Shows / The History of England
The History of England
This my re-telling of the story of England. I aim to be honest, and rigorous - but always loving of my country's history. It is a regular, chronological podcast, starting from the end of Roman Britain. There are as many of the great events I can squeeze in, of course, but I also try to keep an eye on how people lived, their language, what was important to them, the forces that shaped their lives and destinies, that sort of thing. To listen free of adverts, support the podcast, access a library…
Episodes
The History of England31 Henry I - Normandy and the Succession
Henry was a Norman king like any other - Normandy was in his blood. For 30 years, he controlled the diplomatic game to keep Normandy in the Empire. The one…
The History of England30 Henry I - Barons, Warfare and Wales
The fight with Robert gave Henry a great chance to replace the old conquest families with his own men, and particularly in the Welsh Marches. And this week we…
The History of England29 England in the reign of Henry I
After the initial struggle for succession and baronial revolt, England itself was pretty peaceful during Henry’s reign. The church & state debate needed…
The History of England28 The Lion of Justice
The youngest of William the Conqueror’s sons, Henry, wasted no time shedding tears for his brother Rufus. He got himself crowned, anointed and blessed. The…
The History of England27 Hateful to his People and Odious to God
Rufus fell out big time with Anselm, his Archbishop of Canterbury. Unusually for Medieval Man he was impious and irreverent. Meanwhile, the Welsh struggled for…
The History of England26 William Rufus, Normandy and the First Crusade
William Rufus was a flamboyant, red faced, pudgy and irreverant bloke, but none the less his father's favourite son. So Dad tipped him the wink and he left the…
The History of England25 Death of a Conqueror
The last years of William the Conqueror's reign were mainly the meat and drink of the Norman King - beating off other feudal lords, keeping your nobles down…
The History of England24 Revolt of the Earls
It took William the Conqueror a few more years until he felt safe from the English. But when the Revolt of the Earls collapsed in 1075, English revolution was…
The History of England2.1 - 23 The Normans and Angevins 1066 - 1217
After 1066 William the Conqueror set about ruling his new kingdom; for 10 years, he spends much of his time changing the face of England, and stamping out…
The History of England1.30 - 22 1066 and Goodbye to all That
1066 was a year that changed a lot of things - though not as much as you might think. 3 experienced war leaders fought for control of England - and we all know…
The History of England1.29 - 21 The Normans - a race unbridled
The Normans made a massive impact on Europe, not just England. They went on to establish a kingdom in Southern Italy, and lead the Crusades and the resulting…
The History of England1.28 - 20 Anglo Saxon England in the 11th Century
Anglo Saxon England has been seen by some commentators as a bit of a basket case by 1066 - out of date and ready to be conquered. But actually England had its…
The History of England1.27 - 19 Edward the Confessor
Edward enjoyed one year of indpendendance in 1051-2, before the retun of Godwin forced him into humiliating submission. But after Godwin's death the following…
The History of England1.26 - 18 Edward and the Rise of the Great men
Cnut's dynasty survived him by only 7 years, and in 1042 the house of Cerdic returned in the form of Edward the Confessor. Edward is an enigma - weak man or…
The History of England1.25 - 17 Cnut the Conqueror
Cnut was pretty much the complete king. Conqueror of the English, ruler of a Scandinavian empire that spanned 4 countries. And a man who knew how to win the…
The History of England1.24 - 16 Edmund Ironside and Cnut
In 1012, Aethelred looked down and out. But Svein died, and Edmund Ironside appeared on the scene. Suddenly, Aethelred was a real king and all action, and Cnut…
The History of England1.23 - 15 Aethelred, Svein Forkbeard and years of misery
The Danish threat is notched up a few levels, and Aethelred the Unready and the English state is brought to it knees. The Vikings are too fast, skillful and…
The History of England1.22 - 14 Aethelred the Unready and the Rising Tide
Aethelred's mother gets her son onto the throne at last. But it's not long before the disadvantages of kingship become clear, as the Danes begin to return with…
The History of England1.21 - 13 Another and last Golden Age
Edgar the Peaceable's reign was a golden age of peace, prosperity and monastic reform. Unfortunately, once he'd gone his wife stuck a knife into her stepson…
The History of England1.20 - 12 The last King in Jorvik
Edmund the Magnificant and Eadred finally defeat Eric Bloodaxe, the last king of Jorvik. But there are some social clouds on the horizon in the History of…
The History of England1.19 - 11 His Years were full of Glory
A Athelstanthelstan was a dynamic and effective ruler, in war, law, and diplomacy. As a war leader he established at least nominal overlordship of all Britain…
The History of England1.18 - 10 English Conquest
The story of a brother and a sister - Æthelflæd and Edward, and their bid to reclaim the lands of the Danelaw, the north and east of England being settled by…
The History of England1.17 - 9 Pillar of the Western People
In 892, the vikings returned - and found a very different, much better prepared Wessex waiting for them. Until in 899, Alfred died to be succeeded by his Son…
The History of England1.16 - 8 Reconstruction and defence
Alfred had earned Wessex and period of respite, between 878 and 892. In this time, Alfred laid the foundations not just for the defense against renewed…
The History of England1.15 - 7 Alfred the Great and the fight for survival
Between 871 and 878, Wessex came close to extinction, as the Great Heathen Army, the Great Summer Army, and Guthrum the Dane came to conquer.For maps…
The History of England1.14 - 6 The Great Heathen Army
Everything changed for Anglo Saxon England in 866; the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok came for conquest, not just treasure and slaves.For maps, resources, transcripts…
The History of England1.13- 5 The Noble Wolf
Æthelwolf hasn't always had the best press. None the less he laid the basis of an effective and well organised state centred on the traditional heartlands of…
The History of England1.12 - 5a Pirates from the North
The Vikings visited fire, destruction - and trade - on a bemused and terrified 8th C Europe. Who were they, where did they come from, where did they go and and…
The History of England1.11 - 4 Greater Wessex
The death of Offa & his son led to the bloodletting normal when the succession was a bun fight. But this time round, it would have longer term consequences for…
The History of England1.10 - 3 The Mercian Supremacy
After Wulfhere, Aethelred and Aethelbald laid the foundations, a prince from the Hwicce, Offa, took Mercia to its greatest achievements.For maps, resources…
The History of England1.9 - 2: The Rise of Mercia
Pretty much a century in just one, fun-filled episode - 650 ish to 750 is. It's Mercia's turn - an increasingly integrated Mercia, growing in power. With yer…
The History of England1.8 Revival
Towns had simply disappeared along with the post Roman economy by 500. But slowly by 600 there's tiny shoots of recovery discernible - so we talk about towns…
The History of England1.7 Conversion
At the start of the 7th century England was a basically pagan country; by the end of it it was officially at least Christian. While no doubt many pagans still…
The History of England1.6 The Life and Times of Penda II
Through much of the 7th Century, Penda increased the power and influence of the Mercians. He built his kingdom as a traditional warrior, tribal leader -…
The History of England1.5 The Life and Times of Penda I
7th Century England was inherently unstable, populated by a patchwork of communities, petty kingdoms successful and less so. Into this pagan mix also comes the…
The History of England1.4 Founding Kingdoms
It's difficult to know how much to believe of the stories relayed in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle about the formation of the early kingdoms - do they simply…
The History of England1.3 Building a New World
What kind of society had arrived in Roman Britain? How how did societies and communities form and become the kingdoms before the days of the Heptarchy?For…
The History of England1.2 Adventus Saxonum
The traditional story of the arrival of the Anglo Saxons is one of death and destruction, and the catastrophic and complete replacement of a British population…
The History of England1.1 Change and Calamity
This is the story of late antique Britain. How in the 3rd to 5th centuries, Britain went through two waves of economic dislocation and transformation, that…
The History of England1.0 - 1 Anglo Saxons England 500-1066
This episode includes an introduction to Series 1, the Anglo Saxons, and then a discussion of the sources we have available for the settlement period. We then…
- The History of England
All About the History of England
This is my chronological retelling of the story of the English in regular chunks. It’s been going since Christmas Day 2010, so there’s enough to keep you off…