The English Heritage Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Coastline Special: Romans by the sea Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

Did you know that Roman emperors had a weakness for English oysters? The Romans arrived in Britain around 43AD and one of their first settlements was at Richborough in Kent, where they found oysters so good they sent them back home.

In the first of our special series on the English coastline, we go back to Roman times. It wasn’t just a military invasion, it was an influx of culture and people from across three continents. It shaped our country and our shores.

Today English heritage experts Dr Andrew Roberts and Dr Kathryn Bedford reveal more about what the Romans actually did for us.

Now you can watch our coastal series as well as listen to it - either on Spotify or go to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EnglishHeritage

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

Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠ 

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

Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠    

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

*Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.

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The Neolithic Hall: Reconstructing History at Stonehenge Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

This week, the English Heritage Podcast brings the sights, sounds, and even the smells of 4,000 BC to life as host Amy Matthews visits Stonehenge for a remarkable experiment in archaeology: the building of a full‑scale Neolithic Hall.

Join host Amy as she explores a groundbreaking experimental archaeology project: the construction of a full-scale Neolithic Hall and discover how English Heritage curator of properties Win Scutt, experimental archaeologist Luke Winter, and English Heritage volunteer Suzie are using authentically recreated stone tools and ancient techniques to bring prehistory to life.

Amy explores the realities of 4,000 BC, the incredible timber engineering of our ancestors, and how this immersive space will serve as an educational gateway for thousands of schoolchildren – and adults.

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

Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠

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

Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠

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

*Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Berwick-on-Tweed: life on the border in the 16th century May 28, 2026

Show notes

Berwick-upon-Tweed is England's most northerly town. Today, it's known for its stunning architecture and beautiful views over the North Sea.

In the past, though, it was a contested spot. Berwick’s strategic position, near the England–Scotland border, meant that it had always been an important garrison town. The imposing and slightly foreboding structure of the barracks has been a significant landmark on the border for centuries.

We take you back to the 16th century to discover what life was like in the shoes of those who walked those streets - starting with the leather they were made from!

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

Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠

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

Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠

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

*Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reinterpreting Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo May 21, 2026

Show notes

Next week marks 86 years since Operation Dynamo: the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk during the Second World War. But beyond the history that we all know lies a far more complex human story.

Beginning inside the wartime tunnels beneath Dover Castle, Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage historian Dr Kathryn Bedford alongside Yves Janssen and Gautier Jacqmaire from the Dunkirk 1940 Museum to explore the pressure, fear and exhaustion experienced on both sides of the Channel.

From sleepless radio operators and WRENs in Dover to French soldiers waiting under bombardment on the beaches themselves, this episode reinterprets Dunkirk through personal stories, oral histories and different national perspectives.

From Britain’s story of rescue and survival to France’s memory of loss and defeat, we look at how Dunkirk has been remembered differently across generations and national borders, as well as why reinterpretation matters and how revisiting familiar stories can deepen our understanding of the past.

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

Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠

Visit Dover Castle: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/

Musée Dunkerque 1940: http://www.dynamo-dunkerque.com/

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

Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠

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

*Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northumberland and the Border Reivers May 14, 2026

Show notes

From the 14th to the 17th century, survival in the turbulent borderlands between England and Scotland depended on family, loyalty and the strength to defend what was yours.

In this episode of the English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews explores the violent world of the Border Reivers, the families who controlled this contested landscape for centuries, through fortified farmhouses and ruined peel towers.

Historian and writer Alistair Moffat and English Heritage curator Andrew Roberts uncover how raiding, blackmail and shifting allegiances shaped everyday life along the Anglo-Scottish frontier, leaving traces that are felt through the landscape and culture of the Borders today.

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

Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠

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

Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠

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

*Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A history of natural history May 07, 2026

Show notes

As broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday, Amy Matthews explores how Britain learned to observe, record and make sense of the living world and why those early questions about nature still matter today.

Beginning at Down House, the family home of Charles Darwin, this episode explores how natural history was shaped not just by Darwin’s famous ideas, but by generations of collectors, classifiers and curious observers. From ancient thinking to early citizen science and the origins of modern-day questions, history-of-science expert Dr Edwin Rose from the University of Leeds and English Heritage’s Sabrina Villani explore how this became both a science and a national pastime.

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

Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠

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

Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠

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

*Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northumberland: the story of Norham Castle Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

On the banks of the River Tweed, where England meets Scotland, Norham Castle has stood watch over one of Britain’s most contested landscapes for centuries. But beyond the sieges, treaties and shifting borders lies a more human story.

In this episode, Amy Matthews explores a world of fishermen casting nets below the castle walls and soldiers bracing for attack.

Historian Dr Will Wyeth and Norham local Jim Gibson explain how Norham has always been a working community as well as a strategic stronghold in the grand backdrop of Anglo-Scottish relations.

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

Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠

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

Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠

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

*Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Windmills: restoring England’s working giants Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

Mills have towered over English landscapes since the medieval period. In this episode, Amy finds out how modern conservation and passionate people are working to keep windmills alive today.

Sibsey Trader Windmill is a magnificently restored mill, now reopened to the public in Lincolnshire. This Victorian tower mill has been rescued from the brink after decades of decline. Nick Holder and Joseph James explain how these beautiful buildings have shaped communities, powered industry, and transformed landscapes. Plus, they tell the story of how this mill and its mechanics have been painstakingly restored to their former glory.

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

Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠

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

Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠

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

*Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northumberland: castles and the borderlands of power Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

A stone knight, an emerging frontier and a story of shifting identity: this time, Amy and her guests explore how the Anglo-Scottish border began to evolve in the centuries following the Norman Conquest, right through to a critical 1237 treaty.

English Heritage’s Will Wyeth and Professor Richard Oram from the University of Stirling explain how the people and landscape of Northumberland were critical in shaping this story of competing loyalties, powerful figures and soap-opera style characters, from knights and nobles to bishops and kings.

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

Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠

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

Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠

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

*Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Memories of flowers: a country house and its community Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

Some blocked plumbing at Brodsworth Hall, a pre-ball dancefloor drama and the fiercely competitive annual May Queen crowning at the local school: these are just some of the stories that emerge from this country house’s ‘floral’ history!

This week, Amy is joined by Eleanor Matthews for a joyful celebration of flowers. They’ll listen to the memories of gardeners, housemaids and locals to find out how flowers have connected the house and gardens at Brodsworth to its local community through the decades.

What’s more, Brodsworth Hall is continuing this tradition with this year’s ‘Flowers’ season, which invites the public to enjoy this special history–and its present-day incarnation too.

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

Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠

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

Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠

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

*Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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