The English Heritage Podcast

As the nights grow long and Halloween approaches, we’re discussing the dark and sinister history of Farleigh Hungerford Castle near Bath. Home to the Hungerford family for over 300 years, it’s a place where you can see Britain’s best collection of human-shaped lead coffins, explore a creepy crypt and learn about murder, disaster and scandal – one part even linked to witchcraft.Joining us to explain more is historian and author of the English Heritage guidebook to Farleigh Hungerford Castle, Charles Kightly.To learn more about Farleigh Hungerford Castle or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/farleigh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re shifting our attention to Portchester Castle in Hampshire on England’s south coast. Situated at the northern end of Portsmouth Harbour, this site has a history stretching back as far as the Romans. The later castle was also a place for thousands of international prisoners during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, including 2,000 black soldiers.Joining us to talk about how the prisoners came to be here, what prison life was like for them and how their stories are being brought to life today are English Heritage’s head of learning and interpretation, Dr Dominique Bouchard, education visits officer, Laura Bosworth, and associate director at Soho Theatre, Lakesha Arie-Angelo.To learn more about Portchester Castle or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/portchestercastle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined in the studio by senior properties curator Roy Porter and curator of collections and interiors Kathryn Bedford to answer all the questions we received about the Battle of Hastings from English Heritage Members and followers on our social media accounts.Join us to discover the conflict behind the battle, how the Normans managed to transport their cavalry from France and if Harold really did get killed by an arrow to the eye. Plus, we reveal how life changed for the average person in England following the battle and what might have happened if William the Conqueror had lost.To learn more about the origins, events and legacy of the Battle of Hastings, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/1066-and-the-norman-conquest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re tracing the story of a historic heist. But it’s not the one from the 1660s involving the Crown Jewels and the Tower of London that some people might recognise. This raid dates back more than 700 years to 1303 and the reign of King Edward I, taking place in unlikely surroundings.Helping us piece together the story are English Heritage’s head properties curator Dr Jeremy Ashbee and medieval historian Sally Dixon-Smith.For more information about Chapter House and Pyx Chamber or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/chapter-house-and-pyx-chamber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re celebrating a historic landmark for the London Blue Plaques scheme after our 1,000th plaque was unveiled to commemorate the work of the Women’s Freedom League.To help us understand more about the plaque and the league’s role in the suffrage movement in the early 20th century, we’re joined by English Heritage’s blue plaque historian Howard Spencer, historian Susan Skedd and writer and historian Jill Liddington.For details of our blue plaques scheme, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week you find us Audley End in Essex, where we’re joined by English Heritage landscape advisor and historian, Louise Crawley and PHD student, Helen Brown, to learn how our historic gardens were designed to stimulate different senses.Join us to discover how sensory experiences can help to understand the past, how sensory experiences in the past differ from those we have now and what you should look out for during a visit to one of our historic gardens today.For details of our historic gardens or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/historic-gardens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a new school year gets underway, we’re joined by senior properties historian Michael Carter to discover what education was like in the Middle Ages and how it compared to today’s classrooms.Discover the different forms of medieval schools, the role of the monasteries as educators and how the educational opportunities differed for boys and girls. We’ll also reveal what the curriculum comprised, what a medieval school day looked like and where you can find out more today.For details of the school visit opportunities at our historic sites, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/school-visits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re talking about King Henry V, who is famous for his victory over the French at the 1415 Battle of Agincourt, his military abilities during the Hundred Years’ War with France and the Shakespeare play named after him.Joining us to reveal more about this celebrated medieval king and the time he spent at Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire are head historic properties curator Dr Jeremy Ashbee and emeritus professor of medieval history at the University of Southampton Anne Curry.To discover more about the history of Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden or plan a visit, go towww.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re heading behind the scenes at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens as the finishing touches are put on the major project to conserve and transform this historic country estate in Northumberland. Joining us to talk us through the project – which was partly funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund – and the history that has been brought to life as a result are national project manager Cheryl Moore, properties historians' team leader Dr Andrew Hann and senior gardens advisor Dr Michael Klemperer. To discover more about Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/belsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we think of our most famous prehistoric site, Stonehenge, we don’t automatically think of flowers. But in 1842, the site played host to a huge dahlia exhibition, attended by around 10,000 people.Joining us to reveal the story of this event and how it is being recreated over four days this autumn are English Heritage landscape advisor and historian Louise Crawley and archivist for the National Dahlia Society David Brown.To learn more about the history of Stonehenge or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices