The English Heritage Podcast
Every object has a story to tell. But how can one mystery item lead us on a journey through history, people and places? In the English Heritage podcast, comedian and writer Amy Matthews brings you entertaining tales from unexpected places. Each week, we begin with a mystery item and with the help of English Heritage experts and special guests, Amy explores what our past can tell us about our present and perhaps our future. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts.
Episodes
July 17, 2025 • 38 mins
One of the first black students at the Royal College of Music in 1890, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor would go on to compose some of the most-loved music of his time and ‘break’ America. Despite this global success, Coleridge-Taylor made his home in Croydon, where a blue plaque now marks his former home at Dagnall Park, Selhurst.
But who was this musical genius?
English Heritage’s Howard Spencer, broadcaster Petroc Trelawney and eq...
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July 10, 2025 • 34 mins
In the summer of 1575, Robert Dudley hosted 19 spectacular days of entertainment for Elizabeth I, including lavish new apartments for the queen, a beautifully manicured private garden, plays, hunting and pageantry.
It was all in an ostentatious bid to win Elizabeth’s hand in marriage, but as she rode off at the end of her visit, Dudley was left empty-handed.
In this episode, Amy Matthews chats with Head Curator of Propertie...
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July 3, 2025 • 31 mins
We begin this episode with a fabulous and weighty pair of brooches. But which 1930s millionaire was sporting these tutti-frutti Cartier gems? And where might you have seen those designs before?
Steven and Virginia Courtauld were a well-balanced couple: one eccentric and daring, the other bookish and reserved. They used their millions to travel the world and host lavish parties, but their art-deco home at Eltham Palace was one of...
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June 26, 2025 • 37 mins
Sometimes, historical research can offer unexpected questions and avenues of exploration. That’s what happened when English Heritage’s Will Wyeth was digging through a medieval manuscript.
References to a medieval woman spy dressed in men’s clothing were too tantalising to ignore, so he and Michael James got together to ask questions about the mysterious Margoth.
They join Amy Matthews on the English Heritage Podcast this we...
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June 19, 2025 • 32 mins
As the summer solstice approaches, thousands flock to monuments like Stonehenge seeking spiritual connection and a spectacular sunset and sunrise.
But why are people still drawn to stone circles after thousands of years?
This time on the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage’s Dr Jennifer Wexler to explore how these monuments were built and why people have continued to visit them. Artist Sally B...
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June 12, 2025 • 33 mins
J M W Turner is considered one of England’s great artists, but why?
This time on the English Heritage podcast, we dive into some of the 35 paintings Turner made of English Heritage sites to explore how he responded to a period of enormous emotional and political upheaval.
Working against a backdrop of war, industrial expansion, tourism, abolition, patriotism and shifting national identity, Turner’s varied and innovative style...
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June 5, 2025 • 30 mins
Churches and buildings around England are home to beautiful stained glass enjoyed by communities and visitors every day. But less well known are the fascinating stories and histories behind these national treasures.
This week on the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews is joined by Michael Carter and Susan Harrison to piece together what collections both in situ and in store can tell us about Christianity, the dissolution of mo...
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May 29, 2025 • 43 mins
The summer of 1381 saw one of the biggest popular uprisings in Medieval Europe. Now, an innovative online resource is revealing how the Peasants’ Revolt impacted the lives of women, children and whole communities.
This week, Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage’s Dr Will Wyeth to unlock the complex social and political issues of the revolt and how we feel these forces today.
The University of Glasgow’s Dr Andrew Prescott ...
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May 22, 2025 • 30 mins
This week on the English Heritage podcast, Amy Matthews dips into the rivers of Northern England for an insight into Roman beliefs and the celebrity culture of gladiators.
English Heritage’s Dr Frances Mcintosh and Dr Philippa Walton from the University of Leicester discuss gladiator memorabilia and the celebrity status of these icons in Roman Britain, with the aid of some amazing objects. The offerings made by Romans to the rive...
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May 15, 2025 • 29 mins
Today we head to Brodsworth Hall and Gardens in Yorkshire and step back in time to discover a love story from the early 20th century. And it all starts with a camera.
Join Amy to unravel the story of two country house servants who met and fell in love against the background of the First World War in a Downton Abbey-worthy tale. English Heritage curator Eleanor Matthews explains how a very special bequest of items revealed valuab...
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May 8, 2025 • 44 mins
The shadow of the Cold War loomed over the 20th Century. But how did this affect day-to-day life for ordinary people and how was anxiety about the possibility of conflict normalised?
Starting with an innovative piece of technology from York's Cold War Bunker, Amy and her guests discuss civilian volunteers, the protest movement and the ever-present threat of war, using living memory and oral history to connect the past to our pres...
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May 1, 2025 • 37 mins
What does the view from London’s tallest building have in common with your kitchen tea towels and your favourite summer holiday outfit?
This week on the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews and her guests dive into the history of Shrewsbury Flax Mill and the industrial revolution.
Find out how a humble bobbin can unravel a story about the linen and textile industries; how technical innovation changed the lives of working peo...
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April 24, 2025 • 42 mins
When Wrest Park’s Jemima, Marchioness Grey, was widowed, she unleashed her purse strings to install lavish Chinese art across the Bedfordshire estate: perfect for taking tea with friends.
You can get lost in the intricate birds, plants and people featured in Wrest Park’s Chinese wallpapers, but how was this part of a wider fashion in textiles, design and landscaping?
Dr Andrew Hann and volunteer Richard Luscombe join writer and...
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April 17, 2025 • 31 mins
How does a fish connect us to a story of working women’s rights?
Join comedian, writer and history fangirl Amy Matthews and her guests find out about tough and resilient seasonal workers in the Great Yarmouth fishing industry. From frozen fingers to salty cuts and a work hard play hard attitude (not to mention the stench of fish at the end of the day), working women travelled the coastlines on the trail of herring shoals, bolste...
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April 10, 2025 • 37 mins
We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows.
Framlingham Castle was home to the fiercely powerful Dukes of Norfolk for 400 years – so how did it end up as a workhouse in the 17th century? Join Josie Long as she delves into the castle’s second life and English society’s changing attitudes towards poverty over the centuries. Hear about people who l...
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April 3, 2025 • 38 mins
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March 27, 2025 • 34 mins
We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows.
It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it.
At Pevensey Castle in East Sussex, we learn about Joan of Navarre, the medieval Queen of England who was accused of witchcraft and imprisoned at the...
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March 20, 2025 • 52 mins
We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes.
Discover the story of a 17th century woman who left an amazing literary legacy. Alice Thornton wrote four books, including three autobiographies, which provide a remarkable insight into life during the English Civil Wars.
To discover more about Middleham Castle or plan a...
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March 13, 2025 • 36 mins
We’re still busy behind the scenes, so in the meantime we wanted to share a special series with you called Speaking with Shadows.
It sees Josie Long teaming up with English Heritage to uncover some of the most fascinating forgotten stories from England’s past. We hope you enjoy it.
Clifford's Tower in York was the site of a tragedy in 1190 where the entire Jewish population of the city was persecuted to their deaths. We ask how...
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March 6, 2025 • 75 mins
We’re working behind the scenes to make the podcast better than ever. In the meantime, we’re diving into our archive to bring you some of our favourite episodes.
One of 12th century Europe’s richest and most powerful women, Eleanor became Queen of France as the wife of King Louis VII and then Queen of England as the wife of Henry II. Discover the story of her remarkable rise to power, her imprisonment following a plot to remove he...
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