England

England

66 Episodes

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England
  • Becoming Anne Boleyn

    Episode 1

    March 2022 marks the 500th anniversary since Anne Boleyn made her debut at the court of King Henry VIII.

    Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb investigates the story of Anne’s remarkable upbringing in England, the Netherlands and France before she arrived at the heart of Tudor England. For all Anne Boleyn’s...

  • A Tudor Wonder - Hardwick Hall - with Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb

    Episode 2

    A History Hit treat for the holidays, this special new film reveals an extraordinary Tudor life-story and an amazing creation. We meet the extraordinary Bess of Hardwick and go inside the incredible home she built, a spectacular construction in glass and stone that defined the elegance and grande...

  • Exploring the Medieval Afterlife with Eleanor Janega

    Episode 3

    Ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night! Dr Eleanor Janega delves into the medieval phantasmic to find out what their restless dead can tell us about the worries of the living. Because if we want to understand what makes another society tick, it helps to take a look at what makes them...

  • The Wall: Rome's Great Northern Frontier

    Episode 4

    Hadrian’s Wall is celebrating its 1900th birthday… the perfect time for History Hit to investigate this potent embodiment of Roman dominance.

    Dan Snow explores the physical remains of Hadrian’s vast project of 122AD - over 80 Roman miles of wall, turrets and forts, stretching from coast to coast...

  • Colchester: Britain's First City

    Episode 5

    Colchester has a rich and vibrant history, often claimed to be Britain’s oldest city. This talk will take you on a journey through Colchester’s history – from the Ancient world of Boudicca to the modern day, seeing how this town changed and developed through time. Michael will focus in on Colches...

  • The Secrets Of Wells Cathedral | The First Gothic Cathedral In England

    Episode 6

    Join Alice Loxton as she unveils the secrets of Wells Cathedral, getting up close and personal with all aspects of the building's history. Among other things, that means abseiling down the cathedral's facade - not for the faint hearted!

    Also in this video, we’ll be getting inside the mind of a ...

  • The Secrets of Ham House

    Episode 7

    About 10 miles from the centre of London is one of the most magnificent houses of Stuart England, Ham House. This lavish mansion is a treasure trove of 17th century art and architecture, a dazzling red-brick jewel on the muddy banks of the River Thames.

    But Ham House also has a remarkable histor...

  • Could You Survive as a Saxon Warrior During the Dark Ages?

    Episode 8

    In this video, History Hit duo Louee Dessent and Luke Tomes join the Swords of Penda re-enactment group - volunteers who bring the 7th century to life through painstaking research and experimental archaeology - to test their early medieval mettle. Louee fills the shoes of a Saxon Thane - a lord w...

  • Ham House: Women of the Civil War

    Episode 9

    Our Great British Houses series continues with another gem of The National Trust’s collection. About 10 miles from the centre of London is one of the most magnificent houses of Stuart England, Ham House. This lavish mansion is a treasure trove of 17th century art and architecture, a dazzling red-...

  • Could you Survive as a Victorian Worker? Part I

    Episode 10

    As new technologies emerged throughout the 19th century, and the use of water and steam power became commonplace, millions of rural workers, including thousands of children, descended on the growing industrial towns to work in mills and factories. Northern cities such as Manchester, Leeds and She...

  • The English Parish Church: An Introduction

    Episode 11

    In this introduction to the English Parish Church, Alice Loxton travels across the country to uncover some gems of England’s heritage. From the whitewashing of the Reformation to Wesley’s hymns to William Morris’ efforts to preserve the past, there is lots to discover. And Alice is joined around ...

  • A Tour of the Althorp House Art Collection

    Episode 12

    Situated in the heart of Northamptonshire, Althorp House is one of the most magnificent stately homes in Britain. Since the sixteenth century it has been the home of the Spencers, a family with a prestigious history that only a handful of ménages can match. Charles I, Sarah Churchill, Winston Chu...

  • Lincoln Castle

    Episode 13

    Lincoln is one of the most historic settlements in Britain: from being the site of a key legionary fort in Roman times to its towering cathedral being the first landmark British bomber crews would see upon their return from daring raids over Nazi-occupied Europe during World War Two. At Lincoln's...

  • A History of England: Part Three

    Episode 14

    So far Dan's epic road trip through time has taken him from the mysteries of prehistory to the rich splendours of the Tudors, right up to the wonders of the industrial revolution.

    In this episode, he'll uncover the stories of some of the winners and losers of the Victorian Age with a visit to Br...

  • A History of England: Part Two

    Episode 15

    England is a country stuffed full of history. From the Stone Age to the Nuclear Age there are thousands of inspirational sites that have helped shape the past and present.

    In this episode Dan kicks off with the Tudors at Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire where he discovers the story of one of th...

  • A History of England: Part One

    Episode 16

    England is a country stuffed full of history. From the Stone Age to the Nuclear Age there are thousands of inspirational sites that have helped to shape the past and present.

    Join Dan Snow on an epic road trip, from Stonehenge in Wiltshire to the Cold War Bunker in York. He’ll be racing across ...

  • Mary Tudor - Real Fake History

    Episode 17

    On November 17th 1558, Mary Tudor, Queen Mary I of England, died - the end of a short and still controversial reign. But what if history had been different, what if she didn’t die in 1558, but lived longer to reimpose Roman Catholicism on England and forge a long lasting Anglo-Spanish alliance?
    ...

  • Mary, Queen of Scots - Not Just the Tudors... Lates

    Episode 18

    Mary’s biography is enormously dramatic, packed with romance, betrayal, imprisonment and violence. Unsurprisingly, it has proved irresistible to film-makers, recreating a time when two queens vied for power - Mary in Scotland and Elizabeth I in England. Their relationship was blighted with mistr...

  • Going Medieval: Those Who Play

    Episode 19

    In the medieval feudal system, the nobility were generally those who held a fief, often land or office under vassalage in exchange for military allegiance to their sovereign. Living alongside serfs, it was their duty to ensure that the peasants, craftsmen and clergymen were defended so that they ...

  • Becoming Elizabeth: Not Just the Tudors... Lates

    Episode 20

    How do you tell the story of one of the most interesting and tumultuous times in history - when Henry VIII died, leaving three children from three different mothers?

    A fantastic panel of historians and writers gathers to discuss the Starz TV series “Becoming Elizabeth”, and explore the real ev...

  • Going Medieval: Those Who Pray

    Episode 21

    One of the most unifying elements of the Medieval Period was the Roman Catholic Church. All classes and ranks of people, whether that be nobles, peasants or tradesmen, were profoundly affected by the rulings of the church. A hierachy existed within the clergy. Following the pope, in order of rank...

  • Going Medieval: Those Who Work

    Episode 22

    In the Medieval period, peasants made up roughly 80% of the European population (70% were serfs). In the first episode of Going Medieval, Dr Eleanor Janega visits Denny Abbey, a former Benedictine monastery in Cambridge to explore the lives of those who devoted their lives to working the land.

  • The Longest Alliance: England and Portugal 651 Years

    Episode 23

    On 16th June 1373, England’s King Edward III signed a treaty of alliance with Portugal’s King Ferdinand. It still stands, making it the longest continuing alliance in history. This year, in June 2023, it celebrates its 650th anniversary. In this film, Mike Loades, a Brit living in Portugal, trave...

  • A Georgian Trailblazer! The Amazing Life of Charles Ignatius Sancho

    Episode 24

    Join Paterson Joseph, actor (‘Boat Story’, ‘Wonka’) and author (‘The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho’), in this special History Hit film as he takes us on a fascinating journey through 18th century London, discovering the life, loves and losses of a truly remarkable man.

    Georgian Londo...