Medievalist Dr Stephen Baxter takes a fresh look at the Middle Ages through the eyes of children. At a time when half the population was under eighteen he argues that, although they had to grow up quickly and take on adult responsibility early, the experience of childhood could also be richly rew...

In the final episode of the first series of ‘The Castles that Made Britain’, Matt Lewis explores the fascinating history of Conwy Castle on the coast of North Wales.

Towards the end of the turbulent and blood-soaked 13th century, King Edward I of England sought to impose his rule on the rest of ...

In episode two of our series ‘Castles that Made Britain’, we join Matt Lewis at his favourite fortress in the whole of Britain, Ludlow Castle. Built as a frontier fortress, Ludlow stands proud on what was the harsh wild western frontier between England and Wales. One of the first to be rebuilt in...

The peaceful South Wales town of Hay-on-Wye offers few clues today of its brutal past on a violent frontier. A monument to this history can be found in Hay Castle. Once right on the border between England and Wales, it sits in a region densely packed with castles that saw border skirmishes and bi...

Castles have loomed over the landscape of Britain for centuries. They hold the keys to unlocking some of the greatest stories of our past.

Join History Hit's medieval expert, Matt Lewis, in this new series as he explores some of Britain’s most iconic castles. It is a spectacular journey to some...

Arundel Castle is one West Sussex’s greatest attractions with a history spanning nearly a thousand years. It has its roots in Norman times, originally built at the end of the 11th century by the then Earl of Arundel, Roger de Montgomery. The keep Montgomery created was initially made out of wood,...

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 ...

High on the peak of the Cotswolds stands one of the most remarkable buildings in Britain. Built as a folly in the final days of the 18th century, Broadway Tower sprung up during the height of the French Revolutionary Wars under the distracted watch of the architect James Wyatt. In the following y...

If you imagine a Catholic military order from the Middle Ages, it’s likely to be the Knights Templar - popularised by Dan Brown’s fictional thriller, The Da Vinci Code

But in Medieval Europe, there was another, equally powerful religious society, which also had its English headquarters here in L...

If you were asked to picture London during the Middle Ages, you might think of The White Tower, Westminster Abbey or Guildhall - some of the capital’s most famous landmarks. But scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find there are lots more clues to this medieval metropolis.

In the second episo...

A History Hit Community film. For nearly a thousand years, something high in the forest has been watching over the Welsh capital. A community pulled together in the Sixties, giving St. Mary's church in Caerau a short new life.

For more than 900 years, the Tower of London has occupied its place at the heart of English life. At various times a royal citadel, palace, menagerie, observatory, public records office, mint, arsenal and, even to this day, the home of the crown jewels of England, since 1100 it has famously serve...

Windsor Castle has a legendary connection to the British monarchy: the longest-serving royal palace in the whole of Europe. Ever since the days of William the Conqueror, the Castle has dominated this strategic point on the banks of the Thames, overlooking west London. Over the next 1,000 years ki...