What do Charles Darwin’s wife, a Victorian cook, and a food historian with a sweet tooth have in common? Pudding — and plenty of it.  

This week, Amy Matthews is joined by Dr Annie Gray and Dr Andrew Hann to dig through centuries of recipes, from Emma Darwin’s handwritten notes to the rise of the sticky toffee pudding. Along the way, they uncover the people behind Britain’s best-loved desserts — cooks, servants and home bakers who stirred up comfort, celebration and just a little competition. 

It’s part history, part kitchen gossip — and proof that pudding has always been about people. 

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In 1916, 11-year-old Amy Tyreman picked up her knitting needles and joined the war effort, sending handmade comforts to soldiers she’d never met.  

This community effort from the children of the Brodsworth estate in Yorkshire led to an exchange of letters with brave troops. More than a century later, some of Amy’s treasured correspondence survives. 

Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage’s Dr Andrew Hann and Eleanor Matthews to trace the story through Amy’s surviving letters and discover what they reveal about life, loss and community in wartime Britain.  

It’s a story of care, courage and connection — and how one small act of kindness can travel a very long way! 

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In medieval England, community and religion played an important role in how people cared for each other. Ideas about charity and care helped lay the foundations for some of our most important public services today. 

This time on The English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews chats with Simon Jarrett, author of A History of Disability in England and Collections Curator Susan Harrison to uncover lesser-known histories of care and support that connect us to people from the past. 

From monastic hospitals to healing pilgrimages and even early mobility aids, find out how people with physical or learning disabilities lived as part of their communities long before the rise of modern healthcare institutions. 

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If you’re planning to enjoy a scary book or film from the comfort of your home this Halloween, you’ll be continuing a long tradition.  

Since the earliest civilisations, humans have been fascinated by the idea of ghosts, death and the afterlife. This time on The English Heritage Podcast, Amy chats with Dr Michael Carter and Dr Beverley Clack about religion, philosophy and the spiritual questions we tackle through the telling of ghost stories.  

From medieval monks and revenants to a few modern-day stories from English Heritage sites, don’t listen to this one with the lights off… 

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English Heritage sites aren’t just great places to learn about our past – they’re also spaces for creativity and play.  

In this episode of The English Heritage Podcast, Andrew Hann and historian Abby Van Slyck join Amy to discuss how children’s recreation and ideas of play have evolved, starting with the Swiss Cottage at Osborne – a miniature house designed by Prince Albert to educate his nine children through role-play.  

From the dollhouses and playhouses of royal children and a wealthy elite to modern-day treehouses and adventure playgrounds, we’ll explore how changing views on childhood, health, and society have contributed to the adventures children and adults enjoy today. 

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In the late 1790s, Sir Godfrey Webster, heir to Battle Abbey, challenged politician Henry Holland to a duel over a portrait of his wife Elizabeth. Unhappy in her marriage, Elizabeth would divorce Godfrey and marry Henry just two days later. This would mark the beginning of a high-profile life for her in English politics.  

But who was this wealthy and privileged Jamaican heiress and how did she exercise her power at a time when women were not allowed to take public roles?  

This time on the English Heritage podcast, Amy uncovers the extraordinary life of a woman born to a Jamaican plantation owner, her early married life in Sussex, her European travels, scandalous divorce and the foundation of one of the Whig party’s most prominent salons in London.  

Joining Amy is Dr Miranda Kauffman, who’s been researching the connections between heiresses like Elizabeth Vassall, historic places and the wealth generated by chattel slavery. Battle Abbey’s Dr Kathryn Bedford helps uncover Elizabeth’s nuanced character through the depictions and interpretations of her throughout her life. 

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Try to order a balti in Kashmir and you might get a funny look. 

That’s because this ‘classic curry’ was invented in 1970s Birmingham, when a restaurant owner wanted to make a curry-like dish that suited local palates and could be cooked quickly for his customers.  

Curry may be one of our nation’s favourite foods, but how did our modern-day cuisine evolve from centuries of trade, exploitation, colonialism and migration? In today’s episode, Christopher Warleigh-Lack, Mallika Basu and Samantha Bilton take Amy through the chequered history of curry.  

Christopher begins our journey at Osborne on the Isle of Wight, where we explore Queen Victoria’s passion for India and the influences we can discover in the collection. We also look at British inventions, from balti to tikka masala, coronation chicken and the incendiary sultana, and discuss their place in food culture and tradition today. 

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Find out more: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/a-brief-history-of-curry-in-england/  

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In 2021, 950 years after English Heritage’s Richmond Castle was founded in Yorkshire, an amateur archaeologist joined her first dig and turned up a stunning find.  

A silver coin dating to the decades following the Norman Conquest, bearing the face of William the Conqueror, fired up historians’ imaginations.  Who lost it, what were they doing at the castle, and what did this penny mean to the people living in the north of England in the 1080s? 

Will Wyeth and Susan Harrison join Amy on this episode of The English Heritage Podcast to discuss why this area was so important for the strategic building of a castle in post-conquest Yorkshire. They’ll also explore King William’s relationship with northern leaders, his reaction to revolt and the Norman legacy in the north of England. 

Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  

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Stonehenge has captured the imaginations of people for millennia, leading to conspiracy theories and fantastical ideas about its construction. But cutting-edge historical analysis has allowed us to reveal more of its secrets in recent times. 

Now, author Ken Follett has turned his hand to an imagined epic about the early days of the site’s construction and the social lives and beliefs of people on Salisbury Plain. To celebrate the launch of Circle of Days, Amy is joined by Ken Follett and English Heritage curator of history, Dr Jen Wexler, to explore some of the latest research and findings about the construction of Stonehenge and the real-life inspirations for Ken’s story. 

Plus, we have an exclusive excerpt of Circle of Days for you to listen to. 

Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  

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The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales. 

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What does a stone slab at Yorkshire’s Fountains Abbey have in common with the modern-day university?  

This time on the English Heritage podcast, Michael Carter takes Amy on his journey of discovery, from an abbot’s strangely positioned headdress to the monastic origins of doctorates. Dr Tessa Whitehouse joins the conversation as we explore how the modern university evolved from elite religious institutions, through nonconformism, to allowing women to study.  

These institutions have always had huge political importance. But have they always been a place where students can enjoy both learning and freedom? Find out in this episode. 

Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  

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Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout. * 

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The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales. 

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