Gone Medieval

Alfred the Great - King of the West Saxons and later King of all the English not under Scandinavian rule - is the only English King to be given the title “the Great”.

So why did he become such a legend that to become a British citizen you now have to answer questions about him?

In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to historian, TV producer and publisher Justin Pollard, whose book on Alfred the Great dubs him “the man who made England.”

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.

For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

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When we think of fairy tales, we think of imprisoned maidens, turreted towers, magic spinning wheels, wicked witches and demonic dwarves and dragons. Much of the iconography of these stories, particularly those from Europe, dates back to Medieval times. Some of them, such as the story of Hansel and Gretel, are even rooted in specific events.

In today’s edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets author Nicholas Jubber whose book The Fairy Tellers reveals the surprising origins and people behind the world’s most influential magical tales.

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was produced by Rob Weinberg and edited by Thomas Ntinas.

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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

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All Saints’ Church in the village of Brixworth, Northamptonshire is one of the oldest, largest and most complete Anglo-Saxon churches in England. Founded in the eighth century, it has been described as “the finest Romanesque church north of the Alps.”

In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman takes a fascinating tour around All Saints’ Church in the company of archaeologist Professor Mark Horton.

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie, the Producer is Rob Weinberg. Edited and Mixed by Thomas Ntinas.

For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here. 

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

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Richard III is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays, often cited as the basis for the King’s reputation as a scheming murderer. But what do the Bard’s history plays tell us about the period they are set in and how that era was viewed in Shakespeare’s time? Are there allusions to Elizabethan figures in Richard III that Shakespeare knew his viewers would understand?

In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis heads to Stratford-upon-Avon to catch up with director Greg Doran and Arthur Hughes - the first actor with a disability to play Richard III in a major production - to talk about the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new production of the iconic play.

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited by Seyi Adaobi.

For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here.

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

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Norwich Castle was designed by William the Conqueror to be a royal palace. But no Norman kings ever lived in it. Instead it became a gaol and then - in the Victorian era - a museum, which is today packed with archaeological finds that lift the lid on life in Anglo-Saxon East Anglia.

In this edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman takes an exclusive tour of Norwich Castle with Dr. Tim Pestell and learns more about its extraordinary history and collection.

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited by Seyi Adaobi.

For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here.

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

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An extraordinary discovery has been unearthed by archaeologists working alongside the HS2 rail project. The find, made at an undisclosed location near Wendover in the Chilterns, consists of a 5th-6th century burial site that has been described as one of the most important post-Roman, early medieval discoveries of our lifetime.

It offers the chance to see more clearly a part of British history that has been hidden from us until now. If there was a real, historical King Arthur, this is the part of history he's hiding within.

In this special episode, join our very own Dan Snow and Gone Medieval host Matt Lewis as they chat to the team behind the dig about some of their revelatory finds, and begin to see the people behind them, and the way they may have lived their lives.

A special thanks to HS2, INFRA and Fusion for giving History Hit special access behind the scenes!

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited and mixed by Aidan Lonergan.

For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here.

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

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Between 1000 and 1500, European towns and cities started to take shape, impacting the lives of millions of people as different cultural, social and religious groups began to interact. But who was allowed to settle in a city and how was it decided who belonged?

In this edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to Professor Miri Rubin, author of Cities of Strangers: Making Lives in Medieval Europe, about migration into urban communities, how newcomers were treated and what happened when strangers became neighbours.

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie.

The Producer was Rob Weinberg.

It was edited and mixed by Seyi Adaobi.

For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here.

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every two months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month.

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Matt Lewis concludes his series on the Wars of the Roses with a look at a figure who is often divisive and misunderstood, despised or loved, but who might even be labelled as a winner, maybe the winner of the Wars of the Roses. Margaret Beaufort was the mother of Henry Tudor and the matriarch of England’s most famous dynasty. But the story of her early life gives no hint of what would follow.

To discuss Margaret Beaufort, Matt is joined by Nicola Tallis whose biography Uncrowned Queen is a must-read for anyone interested in this period or in understanding the Tudors.

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited and mixed by Seyi Adaobi.

For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here.

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every two months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When HM The Queen was crowned in 1953, her Coronation ceremony contained some subtle nods to another Queen who made history 1100 years earlier.

Princess Judith of Flanders was the first woman to be crowned as Queen among the West Saxons.

But her two royal marriages were not without controversy.

In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman finds out more about Queen Judith from medieval historian Florence Scott.

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited and mixed by Thomas Ntinas.

For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here. 

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's, The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every 2 months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month." 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Matt Lewis revisits the fascinating story of Empress Matilda who came within a hair’s breadth of being crowned England’s first Queen regnant in the 12th century.

Sent away aged eight to match with the Holy Roman Emperor, Matilda represented status for her father and money for her intended. However, Matilda was independent, intelligent, educated and authoritative. Join medieval historian Dr. Catherine Hanley as she takes Matt through the early life of Matilda, her ascension to Empress and her changing position in the succession to the English throne.

For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's, The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every 2 months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.