Secrets of medieval manuscripts
On first glance, what might you notice about a medieval manuscript? Maybe the material it's made from, the elaborate script, or ornamental illustrations. But, look a little closer, and there's a lot m...
1 Jul 202549min
Owain Glyndŵr: life of the week
Famed for his dramatic and determined revolt against English rule in the early 15th century, as well as his bold vision for an independent Wales, Owain Glyndŵr has gone down in history as a symbol of ...
30 Jun 202554min
Magic beakers & Roman helmets: artefacts that shaped history
Metal detectorists and members of the general public have contributed hugely to our understanding of Britain's past, through the artefacts they have found hidden in the ground. Speaking to David Musgr...
29 Jun 202538min
SOE: everything you wanted to know
From parachuting into Nazi-occupied France to silent assassinations and exploding rats, many of the missions undertaken by the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War sound like the e...
28 Jun 202549min
Sisi & Eugénie: the empresses who redefined royalty
In the latter half of the 19th century, Europe was dazzled by the beauty, charm and sensibility of two empresses: Eugénie, Empress of the French via her marriage to Napoleon III; and Elisabeth (or 'Si...
26 Jun 202543min
Ghosts, vampires & Abba holograms: an uncanny history of London
Millions of tourists flock to London each year, eager to snap a selfie in front of Buckingham Palace or Big Ben. But beyond the crowds lies a darker – and distinctly stranger – side to the city: a got...
24 Jun 202527min
International security & rough sleeping: history behind the headlines
In the latest episode of our monthly series charting the historical background of current news events, regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter look back at centuries of challenges to internati...
23 Jun 202538min
Make Mercia Great Again
The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia played an important role in the development of England. Although it was sandwiched between the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria and Wessex, unlike those two ...
22 Jun 202541min
