Extraordinary Stories of Britain

 Some kings died suddenly, some violently, and some in circumstances so strange that their final moments have remained mysteries for centuries.  Hear about the strange stories of royal deaths in our British History Podcast

The Gin Craze was one of the darkest chapters in British history. In this podcast we tell the extraordinary true stories behind the epidemic that gripped Georgian London—from murder and corruption to secret gin shops, riots and Hogarth's famous Gin Lane. It's the story of how one drink nearly destroyed a nation, and the lessons it still has to teach us today.

During the 1700s London was a lawless capital plagued by theft, violence and corruption. We tell the dramatic story of the Bow Street runners, Britain's first police force formed by Henry and John "the blind beak" Fielding.  Hear how they brought thieves, and pickpockets to justice, and how the runners broke up a plot to behead the prime minster and his cabinet. 

From the first Valentine’s letter to postal highway robbery, from spies to street wars and the invention of the first postage stamp, this British history podcast tells the story of how the Royal Mail evolved into a network that connected a nation.

Discover how war, crime and chaos shaped Britain’s money. From wooden money to lusturous gold Guineas to Isaac Newton hunting forgers, this episode reveals the stories behind Britain’s currency. The dramatic history that gave us the coins and notes still used today.

The extraordinary history Britain’s money.  Where kings mutilate moneyers, coins spark riots and fortunes are made, debased, clipped and forged.  This podcast shows how money isn’t just metal — it’s about power, violence, trust, and the magic of the philosopher’s stone

The Diary of a Graverobber dramatises the true-life story of Joseph Naples, a London gravedigger in the early 1800s who slips into the city’s darkest trade — stealing corpses to sell to surgeons. Driven by poverty and desperation, Naples is lured into ruthless Borough Gang, only to be consumed by guilt, betrayal, and the ghosts of those he unearthed. 

From Stonehenge to Greenwich, Celtic seasons to Roman calendars, candle clocks to knocker-uppers  -  and John Harrison’s chronometer. This podcast tells the story of how language, and technology shaped the way we keep time.

The story of William Terriss - Victorian London’s beloved stage hero. While audiences flocked to the Adelphi Theatre, a troubled bit-part actor plotted his downfall. What followed was a sensational courtroom drama, and a ghost story that haunts the theatre to this day.

Hear the story of the extraordinary life of Samuel Johnson.  The sicky, part blind, provincial boy, a failure at Oxford University he went on to create the first great dictionary of the English language.