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 ...

Documentary telling the story of Mansa Musa, the famous 14th century ruler of Mali, renowned for his great wealth. Featuring Professor Amira Bennison, Boubacar Diallo, Hadrien Collet, Mauro Nobili and Madina Thiam.

Wars of the Roses historian Matt Lewis visits the Tower of London to talk through one of the building’s greatest mysteries: the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. He talks through the possibility that the two young boys were not murdered on King Richard III's orders, but in fact survived ...

Most history is hierarchical: it’s about popes, presidents and prime ministers. A very small section of society has wielded very great power. But what if that’s simply because they are responsible for creating the historical archives? What if we are missing out on understanding equally powerful b...

Edward I is one of the most notorious rulers of English history. With a reputation for military brutishness and political ruthlessness, he was rumoured to have once frightened a man to death. But in November 1290, one event brought this warrior king crashing to the ground: the death of his belove...

The Viking dig in the grounds of St Wystan Church in Repton is one of the most important Viking sites of modern times. Recently new research has brought to light new information which further elevates the significance of the site and redefines our knowledge of the Great Heathen Army. The Great He...

Nick Arnold is a British writer of science books for children, best known for the long series Horrible Science. In this fascinating episode, he argues that he has found the site of a second 'Battle of Hastings'.

Thomas Penn, historian of the Late Middle Ages and Early Tudor Period and author of The Brothers York, shines a much-needed light on Edward IV. He answers the key questions about England's forgotten warrior king: from his turbulent rise to the throne to how he dealt with his mischievous brothers.

The two Dans are back. And this time, they're talking all things crusades. Dan Jones provides his namesake host a thrilling background to the series of holy wars that have come to define Medieval Europe.

If you love Dan Jones, then join him at our book club. He is the History Hit Book Club's aut...

Luke Pepera, a British-Ghanaian writer, historian, archaeologist and anthropologist tackles the big questions about the Kingdom of Benin, a powerful domain that flourished between the 13th and 18th centuries in modern day southern Nigeria.

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,...

A story of bloodshed, tribal rivalries and a warrior class obsessed with and defined by the battlefield has emerged from the discovery of a burial site at Bamburgh Castle. What can the latest archaeological work tell us about the history of Bamburgh, of the people who lived and fought at the cast...

Professor Chris Given Wilson provides a fascinating lecture about the Mortimer Family in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, a time when the Mortimers suffered a succession of early deaths and had to rely on others to maintain the validity of their claim to the English Throne. Recorded at the...

Roger Crowley is the author of the new book, Accursed Tower: The Crusaders' Last Battle for the Holy Land. The city of Acre, powerfully fortified and richly provisioned, was the last crusader stronghold. When it fell in 1291, two hundred years of Christian crusading in the Holy Land came to a blo...

Lord Sumption, former Supreme Court judge, provides Dan a detailed run-through of the seisimic conflict that gripped England and France during the 14th and 15th centuries: from Edward III to Joan of Arc, from Crécy to Castillon.

Thomas Penn talks Dan through the rise, zenith and fall of the House of York during the latter half of the 15th century. They discuss some of the key figures of the polarising Wars of the Roses - including the charismatic Edward IV, the cunning Earl of Warwick, the incompetent Henry VI and the (s...

The Vikings have never lost their appeal to scholars and enthusiasts. Now Wayne Bartlett has written a great new survey of the Viking World from Newfoundland to Central Asia. Dan got him on the podcast to ask him the central questions of the Viking Age. What does Viking even mean? Why did they ex...

Julian Humphrys phones Dan Snow to talk about the Battle of Bosworth, its significance and why we need to come together to prevent the site from being built on.

The two Dans are back. And this time, they're talking all things crusades. Dan Jones provides his namesake host a thrilling background to the series of holy wars that have come to define Medieval Europe.

If you love Dan Jones, then join him at our book club. He is the History Hit Book Club's aut...

Eleanor of Aquitaine is at least as responsible for the vast empire of the Plantagenets as her more celebrated husband, Henry II. Sara Cockerill has written a wonderful biography of Eleanor, placing her back at the centre of English medieval history where she belongs. Sara and Dan discuss her lon...

Dan talks to Jonathan Foyle in order to fully understand the history of the Notre-Dame cathedral, and how devastating this fire really is. Producer/Audio: Peter Curry