Our survey of 16th century Europe moves on to the growth of the Ottoman Empire under Suleyman, and the chaos of the French religious wars. Religious division in Europe Here isRead More
HoS 26 Bruce’s War - Members Only
Bannockburn in 1314 brought to a close a process started in Greyfriar's church in 1306
253 Europe IX Confessionalism Unleashed
How the rise of Calvinism, the Catholic Reformation and the peace of Augsberg combined with attitudes towards heresy to divide Europe along harsher, confessional lines. The Hapsburg Empire under Charles VRead More
TTME The Longbow
For a while, from the 13th to 15th centuries, the king of England possessed a military tool that no other nation appeared to be able to imitate. The argument is whether it hadRead More
HiT Amadeus
Amadeus combined music, drama, hagiography and a spot of crime mystery. It won 8 awards. Has it stood the test of time, and how faithful to history was it in itsRead More
Sea 3 Catching a Crabbe - Members Only
Private enterprise, piracy and sate collusion – seafaring in the in 13th and 14th centuries
Shedcasters’ Songs, Tudor Medicine and Charity Appeal
This is an even freer episode of the history of England to persuade you to donate to the History of England charity appeal. There are songs from Davie, Tudor MedicineRead More
HoS 25 William Wallace II - Members Only
The fall and execution of a national hero
Roman Bath Museum Worship
Discussing what the Roman Baths can tell us about Religious worship in the Roman world, and introducing two of the Roman Baths’ most illustrious characters – the Goddess, Sulis Minerva, andRead More
The History of the Vikings by Noah Tetzner
The History of Vikings features in depth discussions with world-class scholars from Oxford, Harvard, and Yale University, and dives into Norse Mythology and Viking history. From myths and raids, toRead More
HiT Master and Commander
Master and Commander is a tale of community and belonging, friendship and the ‘failure of fellowship’ on board the good ship surprise. There’s a bit of war, derring do andRead More
252 Henry VIII – Judgement Day and results
Posted on 5th August: Results now in! It was very close as the table below shows. But int he end, the History of England listeners declared that while Henry VIIIRead More
HoS 24 Wallace and the Wars of the Guardians I - Members Only
A rising wave of fury found its champion - in William Wallace
Introducing History in Technicolour
Announcing a new podcast from Wolf O’Neil and me, David Crowther. This is a superbrief explanation and a few tiny snippets which will hopefully give you a feel for itRead More
TTME Cricket
The greatest game invented by the human race. An Indian game accidentally invented by the English. A game for heroes. But we are not talking about tiddlywinks here – instead, this weekRead More
HiT – Zodiac
Zodiac is a 2007 true crime film directed by David Fincher, and starring Jake Gyllenhall, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey, Jr. It tells the story of the search for the ZodiacRead More
Roman Bath Museum Day to Day
The second episode in our series looks at how the Roman Baths operated day to day, the infrastructure and technology, how they were managed, what went on when visitors enteredRead More
Sh 29 Religious Conflict and Toleration - Members Only
How religious toleration come to the West, and why
251a Henry VIII Abroad by Zack Twambley
Zack returns! Yay! Zack, of the ‘When Diplomacy Fails’ Podcast, survey’s Henry VIII’s foreign policy and weighs it up – is the word policy too complimentary? To find out moreRead More
History FanGirl Interview
Hi All A few days ago I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Stephanie, the original History Fangirl. Stephanie talks to people about their favourite places so I, ofRead More
251 The End of Days
In 1546, Gardiner and the religious conservatives moved their sights from Cranmer, to the new darling of the evangelical cause – the Queen. Getting evidence from Anne Askew was the keyRead More
HoS 23 Toom Tabard - Members Only
King John faced a difficult task to keep his throne in 1296
TTME The Flag of St George
The Thing that Made England Where does the flag of St George come from and why is it England’s national flag? Is it a symbol of unity or division, whyRead More
HoS 22 The Great Cause - Members Only
In 1280 there was no sign of anything other than a bright future for Scotland. But the turn of the wheel of fortune was to bring 70 years of struggle.
TTME Dunkirk
Dunkirk is of course very famous…but what was its impact? It was just the escape from a series of hideous defeats wasn’t it, best forgotten… The Battle of Dunkirk was a military operationRead More
TTME English Accents
Are English accents a joy and delight, a sign of rich diversity or irritating and divisive? And what is it about the Midlands that makes everyone think they can ignoreRead More
TTME Ska
Roifield presents the proposition that Ska is not just important because it’s the one musical form everyone can dance to. Hi all…and welcome to Episode 2, where Roifield usesRead More
TTME 1066 – A New Dawn?
Was 1066 and iconic event that made England as she is. Was it a good thing a bad thing – or just a thing?
Roman Bath Museum Discovery
This is the first of three special episodes from the wonderful Roman Bath Museum at Bath. Experts from the museum talk about Bath’s history, from before Rome to Georgian Bath toRead More
Sea 2 Eustace the Monk and the Angevins - Members Only
Britain, the sea and folktales through the story of Eustace the Monk
250 Catherine and Anne
In 1545 the struggle between conservative and evangelical, between mumpsimus and sumpsimus grew more intense as Catherine Parr’s household shed an evangelical light over the court. And into this situation cameRead More
248 To Arms!
In 1544 Henry traveled to France and hauled himself into the saddle for his last chance to emulate Henry V. A little like his predecessor, he was also investing in a royal Read More
249 Knaves I Cannot Rule
It’s time for a naval encounter, marked by the sinking of the Mary Rose, and then we set the scene for the cut-throat politics of the last years with Richard Rich,Read More
Sea 1 Origins - Members Only
The early centuries of British Navies - and a sea shanty to keep you going
Shedcast 28 In Davie’s Shed - Members Only
An interview with Davie McGirr about Sea Shanties. Well, a chat in a shed in which shanties make a brief appearance.
HoS 21 Prudent as a Serpent - Members Only
The reign of Alexander III (1249 – 1286) was a golden era of political stability, the apogee of the Canmore dynasty, and a time of continuing expansion with the Treaty of PerthRead More
247a Roanoke – England’s First Colony by Joel Kindrick
In 1585, a colony was established at Roanoke, sponsored by Walter Raleigh. Find out what happens from historian and Birkenstock wearer Joel Kindrick.
Sh 27 Norfolk and Son - Members Only
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk was a central figure in Henry VIII’s reign – what made him tick? His son, Henry Howard, was one of England’s most important poets, and bit ofRead More
247 Queen Catherine the Third
The arrival of Catherine Parr (and family) and preparations for war in France. And rather a lot of digressions. Transcript Last week I mentioned that after his despair at CatherineRead More
246 A Rough Wooing
In 1542, Henry’s sought war with France; but before that, he must make sure his northern borders were safe. So began the Rough Wooing, as Henry sought to bring a Pro-EnglishRead More
245 The Prebendaries Plot
In 1543 religious conservatives were in the ascendant, dominated the aristocratic Privy Council and a wave of prosecutions for heresy followed. When some of Archbishop Cranmer’s own parishioners of Kent soughtRead More
HoS 20 Obsession and Acceptance - Members Only
William the Lion and Alexander II extend Scotland's borders. And find out how much Caithness cost in 1202
HoS 19 The Maiden and the Lion - Members Only
Two Grandsons of David I who struggled to maintain his legacy during the rule of the Angevins.
244 No More Time to Dance
Catherine had made a decent start of being queen. And it was really in no body’s interest to reveal her old life. But dangers and memories were all around –Read More
Sh 26 Hans Holbein - Members Only
The life and times of Hans Holbein, who brought Henry VIII's court to life for us
243 A Jewel for Womanhood
In 1540 a new member at court, Catherine Howard, caught the eye of a king struggling with his marriage to Anne. By July Anne was gone and Catherine had embarkedRead More
242 Anne and Thomas
Anne arrived in England to be greeted by 6 burly disguised middle aged men. 1540 was a year neither Anne of Cleves nor Thomas Cromwell were to remember – with affectionRead More
HoS 18 David I – Power and Ambition - Members Only
David I and his success in expanding Scotland's borders and authority
241 The Illness of King Henry
Henry’s attitude to illness, and possible medical explanations for his character and events of his realm. And a negotiation starts for a new wife. A royal marriage proposal: Amelia andRead More
HoS 17 David I – Power and Change - Members Only
David I started processes that would transform the society, economy and government of his kingdom