Britain’s top 20 stately homes
Whatever your idea of the perfect historic house – imposing architecture, beautiful interiors or glorious gardens – you'll find it here. We peek through the (gilded) keyhole at 20 of the county's finest manors,...
The Auckland Project
Bishop Auckland, a small Northeast town with big ambitions, is fast becoming a cultural hub
Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was once the playground of the second most powerful man in England. Powerful men don’t usually...
History of Suffolk county’s architecture
The architecture of the county of Suffolk is a mix of colour and character, with timber-frame and flint, pargetting and thatched roofs, moats and chimney stacks
By Jenny Woolf
Scattered around the flinty-grey churches of Suffolk,...
The story of St Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland
We bring you the story of the man behind the myth of St Patrick, Ireland’s Patron Saint, who is celebrated each St Patrick’s Day
St Patrick was a 5th century missionary who arrived in Ireland...
Who was David Livingstone?
We follow in the footsteps of the Scottish missionary, explorer and all-round Victorian hero, who fought to end the slave trade
There aren’t many ten-year-olds working in a cotton mill who would spend their first...
Pilgrims’ progress: Dissent deep in the heart of England (Part one)
2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the epic voyage of the Mayflower. We delve into the early story of the pioneering Pilgrims
On 16 September 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth on England’s southwestern coast,...
Upstairs Downstairs
We explore what relationships were really like between the upstairs and downstairs residents of Britain’s big houses
In the new Downton Abbey film, veteran housekeeper Mrs Hughes is unequivocal in briefing staff: “I want every...
How to celebrate Christmas like Charles Dickens
Don’t be a Scrooge! Celebrate the spirit and former haunts of Charles Dickens, the Victorian author who shaped our vision of the modern festive season
On the evening of October 5 1843, Charles Dickens took his...
Guy Fawkes: the man behind the guy
The effigy of Guy Fawkes is burned throughout Britain at this time of year, but how much do we really know of the famous Gunpowder Plot conspirator?
The classic rhyme “Remember, remember the fifth of November" features one of...
Oliver Cromwell and the English Civil War: Part II
Oliver Cromwell was quick to seize control after the shocking death of Charles I, but was he hero or villain?
On January 30, 1649 48-year-old King Charles I said goodbye to his children at St...