Though protected by the walls of Pembroke Castle, the death of Margaret’s husband left her vulnerable – something of a catch on the marriage market. Margaret, probably on the advice andRead More
Plantagenets 1216 – 1485
Margaret 4 A Short Marriage - Members Only
Margaret Omnibus 1 EPs 1-3 - Members Only
Margaret 3 A Short Childhood - Members Only
Margaret 2 Family - Members Only
Margaret 1: Margaret through Time - Members Only
Sh 32 Christine de Pisan with Caitlin Chapman - Members Only
HiT A Knights Tale
A romp, ladies and gentlemen. Chaucer walking naked after betting his shirt, peasants jousting as knights, rock music at medieval jousts. A bit of fun or hideous tosh?
HiT Henry V
In celebration of St George’s Day, we watched Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V. Was it a triumph of the order of Agincourt’s, or worse than the Duke of Bedford’s haircut?
Sea 4 Pirates and Privateers - Members Only
HiT Braveheart
I, David Crowther, have managed to get to 54 without seeing Braveheart ended to end. I thought I cannot do this podcast without watching it. Find out if that proved aRead More
Sea 3 Catching a Crabbe - Members Only
Private enterprise, piracy and sate collusion – seafaring in the in 13th and 14th centuries
Shedcast 21 English Placenames II - Members Only
Shedcast 20 Place Names I – Going Somewhere - Members Only
222a The Tower of London by James Holdstock
James Holdstock is a big fan of The Tower of London; he talks about a fortress which has a history as winding, bloody, mysterious and inspiring as England’s, and is a mustRead More
220a An Oasis Discovered
Here’s my story of the church St Bartholomew the Grand and its founder. There are pictures and the text at St Bartholomew the Great
Shedcast 11b The Tournament: Rise and Fall - Members Only
Shedcast 11a The Medieval Tournament: Beginnings - Members Only
Shedcast 8b A Sense of England – Consciousness - Members Only
Shedcast 8a A Sense of England – Nationalism - Members Only
Shedcast 4 The Indispensable Dr Morton - Members Only
Shedcast 3 The Great Earl and his Arm - Members Only
Shedcast 2 Fun with Wills and Words - Members Only
Shedcast 1 The practice of Diplomacy - Members Only
195 The History of Europe Part VIII
15th Century European kingdoms were wracked by internal division as well as international war. By the end of the century, many nations had achieved unity and some degree of internalRead More
194 The Wars of the Roses
When to declare the Wars of the Roses all finished and done? There are as many choices as there are for start dates. 1485 and the Battle of Bosworth has beenRead More
193 The Blood of Innocents
In 1483, the gates of the Tower of London closed on two innocent and defenceless boys; one, Edward, 12, captured and the other Richard, 10, given up by his mother.Read More
192 Bosworth
At last in 1485 Richard got to meet his challenger in person at the Battle of Bosworth – a meeting he needed every bit as much as Henry Tudor. 192Read More
191 The Reign of Richard III
Unfortunately for Richard he was never able to simply concentrate of governing the realm; the hangover of his accession, the presence of Henry Tudor abroad – these things constantly tookRead More
190 Good King Richard?
Part of the story to counter the propaganda of the Tudors is the view that Richard promised to be an exceptionally good ruler. The brevity of Richard's reign make an assessment difficultRead More
189 The Most Untrue Creature
Richard sought to start the reconciliation of the factions in the realm. But despite his triumphant progress through the Kingdom to York, trouble was brewing – including from the most unlikelyRead More
188 Richard III – Knave, Fool or Saviour?
The time has for the Richard III podcast episode and vote. 3 of the no doubt many possible interpretations of the events of 1483 - did Richard plan to usurp theRead More
187a Jane Shore by James Boulton
Jane Shore lives among the list of the most famous mistresses – along with the likes of Roseamund Clifford, Alice Perrers. Like Alice, Jane lives and loved at the veryRead More
187 Edward V
The reign of Edward V is one of the great controversies of English history. This episode is as uncontroversial – just what happened. Then in 2 weeks time – weRead More
186 The King is Alive!
It was critical that the heir to the throne, the young Edward, was tutored and governed to be brought up to be a successful king – and so Rivers wasRead More
185 Edward the King
The 1470's were a marked contrast to the 1460's; a decade of complete calm, of control and authority. How did Edward do it? 185 Edward the King EdwardRead More
184 Edward’s Foreign Glory
Edward IV fancied himself as a latter day Edward III, and with his love of the Garter tradition on the one hand and his determination to gain revenge for FrenchRead More
183 The Brothers York
In the 1470s family rovalries came to a head in the York dynasty
182 Games and Beasts
A chance to go into some byways, away from politics and talk about how medieval folk enjoyed themselves; the games they played in medieval days, from Football to Stoolball, from chess toRead More
181 The 15th C Rural Economy
We know that the Magnates and peerage made some cutbacks and prettified fewer of their residences – but what of the Gentry, who by and large would have 1 or 2Read More
180 Lives and Loves of the Gentry
How England’s gentry lived, theoir growing importance, their hopes and fears
179 The New Farmers
A sea change in economic conditions will start a long term change in the structure of English society
178 The 15th C Economy I
Economic changes that will define the following Tudor age
177 High Noon at Tewkesbury
Here it is at last – the great showdown. This time only York or Lancaster will survive
176 The Readeption
Edward IV returns, in force and with fire and sword
175 An Unholy Alliance
In 1470 the spin of the wheel of fortune was dizzying. Warwick had won, lost, won…where it ended nobody knew. But the most extraordinary thing of all was an alliance toRead More
174 Warwick’s Rubicon
In 1468, Warwick had a decision to make – as he himself said, 'It is a matter of being either Master or Varlet'. 174 Warwick's Rubicon George Neville, Archbishop ofRead More
173 Rivers Rising
There was a new faction at court – the Woodvilles, and they were there en masse. Were they really so bad? Had Edward boobed? And what did Warwick thinkRead More
172 A Royal Marriage
The first three years of Edward's reign were spent dealing stamping on the fires of the Lancastrian resistance. But then, he found time for something much more controversial than dis-embowelling,Read More
171 Two Rulers
In the aftermath of Towton, Edward started his work to restore a broad based regime – crushing the recalcitrant, welcoming the turncoats, re-establishing royal justice. He also had a party. MargaretRead More