400. Victorian Britain's Maddest Mystery

What are the origins of Merlin, the powerful wizard and King Arthur’s advisor? Who was Geoffrey of Monmouth, and what role did he play in evolving the tales of Arthur and the Round Table? And, was Merlin based on a real historical figure from the Saxon invasion of Britain in the ...  Show more

Who was the real Lancelot, King Arthur’s dashing love rival from the Arthurian legends? Was he the first medieval knight? How would his relationship with Queen Guinevere come to shape romance and chivalry for centuries to come? And, was there a historical Camelot…? Join Tom and D ...  Show more

An Australian man comes to England claiming to be a long-lost heir thought dead in a shipwreck. What happened next sparked a trial lasting 188 days—one of the longest in English history—and a scandal that captivated the Victorian public.

Kate Summerscale, author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, tells us about her new book, which investigates another shocking 19th-century crime. Meanwhile, Andrew Lambert guides us around the famous clipper Cutty Sark, a ship that raced around the world as part of the lucrative Vic ...  Show more

It’s 1865, and butcher Arthur Orton is living in poverty in Australia. Then he hears about a reward for information on England’s ninth richest nobleman, Sir Roger Tichborne, who's been missing for several years. So Arthur comes up with an audacious plan. All he has to do is fool ...  Show more

Arthur Orton is inching towards victory. But when an untimely death forces him to prove his identity in court, the game steps up. Now he must convince the world he’s Sir Roger Tichborne, or face public humiliation—and a one-way ticket to pennilessness.Listen to British Scandal on ...  Show more