Defending a Castle

Why would the execution of a single Czech priest spark decades of bloody revolution across Europe? In 1414, the outspoken reformer Jan Hus was promised safe conduct to a church council, only to be arrested, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake. Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Le ...  Show more

In 1441, one of England's most powerful women was forced to walk barefoot through London's streets as a convicted sorceress. What drove Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, to the occult? Dr. Eleanor Janega sits down with bestselling novelist Philippa Gregory to uncover the pol ...  Show more

This castle is unique in its design and the extent to which the ground surrounding it are part of that design. It’s also closely tied to the turbulent period in England’s history that runs from the Hundred Years War, through the Wars of the Roses. Learn more about your ad-choices ...  Show more

<blockquote>There is a photo essay to accompany this episode here </blockquote>

Conwy castle in Wales in one of Europe's most spectacular medieval castles. Built in the ...

What was the interior design like in medieval castles? Why were so many of these fortresses built in Wales? And what was it like to live in one? In our latest ‘Everything you wanted to know’ episode, Marc Morris answers listener questions on the history of British castles. Speaki ...  Show more