, Seely and Paget were one of the most remarkable architectural partnerships of the 20th century.
In this episode, Amy explores the men behind the names, tracing how two well-connected young men who met at Cambridge went on to leave their mark on churches, colleges and country houses across the country and reshape Eltham Palace into o
The hidden history of women in construction
When we picture the building of Britain’s great country houses, it’s easy to imagine architects, craftspeople and wealthy patrons...but they’re almost always men.
However, after a closer look at the records, a different story becomes clear. From brickfields and workshops to family building firms and busy construction sites, women have always been present during the construction of the buildings
The secret world of portrait miniatures
Tiny enough to wear around your neck, yet big enough to hold secrets, memories and devotion: portrait miniatures give us an intimate insight into the private lives of the past.
In this episode, Amy Matthews is joined by curators Lydia Miller and Peter Moore to explore remarkable stories from this pre-photography phenomenon and delve into English Heritage’s special collections.
From beaver te
The birth of medieval manuscripts
What does an oyster shell have to do with medieval books? This week, Amy explores one of her favourite moments in history: when medieval scribes started to create beautifully illuminated manuscripts.
She’s exploring the complex, multi-faceted and highly skilled work that helped create these works of literature and art. From a stinky parchment creation process to fine pigments and steady hands w
Poetry, maths and the Milky Way: the unsung genius of Thomas Wright
What do deer shelters, cosmic theories and serpentine garden paths have in common?
The brilliant (but often overlooked) mind of Thomas Wright of Durham. This week on The English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews explores the life and work of an Enlightenment polymath who rose from carpenter’s son to mathematician, stargazer and garden visionary.
Biographer Simon Webb and historian Dr Andrew Hann
Rethinking an Iron Age ‘war cemetery’
Was Maiden Castle really the site of a brutal Roman massacre? Or have we been telling the wrong story for decades?
This vast Iron Age hillfort in Dorset is home to human remains that have shaped our understanding of conquest, conflict and resistance for nearly a century. In this episode, we return to the skeletons that made the site famous: young men, women and children bearing signs of violenc
Love tokens from history
Forget roses and chocolates this Valentine’s Day. Lovers from the past set the bar high, with romantic poetry, locks of human hair, beautifully crafted silver and even a new city dedicated to a lost love.
Join Amy Matthews and English Heritage historians and curators for a look at love tokens, secret messages and heartbreak memorials from our sites, to discover how people in the past flirted, mo
Before 1066: how England’s elites lived, ruled, and showed off
This isn’t a story of castles and conquest, but of carved pins, private churches, timber halls and even a king’s toilet.
In this episode, we’re exploring early medieval England to uncover how wealth, status and authority were expressed before the Norman Conquest. Far from a sharp break in history, new archaeological research reveals deep continuities in how England’s elites lived, ruled...and sh
A postie, an emperor, and a 2,000-year-old grain measure
What could a postal worker, a murdered emperor, and a Roman grain measure possibly have in common?
In this episode of The English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews is joined by Dr Francis McIntosh to explore a remarkably well-preserved Roman modius, or grain measure. Discovered by pure chance in 1915 near Hadrian’s Wall, this object carries an extraordinary story.
An official measuring vessel, t
Falconry, fashion and threat: a history of people and birds
From Darwin’s pigeons to peregrines on Parliament, birds have always been more than background noise. They’ve shaped science, symbolism, status and the very landscapes we live in.
In this episode, Amy chats with three passionate bird enthusiasts: English Heritage’s Dr Louise Crawley, head gardener and bird obsessive Anthony O’Rourke, and zoologist and broadcaster Megan McCubbin. Together, they
Adventure and obsession: orchid hunting in the 1930s
From steamy jungles and boiling mud pools to a bathroom aboard a luxury yacht, this is a plant story like no other. Sir Stephen and Lady Virginia Courtauld weren’t just art deco tastemakers; they were globe-trotting orchid obsessives, chasing rare blooms across Southeast Asia in the 1930s and (legally!) bringing them home against the odds.
Joined by English Heritage’s Dr Andrew Hann and gardener
Dogs and devotion: faithful companions and their families
From one brown leather dog collar unfolds a story of a family that loved their dogs for generations. And the Thellussons of Brodsworth Hall weren’t the only grand family whose history we can understand more deeply through accounts of their four-legged friends.
This time, Amy is joined by English Heritage historians Dr Megan Leyland and Eleanor Matthews to explore how dogs lived alongside people
Vermeer: Double Vision
Two near-identical paintings. One great Dutch master. And a mystery that has spanned more than 350 years. In this episode of The English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews travels to Kenwood to explore “The Guitar Player”, Johannes Vermeer’s celebrated painting, and its striking counterpart from the Philadelphia Art Museum. Displayed side by side for the first time, these two works are inviting spirit
What was Christmas like for servants below stairs?
While the family upstairs feasts and toasts, who’s stoking the fires, serving the supper and sweeping up the pine needles? This episode heads below stairs to explore how servants in historic country houses really spent Christmas.
Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage expert Dr Andrew Hann and writer Sian Evans to uncover the season of hard work and stolen play. Not to mention vast quantitie
The curious case of Santa’s finger and the story of Christian pilgrimage
How did an English abbey come to own a fragment of Santa’s finger?
And what has this got to do with a long tradition of spiritual journeys?
Beginning with a relic from St Nicholas that found its way all the way to Battle Abbey in Sussex, we’re lacing up our boots to follow the history of Christian pilgrimage around the world.
Dr Michael Carter and modern-day pilgrim Luke Sherlock @english
From Bayswater to Neverland: J.M. Barrie and the boy who wouldn’t grow up
“Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning.”
Step inside the layered, lyrical, sometimes lonely world of writer J.M. Barrie. Amy Matthews meets with Blue Plaques historian Howard Spencer who explains how Peter Pan was born in this London home, before diving into the life and works of the writer with Barrie biographer Lisa Chaney.
From a weaving town in Scotland to Edwardian theatr
Living with the ancestors: Neolithic death and remembrance
People in the early Neolithic period were pioneering farming in England and building our first architecture – not stone circles or elegant homes, but grand tombs that often dominated the landscape.
This time on the English Heritage podcast, Amy Matthews steps back in time with Jennifer Wexler and Win Scutt to explore how death and remembrance were tied into the cultures, daily lives and traditio
A delicious history of pudding
What do Charles Darwin’s wife, a Victorian cook, and a food historian with a sweet tooth have in common? Pudding — and plenty of it.
This week, Amy Matthews is joined by Dr Annie Gray and Dr Andrew Hann to dig through centuries of recipes, from Emma Darwin’s handwritten notes to the rise of the sticky toffee pudding. Along the way, they uncover the people behind Britain’s best-loved desserts —
From Brodsworth with love: the girl who knitted for the front
In 1916, 11-year-old Amy Tyreman picked up her knitting needles and joined the war effort, sending handmade comforts to soldiers she’d never met.
This community effort from the children of the Brodsworth estate in Yorkshire led to an exchange of letters with brave troops. More than a century later, some of Amy’s treasured correspondence survives.
Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage’s D
Disability and care in medieval England
In medieval England, community and religion played an important role in how people cared for each other. Ideas about charity and care helped lay the foundations for some of our most important public services today.
This time on The English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews chats with Simon Jarrett, author of A History of Disability in England and Collections Curator Susan Harrison to uncover lesser
‘Pleasing terrors’: the origins and continuing popularity of ghost stories
If you’re planning to enjoy a scary book or film from the comfort of your home this Halloween, you’ll be continuing a long tradition.
Since the earliest civilisations, humans have been fascinated by the idea of ghosts, death and the afterlife. This time on The English Heritage Podcast, Amy chats with Dr Michael Carter and Dr Beverley Clack about religion, philosophy and the spiritual questions
Privilege and play: a history of childhood adventure
English Heritage sites aren’t just great places to learn about our past – they’re also spaces for creativity and play.
In this episode of The English Heritage Podcast, Andrew Hann and historian Abby Van Slyck join Amy to discuss how children’s recreation and ideas of play have evolved, starting with the Swiss Cottage at Osborne – a miniature house designed by Prince Albert to educate his nine c
Enslaver, politician, survivor: the complex life of Elizabeth Vassall Fox
In the late 1790s, Sir Godfrey Webster, heir to Battle Abbey, challenged politician Henry Holland to a duel over a portrait of his wife Elizabeth. Unhappy in her marriage, Elizabeth would divorce Godfrey and marry Henry just two days later. This would mark the beginning of a high-profile life for her in English politics.
But who was this wealthy and privileged Jamaican heiress and how did she e
A history of curry in Britain
Try to order a balti in Kashmir and you might get a funny look.
That’s because this ‘classic curry’ was invented in 1970s Birmingham, when a restaurant owner wanted to make a curry-like dish that suited local palates and could be cooked quickly for his customers.
Curry may be one of our nation’s favourite foods, but how did our modern-day cuisine evolve from centuries of trade, exploitation,
A coin, a castle and a conquest: the Normans in the north of England
In 2021, 950 years after English Heritage’s Richmond Castle was founded in Yorkshire, an amateur archaeologist joined her first dig and turned up a stunning find.
A silver coin dating to the decades following the Norman Conquest, bearing the face of William the Conqueror, fired up historians’ imaginations. Who lost it, what were they doing at the castle, and what did this penny mean to the peo
Circle of Days and the building of Stonehenge
Stonehenge has captured the imaginations of people for millennia, leading to conspiracy theories and fantastical ideas about its construction. But cutting-edge historical analysis has allowed us to reveal more of its secrets in recent times.
Now, author Ken Follett has turned his hand to an imagined epic about the early days of the site’s construction and the social lives and beliefs of people o
Monastic to modern: a history of universities
What does a stone slab at Yorkshire’s Fountains Abbey have in common with the modern-day university?
This time on the English Heritage podcast, Michael Carter takes Amy on his journey of discovery, from an abbot’s strangely positioned headdress to the monastic origins of doctorates. Dr Tessa Whitehouse joins the conversation as we explore how the modern university evolved from elite religious i
Feeding the masses: fuelling an agricultural revolution
It’s easy to take the food on our plates for granted, but the 20th century has been a time of enormous change for the production and supply of what we eat. Not to mention the sort of dish you’d be looking forward to on a Friday evening. Herring and pickled beetroot, anyone?
But did you know about a highly specialised, world-renowned government institute that was developing the latest technology
Pumps and people power: firefighting at country houses
Caring for country houses is a delicate task, involving protecting them from fire risk, weather, pests, and much more. Some things have remained the same over the years: fire has long been a looming threat for the residents of country houses.
This time on the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews chats with Andrew Hann, Peter Moore and Richard Luscombe about the dramatic events, near misses an
The Melsonby Hoard: life in Iron Age Britain
In 2021, a Yorkshire metal detectorist unearthed one of the UK’s largest and most important Iron Age finds. Now the Melsonby Hoard is reshaping our understanding of life in Britain 2000 years ago.
In this episode, we delve into the trove to discuss how values, wealth, power, culture and even transport in Britain were evolving against the backdrop of growing Roman influence. Amy Matthews is join
William Marshal: the man behind the myth
How did a 13th century knight become one of the greatest national heroes of his time?
In this episode of the English Heritage podcast, Amy Matthews and her guests discover a true knight’s tale. William, a low-level aristocrat, narrowly avoided a violent end as a child and rose to greatness through violent tournaments, warfare and royal service.
But who was the real William Marshal, and can
A potted history of houseplants
People love to fill their homes with beautiful plants, but this is not a new phenomenon. The trade in wild plants and seeds has a complex history that stretches back into the past and across the world.
Ahead of the Gardeners’ World Autumn Plant Fair at Audley End, Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage’s Emily Parker and Joe Bagley, The Houseplant Doctor, to explore how our obsession with h
Cultivating a vision: women in garden design
In this episode of the English Heritage podcast, we’ll discover the remarkable women who have helped to shape some of our most beautiful gardens.
From Georgian garden retreats that provided refuge from the royal court and the backdrop for a literary coterie to the ‘weeding women’ who kept gardens looking their best, we explore their significant yet often overlooked contributions. We'll also sh
‘Dollar princesses’ or influential heiresses? A new perspective on Sargent’s American portraits
In the late 19th and early 20th century, glamorous, exciting and often very wealthy American women mingled with the British aristocracy and set the gossip pages alight with rumours of engagements. But alongside this fascination, anti-American sentiment and xenophobia saw them dismissed them as mere ‘dollar princesses’ trading cash for coronets.
This label endured long beyond its time, until his
A short history of games with Taskmaster’s Alex Horne
This summer, we’ve partnered with TV’s Taskmaster to set you silly challenges as you explore 17 of our sites. So, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to discuss some of the more unusual games and entertainments enjoyed in the past.
In this episode, Amy Matthews is joined by Taskmaster creator Alex Horne and English Heritage curator Peter Moore for some gaming nostalgia, stories of weird and wonder
The Black British composer who broke America
One of the first black students at the Royal College of Music in 1890, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor would go on to compose some of the most-loved music of his time and ‘break’ America. Despite this global success, Coleridge-Taylor made his home in Croydon, where a blue plaque now marks his former home at Dagnall Park, Selhurst.
But who was this musical genius?
English Heritage’s Howard Spencer,
‘Princely Shows’ and power: Elizabeth I at Kenilworth Castle
In the summer of 1575, Robert Dudley hosted 19 spectacular days of entertainment for Elizabeth I, including lavish new apartments for the queen, a beautifully manicured private garden, plays, hunting and pageantry.
It was all in an ostentatious bid to win Elizabeth’s hand in marriage, but as she rode off at the end of her visit, Dudley was left empty-handed.
In this episode, Amy Matthews c
How 1930s fashion and design shook up a former medieval palace
We begin this episode with a fabulous and weighty pair of brooches. But which 1930s millionaire was sporting these tutti-frutti Cartier gems? And where might you have seen those designs before?
Stephen and Virginia Courtauld were a well-balanced couple: one eccentric and daring, the other bookish and reserved. They used their millions to travel the world and host lavish parties, but their art-d
Espionage, identity and cross-dressing in the Middle Ages
Sometimes, historical research can offer unexpected questions and avenues of exploration. That’s what happened when English Heritage’s Will Wyeth was digging through a medieval manuscript.
References to a medieval woman spy dressed in men’s clothing were too tantalising to ignore, so he and Michael James got together to ask questions about the mysterious Margoth.
They join Amy Matthews on t
The enduring allure of stone circles
As the summer solstice approaches, thousands flock to monuments like Stonehenge seeking spiritual connection and a spectacular sunset and sunrise.
But why are people still drawn to stone circles after thousands of years?
This time on the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage’s Dr Jennifer Wexler to explore how these monuments were built and why people have cont
The art of heritage: Turner’s vision of England
J M W Turner is considered one of England’s great artists, but why?
This time on the English Heritage podcast, we dive into some of the 35 paintings Turner made of English Heritage sites to explore how he responded to a period of enormous emotional and political upheaval.
Working against a backdrop of war, industrial expansion, tourism, abolition, patriotism and shifting national identity, T
The illuminating story of stained glass
Churches and buildings around England are home to beautiful stained glass enjoyed by communities and visitors every day. But less well known are the fascinating stories and histories behind these national treasures.
This week on the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews is joined by Michael Carter and Susan Harrison to piece together what collections both in situ and in store can tell us about
People of 1381: stories from the Peasants’ Revolt
The summer of 1381 saw one of the biggest popular uprisings in Medieval Europe. Now, an innovative online resource is revealing how the Peasants’ Revolt impacted the lives of women, children and whole communities.
This week, Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage’s Dr Will Wyeth to unlock the complex social and political issues of the revolt and how we feel these forces today.
The Universi
Gladiators: finds, fans and fame
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 o
The camera, the cook and the chauffeur: a country house love story
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 speci
Computers, protection and peace in the Cold War era
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 hist
From bobbins to skyscrapers: the story of Shrewsbury Flaxmill
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 innovati
Georgian wallpaper and an enduring fashion trend
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 volu
