It’s Christmas. The holly and ivy are adorning the fireplace, hopefully the shopping is (mostly) done and the King of... more

The often forgotten world of medieval nuns holds many secrets about the lives of ordinary people of the age, their... more

The chilling ghost stories of M.R.James are as much a part of our Christmas television viewing as the King’s speech. But... more

Matt Lewis is joined by archaeologist Ben Robinson from BBC's 'Villages by the Sea' to explore the deep historical ties... more

What can medieval burial practices reveal about societal values and beliefs? Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by biological anthropologist Dr.... more

The Albigensian Crusade was a blood-soaked military campaign, as the church desperately attempted to purge heresy across Christendom in the... more

Dr. Eleanor Janega invites co-host Matt Lewis to discuss his exciting new book, 'The History Hit Guide to Medieval England.'... more

Matt Lewis is joined by Alice Loxton to explore the lives of 18-Year-Olds through historyFrom Bede surviving a devastating plague... more

Both Frederick II and King John were excommunicated from the all-powerful church, but why?Dr. Eleanor Janega and Dr. Felicity Hill... more

Recreating Richard III's Voice: A Journey Through TimeJoin us as we dive into the fascinating project of reconstructing the voice... more

Dr. Eleanor Janega can hardly contain her excitement. She’s just seen Joan of Arc’s actual signature on show in the... more

What is a leper squint? Are the marks scratched into the exterior walls of churches from damned souls trying to... more

Rodrigo Díaz - known as el Cid - lived a violently colourful life in 11th Century Spain. By turns an... more

Join Matt Lewis and Professor Michael Livingston to unravel the legendary Battle of Agincourt.They cover the lesser-known strategic blunders to... more

Why are so many medieval castles left in ruins?Join Dr. Eleanor Janega as she steps through the rubble of these... more

Gone Medieval continues to explore the life cycle of castles, today considering the role for which they were explicitly designed... more

**This episode contains some strong language**Few women had the luxury of writing down their thoughts and feelings during medieval times.... more

Old Sarum was the earliest settlement of Salisbury in Wlitshire. While there are indications of a prehistoric settlement on the site from... more

All this month, Matt and Eleanor are ranging across England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland to discover the stories of our... more

Ireland has been known as the land of saints and scholars and once was the farthest reach of the known... more

Medieval churches are among our most enduring links with the Middle Ages. But it's not always easy to understand what... more

Castles in Medieval Britain didn't just serve a military purpose, they were central to the social and cultural life of... more

At the edge of the Gobi Desert, Dunhuang was once a bustling oasis on the famous Silk Road connecting China... more

For the Plantagenets, family might be a curse as often as a boon. They could provide invaluable support, or dangerous... more

Castles. For centuries they have held fast across the landscape of the British Isles. Like beacons on a hill... more

Bonfires of paperwork have accompanied human upheaval for centuries, eradicating, making space for rewriting. Imagine standing in the centre of... more

If you’ve ever been to Prague, you’ll have noticed that there are many places and institutions that bear the name... more

The stories often told and retold of the early medieval period are those of great kings, battles and daring deeds.... more

Vikings have long been depicted as that stereotype of the hairy, nameless warrior, leaping ashore from his longboat, ready to... more

For centuries, one English monarch basked in an almost unblemished, heroic reputation. But more recently questions have been asked about... more

One of the enduring mysteries of the Viking Age is the identity of two people buried in a spectacular blood... more

The Crusades still capture the imagination today, for all of their professed good intentions they were also bloody ideological wars.But... more

In the year 940 in North-Eastern France, a young peasant girl began to experience vivid visions that mirrored the brutal... more

For millions of Tolkien lovers around the world, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are more than just... more

It’s summer, so let’s kick back, give our brains a break and indulge in a little fantasy. Hollywood, like us,... more

William Marshal was one of the most famous and influential figures in English medieval history, rising from a lowly start... more

On Gone Medieval we like to celebrate the best stories - and storytellers - of history, so today Dr.Eleanor Janega... more

Please be aware that this episode mentions sexual violenceAmongst the countless crusaders who travelled to the Holy Land, there were... more

How did a peasant girl go on to lead French armies at the age of 17? How did her... more

Christians had a problematic relationship with Jewish populations as the Medieval period progressed. Jews were frequently persecuted, targeted and... more

Say Norman Conquests; think 1066 and William the Conqueror. But the massive success of the English conquest often overshadows the... more

Cecily Neville was the matriarch of the House of York, the mother of two kings of England and an ancestor... more

Rollo was a Viking leader who became the first ruler of Normandy in the early 10th century. His descendants,... more

Almost immediately after Thomas Becket’s murder, reports of miraculous healings and divine interventions spread like wildfire. Canterbury witnessed a huge... more

One of the most important of Holy Roman Emperors, Frederick II was revered and reviled in equal measures.  He was... more

We don't often use the word 'Tudor' on Gone Medieval but we can't ignore how the Tudors have a sensational... more

Today on Gone Medieval we arrive at one of the most consequential events in English history; the murder of the... more

It's 1163; Thomas Becket has cast off the shackles of his working class roots to become King Henry II's right-hand... more

When you think of drama in the medieval period the appointment of bishops would not naturally come to mind. ... more

Parliament is perhaps the single most significant institution in the United Kingdom. Like anything worthwhile, it's a medieval creation. But... more

"Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?!"These words supposedly uttered by a King over 800 years ago set in... more

Two years after King John had agreed to the terms of Magna Carta, he reneged on his word, plunging England... more

What does a document written in 1215 in England have to do with the United States? Surprisingly a lot actually!... more

Once connected to a busy and thriving hospital, Great St Bart's Church in Smithfield is not only a survivor of... more

Out of the shadowy world of the medieval church, an extraordinary legend emerged of a woman who disguised herself as... more

The Crusader states in the Near East were created after the First Crusade in order to keep hold of the... more

One of the last kings of Anglo-Saxon England, Edward the Confessor regained the throne for the House of Wessex and... more

The Anarchy is an intriguing and often forgotten period of history. There are fascinating characters and moments of deep political importance... more

In the Middle Ages, animals were often the means for survival and the source of great wealth. No wonder then that... more

If you are planning - or dreaming of - your next holiday, have you stopped to wonder whether our medieval... more

Did you know we have our medieval ancestors to thank for whisky? It wasn’t exactly a medieval invention but the... more

Dating from 1467-1603, the Sengoku or ‘Warring States’ period is known as the bloodiest in Japan’s history; an era of... more

King Richard I of England - Richard the Lionheart - is one of those historical figures whose reputation stands out... more

The supernatural in the Medieval world was always close at hand. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis pays a... more

​Do you know the difference between a church and a chapel? A bishop and an archbishop? An abbey and an... more

The Vikings continue to fascinate us because their compelling stories connect with universal human desires for exploration and adventure. ... more

The image we usually associate with a Crusader - of a dashing nobleman on a mighty steed heading out for... more

The Mongol Empire that rose in the early 13th century was fractured and in crisis by the mid-14th. But then... more

Because of William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Normans have remained a familiar and... more

Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great, was a great king who united what was once a collection of petty Anglo-Saxon... more

The huge peninsula of what we today call Italy saw waves of invasions and sweeping changes over the course of... more

Six Plantagenet kings ruled between 1199 and 1399 - two centuries that witnessed civil war, deposition, the murder of kings... more

In Gone Medieval’s special series exploring some of Anglo-Saxon Britain’s most influential kingdoms, we reach Wessex - the last kingdom... more

In Gone Medieval’s special series examining some of Anglo-Saxon Britain’s most significant kingdoms, we arrive at the kingdom of Mercia,... more

Accounts of the Crusades were usually commissioned by wealthy and influential people about themselves, to make their piety and righteousness... more

From Hugh Capet to Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Capetian dynasty considered itself divinely chosen to fulfil a great destiny. From an... more

In a time of in-fighting and tribal warfare, what did it take to form the politically dominant, culturally rich and... more

In medieval times, Britain was criss-crossed by pilgrim routes, that took in such world-famous sites as Canterbury and Lindisfarne as... more

Prostitutes were everywhere in the streets and neighbourhoods of medieval cities. In one and the same building, there might be... more

One of the pivotal figures in Medieval history, King Henry II centralised royal power, instituted legal reforms and established common... more