Medieval Britain

The Magna Carta | Learning Zone

A explanation of how and why this royal charter of rights was devised in 1215.

The Truth About Richard III (Song) | Horrible Histories

History has been unkind to Richard III and he's written a song to set the record straight: he's a nice guy really!

The Declaration of Arbroath | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses the the Declaration of Arbroath in Scotland.

The Battle of Bannockburn | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama investigates the The Battle of Bannockburn.

Robert the Bruce becomes King at Scone | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses Robert the Bruce and how he became King at Scone.

William Wallace at Stirling and Falkirk | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama investigates the battles of Stirling and Falkirk and William Wallace's subsequent...

Succession problem following the death of Alexander III of Scotland | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses the succession problem following the death ...

Edward I, overlord of Scotland | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses Edward I's brutal 1296 campaign in Scotland.

Castle building in Wales and the expulsion of the Jews | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama investigates the building of castles during the reign of Edward I ...

Edward I's conquests in Wales | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses Edward I's conquests in Wales.

Simon de Montfort seizes power | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses the battle of Evesham between Edward I and Simon de Montfort.

The absent reign of Richard the Lionheart | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama investigates the reign and death of Richard the Lionheart.

Henry II's defeat | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses the defeat of Henry II and his subsequent death.

Henry II's legacy | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses the legacy of Henry II, following his role in the death of Thomas Becket.

The murder of Thomas Becket | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses the circumstances in which Thomas Becket was murdered.

The reconciliation of Henry II and Thomas Becket | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses the circumstances in which Henry II and Thomas Becket reconcil...

Harold Godwinsons embassy to Normandy | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama investigates the Bayeux Tapestry and the story of Harold Godwinson's journey to Fra...

The souring of friendship between Henry II and Thomas Becket | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama investigates the declining relationship between Henry II and...

Henry II's legal reform | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama investigates Henry II's legal reform.

Towton 1461 | A History of the World

Horrible Histories author Terry Deary tells the story of the country's biggest and bloodiest ever battle in which 28,000 soldiers died i...

The Bayeux Tapestry | Seven Ages of Britain

David Dimbleby walks through the history depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry, explaining each stage of the Norman conquest.

William's death | The Normans

On his deathbed, William confessed to his sins and his regrets towards how he treated the English people. After he died, panic and chaos ensued...

The Domesday Book | The Normans

Robert Bartlett details the beginnings of the Domesday book and the kind of information that William requested for it, highlighting the demis...

Norman churches | The Normans

Being devout Christians, the Normans were responsible for much of the religious infrastructure England knows today.

Hereward the Wake | The Normans

Hereward the Wake oversaw the next resistance to King William, and got help from the Danish to attack England from the East.

Harrying of the North | The Normans

Offshoots of Anglo-Saxons, particularly in Northern England, would target roaming Normans, killing them to prevent any changes to their l...

William's castles | The Normans

William's coronation was met with some angst, but he persevered and proceeded to divide up land to Norman noblemen and build castles.

Norman cultural changes | The Normans

Robert Bartlett describes the cultural changes that the Normans brought to Britain.

The 1066 invasion | The Normans

Robert Bartlett gives a step-by-step guide to the infamous Battle of Hastings where William took the throne from King Harold and so ended th...

King Harold's reign | The Normans

The people of the Middle Ages were sceptical of their new king Harold who, previous to William, was attempted to be usurped by Norwegian Vi...

The Bayeux Tapestry | The Normans

Robert Bartlett guides us through the Bayeux Tapestry and details the historical timeline of events that lead to the beginning of the infam...

William's English links | The Normans

William had links to England as he was Edward the Confessor's cousin, so with Edward's death imminent he could make a plausible claim t...

William the Bastard | The Normans

Details of William the Conqueror's origin as the son of an embalmer and the turbulent times he was born into, facing rebellion at every tur...

The Normans | The Normans

Summing up the achievements and nature of the Norman people and their affect on Europe.

Norman land ownership | Michael Wood's Story of England

Records in the national archives detail how small villages were divided up after the Norman invasion.

Norman castles | Michael Wood's Story of England

William the Conqueror brought castle-building to England, oppressing the English by installing French men as the local autho...

Norman invasion | Michael Wood's Story of England

Michael talks to some historical reenactors about what the Norman Conquest would have been like for the Anglo-Saxons.

Tower of London | Seven Ages of Britain

David Dimbleby visits the Tower of London, which was one of William the Conqueror's first statement buildings when in power.

William the Conqueror | Seven Ages of Britain

David Dimbleby explores what kind of man William the Conqueror was, his interest in stone over culture and why his success in C...

The Domesday Book | Learning Zone

Faced with the threat of foreign invasion, King William wants to know how much tax he can raise, so sets out to record every person, every ...

1: The East: A New Dawn | How We Built Britain

David Dimbleby goes on an architectural tour of Britain. He climbs the tower of Ely Cathedral, explores great castles and lear...

5: Fire at York | Cathedral

Documentary drama series that reconstructs momentous events that shaped the building of Britain's cathedrals. Today, the story of York Minster Ca...

2: Redemption at Lincoln | Cathedral

Documentary drama series that reconstructs momentous events that shaped the building of Britain's cathedrals. Today, the rebuilding of L...

3: Flood at Winchester | Cathedral

Documentary drama series that reconstructs events that shaped the building of Britain's cathedrals.Winchester Cathedral faced destruction ...

1: Murder At Canterbury | Cathedral

Documentary drama series reconstructing the momentous events that shaped the building of Britain's cathedrals. Canterbury was Britain's f...

7: Radiance | Civilisations

Simon Schama starts his meditation on colour and civilisation with the great Gothic cathedrals of Amiens and Chartres. He then moves to 16th-cent...

5: Durham Cathedral | Britain's Best Buildings

Dan Cruickshank investigates Durham Cathedral, a structure utilising advanced engineering that was a century ahead of its time.

2: The Monk | Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

This week he investigates the truth behind the cloistered medieval monk.

3: Belief | Inside the Medieval Mind

As the church's grip on their beliefs increased, people came before religious courts and many were killed.

1: Knowledge | Inside the Medieval Mind

Robert Bartlett examines the way we thought during medieval times. As the Middle Ages wore on, a world which previously seemed enchan...

3: Impact of the Monk | In Search of Scotland

In the middle ages monasticism was a potent force in society with the monks having an important impact on lay activities. Fiona...

S1E2: Black Death | Lucy Worsley Investigates

How did the Black Death change Britain? Lucy Worsley examines the latest science and explores how the huge death toll affected ...

2: The Enemy Within | Rivals in Stone

Lincoln Castle and Lincoln Cathedral stand on opposite sides of a courtyard within the city's medieval walls. They are symbols of compe...

The Vikings | Learning Zone

Differing reasons for the Vikings coming to Britain are explored, and relationships between Anglo-Saxons and the Viking raiders discussed.

Anglo-Saxon Britain | Learning Zone

One of the children is sick, and this is used as a means to explore the different approaches to medicine and medical care in Saxon times.

Alfred and the Economy | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons

Michael Wood discusses the economy and coinage under King Alfred.

Alfred and London | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons

Michael Wood discusses Alfred's biggest urban project, the 886 restoration of London.

Alfred's Kingdom | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons

Michael Wood investigates life in Alfred's Kingdom.

Alfred vs The Vikings | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons

Michael Wood discusses the brutal battle between King Alfred and the Vikings and the following peace process.

The Salvation of Wessex | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons

Michael Wood investigates the events of King Alfred's Salvation of Wessex.

Alfred Flees | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons

Michael Wood investigates the conflict following Alfred of Wessex becoming King.

The Battle of Ashdown | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons

Michael Wood discusses the circumstances of the Battle of Ashdown.

The Viking Wars | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons

Michael Wood tells the stories of the Viking War, as documented by an Anglo-Saxon manuscript.

Early Life | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons

Michael Wood discusses the early life of Alfred of Wessex.

The victory of Alfred | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama investigates the victory of Alfred and the idea of a united English kingdom.

The slow process of becoming Anglo-Saxon Britain and the introduction of Christianity | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

The slow process that Roman Britannia shifted in...

How Viking raids led to the creation of England | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama explains how Viking raids contributed to the creation of England.

Julius Caesar's attempted invasion & Claudius's successful invasion | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses Julius Caesar’s attempted invasion & Claudi...

Roman baths and culture | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama visits Roman baths in Bath and discusses the Roman bath culture.

Fabricated speeches and Hadrian's Wall | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama explains the history of Hadrian's Wall.

Queen Boudicca's revenge | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

In 60AD Boudicca rose up in revolt.

An introduction to Iron Age Britain | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama introduces life in Iron Age Britain.

How did the people of Skara Brae bury the dead? | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama explains how the people of Skara Brae buried their dead.

The Black Death | Europe: A Natural History

How the black death was spread in the late 1340's.

How the Lollard religion grew from the Black Death | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama explains how the Lollard religion was developed from the Black Death.

How the Black Death changed social structure | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama explains how the Black Death changed Medieval social structures.

Medieval treatment and beliefs on the cause of the Black Death | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses the Medieval beliefs about what caused the Black...

The symptoms of Black Death and how it spread | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses the black death, explaining it's symptoms and how it spread.

3: The Great Famine and the Black Death | Michael Wood's Story of England

Michael Wood's portrait of one village across the whole of English history reaches the 14th century...

5: The Deserted Village | History File

Wharram Percy, E Yorks, is just one of 3,000 deserted medieval village sites in Britain. What secrets do its grass mounds and overgrow...

S1E5: King Death | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama continues his look at British history with the Black Death, the horror of medieval Britain. Those it did...

1: The Great Plague | Plague, Fire, War and Treason

This episode examines the Great Plague of 1665, one of the darkest moments in Britain's history, when over one-fifth of L...

2: The Great Fire of London | Plague, Fire, War and Treason

The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of Lo...

S1E2: Black Death | Lucy Worsley Investigates

How did the Black Death change Britain? Lucy Worsley examines the latest science and explores how the huge death toll affected ...

Walsham le Willows | Lucy Worsley Investigates

Lucy explores the records about the Black Death for the small village of Walsham le Willows, and what happened to the families...

1: Black Death | World's Worst Century

Was the 14th century the worst time in history to be alive? The population of Britain was ravaged by a plague that drove mankind to th...

Social changes after the Black Death | Ken Follett's Jouney Into the Dark Ages

Author Ken Follett explores the societal changes that came about as a result of the Black Deat...

Black Death | Ken Follett's Journey Into the Dark Ages

Ken Follett tells the story of the Black Death through the true stories of a monk in Winchester, a doctor in Florence ...

One Family and the Black Death | Ken Follett's Jouney Into the Dark Ages

Author Ken Follett explores the impact of the Black Death in Britain through the lens of one family...

Which bacteria caused the plague? | Ken Follett's Jouney Into the Dark Ages

Professor Johannes Krause was part of a team that used DNA to research which bacteria caused the ...

The Most Dangerous Job in the World | Ken Follett's Jouney Into the Dark Ages

As the plague comes to Winchester and the Catholic Church attempts to offer solutions, monks ar...

How the Black Death Spread | Ken Follett's Jouney Into the Dark Ages

Professor Johannes Krause explains the modern scientific understanding of how the Black Death spread fro...

A Remarkable Doctor | Ken Follett's Jouney Into the Dark Ages

Author Ken Follett explores the work of a plague doctor in the Santa Maria Nuova hospital in Florence. Contains...

6: The Philosopher (Alchemist) | Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

Terry Jones takes us on a tour of the Middle Ages, looking at the medieval scientist, or philosopher as they wer...

4: The Minstrel | Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

Terry Jones takes us on a tour of the Middle Ages. He reveals that minstrels were medieval spin doctors and could be warriors, ...

3: The Damsel | Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

In this episode, a look at the world of the medieval damsel.

1: The Peasant | Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

Terry discovers that the much-maligned medieval peasant was in fact literate, emancipated and healthy.

4: Peasants' Revolt to Tudors | Michael Wood's Story of England

A portrait of one village through the whole of English history. Amazing finds in the school archive help trac...

4: Power | Inside the Medieval Mind

Robert Bartlett lays bare the framework of the medieval class system, where inequality was part of the natural order and the life of serf...

2: Sex | Inside the Medieval Mind

Robert Bartlett unearths remarkable evidence of the complex passions of men and women during the Middle Ages.

5: Table Games | Games People Played

This week table games featuring a stone board from Norwich Castle.

1: Dicing with Destiny | Games Britannia

Series about the history of popular games in Britain. Ancient games were fundamental, but by the late Middle Ages gaming had become ...

1: Medieval London | Filthy Cities

Dan Snow gets down and dirty in medieval grime to discover how the London of today was forged in the filth of the 14th century.

Episode 2 | Saints and Sinners: Britain's Millennium of Monasteries

Janina Ramirez looks at how monasteries transformed society and rose to a position of immense power, only...

Christina: A Medieval Life

Historian Michael Wood presents a portrait of ordinary people living through extraordinary times, tracing the story of Christina Cok, a peasant of...

The Middle Ages: The Peasants' Revolt | History 11-13

The Peasants' Revolt by Keith Goodall is set in 1381, based on the true story of the grievances of the villeins forced ...

Viking invaders and settlers | Learning Zone

Neil Oliver visits three of the most important places associated with the Viking invasion and settlement of Anglo Saxon England.

Viking trade | Learning Zone

Neil Oliver visits Istanbul to see for himself why the Vikings made the long and treacherous journey to trade in its exotic markets.

Viking ships | Learning Zone

Neil Oliver travels to Oslo to find out how the Vikings' skills as shipbuilders and sailors enabled them to travel so far from their homeland.

Viking home life | Learning Zone

Artefacts found at a Viking settlement reveal another side to violent Viking life - as peaceful farmers and highly skilled craftsmen.

The Vikings - Literally (Song) | Horrible Histories

The Vikings tore up England in the 700s, literally!

Vikings & Garfunkel (Song) | Horrible Histories

Think the vicious Vikings were purely plunderers and pillagers? Think again!

Episode 2 | The Real White Queen and Her Rivals

Philippa Gregory tells the interweaving stories of the women who were decisive figures in the Wars of the Roses - Elizabeth W...

Episode 1 | The Real White Queen and Her Rivals

Philippa Gregory reveals the stories of three women at the heart of the Wars of the Roses - the 'White Queen' Elizabeth Woodv...

3: The Death of Kings | The Plantagenets

In the last century of their rule, four Plantagenet kings are deposed and murdered.

3: Richard III | Historyonics

Nick Knowles tries to discover whether Richard III was as dastardly as history records. He was ruthless and ambitious - but was he really respo...

S1E3: Princes in the Tower | Lucy Worsley Investigates

What really happened to the princes in the tower? Lucy Worsley uncovers the story of the two boys whose disappearance ...

Richard III: The Princes in the Tower

Did Richard III really kill his nephews so that he could be king? A stellar cast of experts including David Starkey and Philippa Gregor...

S1E3: Warwick | Secrets of Great British Castles

In this episode, Dan explores Warwick Castle whose walls echo with tales of betrayal, bloodshed, murder and financial ruin.

Bosworth | War Walks

Professor Richard Holmes travels to historic British sites. He visits the scene of Henry Tudor's victory over King Richard III, which changed the course...

Richard III: The New Evidence

This new documentary explores the results of scientific tests of Richard III's remains. Would his spinal deformity have prevented him from lead...

Richard III: The King in the Car Park

Was a skeleton found under a Leicester car park last September really Richard III? With exclusive access to the investigating team, thi...