18. The North South Divide

What inspired the deadliest bloodbath of the Tudor age: the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, in which protestants were slaughtered en masse? How did it drive Elizabeth I’s spy master, Francis Walsingham, to repress all treasonous activity in her realm? And, what terrible tr ...  Show more

How did Elizabeth I rule England? Why was she constantly in mortal peril in 1569? Who was Sir William Cecil, and why was he so crucial to her reign? And, how did his network of spies keep her alive, and England uninvaded…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the secret war ragin ...  Show more

What's the difference between the North and the South of England? And when does the "North" end and the "South" start? In this episode, we'll explore these questions, and touch on differences in accents, lifestyles, and even what people call their evening meal. The origins of the ...  Show more

With Donald Trump’s Mexican wall back in the news, Tom Holland and Iszi Lawrence follow history’s lines and linkages to discover how Britain’s borders have been used to separate communities.Tom travels to Offa’s Dyke to find out how the 176-mile-long, 8th century earthwork divide ...  Show more

From the glories of early medieval Northumbria to the urban powerhouses of the industrial revolution, northern England has long had an identity of its own. In his book Northerners, Brian Groom traces the story of the North from the Ice Age to the present day. He tells Ellie Cawth ...  Show more

The UK may have a divide north and south, but how about east and west? Chris Mason takes a virtual journey from Whitby in the east to the Lake District in the west to find out. Chris was born and brought up in the Yorkshire Dales, straddling the centre of the country, so he has h ...  Show more