Welcome to this episode in the new series of Local History Matters, the podcast run by the British Association for Local History (BALH) to highlight hidden local histories. In this series, we will be discussing with researchers how they got into their field of study, and what their topic can tell us about local history more generally.

In this special guest episode, to coincide with the conclusion of the BBC's The Mirror and the Light, Graham Palmer takes us back to the time of Thomas Cromwell.

In 1537 a spy is stopped in Royston, just a day's ride from London on the Old North Road. 'But what is he doing there?' the townsfolk fret. Thomas Cromwell has his own ideas. This podcast reveals the ripples spreading from the dissolution of a small market town's priory and the consequences of Robert Dalyvell's 'cunning craft and prophecy'.

You can follow along with the conversation about this podcast by using the hashtag #LocalHistoryMatters, and keep up to date with the work the BALH does by visiting our website https://www.balh.org.uk/ or following us on social media @BALHNews.

Music credits: Trendsetter, Mood Maze, Uppbeat.io