The English Heritage Podcast

John of Gaunt was the Duke of Lancaster, a medieval prince and the richest man in England for most of his life. The founder of the Lancastrian dynasty, he ensured that three Henrys would become king and had connections to six castles that are cared for by English Heritage today. Joining us to discuss his life and legacy is curator of collections and interiors, Dickon Whitewood. To discover more about John of Gaunt’s former home, Kenilworth Castle, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworth   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're on-site at North Leigh Roman Villa in Oxfordshire – one of the larger villas of Roman Britain, which once included 16 mosaic floors and 11 rooms with underfloor heating. As a major conservation project gets underway, we find out about who lived here, how the site was discovered and the important work taking place to protect it. Joining us are senior properties curator (west) Win Scutt, collections conservator (west) Wendy Richardson, and national project manager Zoe Stubbs. For more information on North Leigh Roman Villa, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/north-leigh-roman-villa   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re getting to know possibly the first woman in England to be accorded the role of ‘Keeper’ of a castle. As well as possessing Donnington Castle, Lady Elizabeth Russell was highly educated and ambitious, and her extraordinary life even included a run-in with Shakespeare. Here to tell us more are English Heritage interpretation manager Jessica Freeland, and associate professor at the Shakespeare Institute Dr Chris Laoutaris.To find out more about Donnington Castle, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/donnington  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a young man working for Dutch art dealer Goupil & Co, Vincent Van Gogh was sent to London in 1873 to work in the firm's Covent Garden branch. Two months later he moved to a house in Stockwell – a building now marked by a blue plaque. In this episode, we're joined by Van Gogh House London's Alice Childs and Livia Wang, and art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon, to explore Van Gogh's life in the city and the role it played in inspiring him to become an artist. To find out more about London's blue plaques, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/blue-plaques   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nuns played an important part in Anglo-Saxon religion and society, and remained integral to English religious, social, political and economic life for the rest of the Middle Ages. But what was daily life like, why did women choose to become nuns, and what happened to nunneries following the Dissolution? To find out more, we're joined by senior properties historian Dr Michael Carter and professor of medieval history Janet Burton. To discover more about women and monasticism, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/abbeys   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Henry 'Hotspur' Percy (1364–1403) was the most admired knight of his time. He fought in several campaigns against the Scots and the French during the Hundred Years' War, was a prime mover behind the deposition of Richard II, rebelled against Henry IV and was featured in plays by Shakespeare. Here to discuss his remarkable life is properties historian Dr William Wyeth.To find out more about Warkworth Castle, go to: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/warkworth/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode created in partnership with The Gilded Gentleman podcast, English Heritage curator of collections and interiors Christopher Warleigh-Lack joins host Carl to discuss Queen Victoria’s grand estate on the Isle of Wight.Osborne House reveals an intimate view of the private life of Queen Victoria and her family. Book your visit here: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/osborne/For more information on the American Friends of English Heritage, visit https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/american-friends/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King John, who reigned from 1199 to 1216, has gone down in history as one of England's worst monarchs, thanks to his military failures and excommunication by the pope. Yet he is associated with significant historical events, including the signing of the Magna Carta. Senior properties historian Dr Steven Brindle and senior properties curator Roy Porter join us to determine why this medieval ruler's reputation is so terrible – and whether it's deserved.To learn more about King John and the sieges of Dover Castle, go to: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/sieges-of-dover Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're in Oxfordshire to unravel the story of a landmark that has been here for around 3,000 years: the Uffington White Horse. As excavations of the site take place, we join senior properties curator Win Scutt and archaeologist David Miles to discover more about their research, and to find out about the work taking place to restore the oldest chalk-cut hill figure in Britain.For more information on the Uffington White Horse project, go to: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/uffington-wh-project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re looking at the history of one of the last complete surviving Georgian villas along the River Thames in south-east London. Marble Hill belonged to Henrietta Howard and was created to provide an escape away from her life in Georgian court society. But how was it designed? And how did Henrietta start building this remarkable property? We’re joined by senior properties historian Dr Megan Leyland to find out more.To learn more about Marble Hill or plan a visit, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/marblehill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices