I was thrilled to be joined by Andrew Ziminski, a stonemason living and working in Somerset. He's just released his first book documenting the fascinating stories from three decades of hands-on experience working with the very building blocks of British history. In this episode, I heard about his work on a Stonehenge megalith, the restoration of Roman ruins in Bath, the stories of engine houses, mills and aqueducts of the Industrial Revolution, the problems facing Notre Dame, how St Paul's Cathedral is really a piece of Arabic architecture, and the wealth of history to be found in a humble medieval country church.
Dan is joined by Patricia Fara, a historian of science at the University of Cambridge, to talk about the women who worked as scientific researchers during the First World World War.
Tina Pepler, writer of the A Prince in the Tower history drama, based on the missing princes and the challengers to the throne in the early Tudor period, chats to Dan about the writing process and the challenges of writing a historical drama.
Mary Ann Ochota is a TV presenter, anthropologist, lover of the outdoors, people & the past. Royal Geographical Society Fellow, Ordnance Survey Champion, and Climb Britain Ambassador. Her latest book, Hidden Histories: A Spotter's Guide to the British Landscape is out now.
