Medieval Britain

01: Matilda and Eleanor | She-Wolves: England's Early Queens

How Matilda almost became the first woman to be crowned queen of England in her own right, and how Eleanor of Aq...

01: Instruments of Invasion | Castles: Britain's Fortified History

Sam Willis shows how the castle arrived as an instrument of invasion with the Normans but became a weapon ...

05: Eleanor of Aquitaine | Queens that Changed the World

Born in 1122, Eleanor of Aquitaine was the only ever Queen of both France and England, and became the most powerful ...

01: The Normans and their Castles (Dover Castle) | Castle

Marc Morris consults the Bayeux Tapestry and archaeological evidence to discover how castles evolved over a 600-yea...

03: The Death of Kings | The Plantagenets

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

01: Harlech Castle | Britain's Best Buildings

This edition visits Harlech Castle in North Wales, the focus of the most bitter Anglo-Welsh conflict.

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

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

Medieval Realms: 02: The Power of the Church | History File

The murder of Thomas Becket stands as a symbol of the tensions between church and state in 12th Century England. ...

S01E03: Dynasty | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Henry II built a great medieval empire - which was then torn apart by his scheming family.

02: Robin Hood | Historyonics

Nick Knowles takes a romp through history in an attempt to separate fact from fiction in the story of historical hero Robin Hood. In fact, did ...

S02E02: Charles II - The King of Bling | Horrible Histories

Now Cromwell’s gone, party animal King Charles II has restored the monarchy and is ready to party, as he raps in ...

Medieval Realms: 03: Magna Carta | History File

1215: the barons rebel against Bad King John, but was he solely to blame? Programme shows how power in medieval England was d...

Medieval Realms: 01: The Norman Conquest | History File

For his part in the Norman Conquest, Alan the Red was rewarded with vast estates all over England. Programme visits A...

02: An English Empire | The Plantagenets

A clear sense of English nationhood emerges and parliament is born.

00: Learning Zone | The Plantagenets

Professor Robert Bartlett explores the Plantagenets, England's longest ruling dynasty, in this version of the BBC Two series made especi...

02: Isabella and Margaret | She-Wolves: England's Early Queens

How two French girls, a century apart, became queens of England. Isabella of France would be accused of murder...

02: Age of Worship | Seven Ages of Britain

This episode looks at the Middle Ages, from the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170 to the death of Richard II in 1400.

S01E04: Nations | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

The story of Edward I - the Hammer of the Scots - whose attempts to force English rule on Scotland and Wales strengthe...

03: The Battle of Wales | Battlefield Britain

Peter and Dan Snow revisit the battles that shaped our nation. They tell the story of when the Welsh, led by rebel leader Owain...

David Starkey's Magna Carta

David Starkey looks at the origins of Magna Carta, the document that has underpinned British liberties since it was created in 1215 to check the ...

S01E01: 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 affecte...

01: Murder At Canterbury | Cathedral

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

02: The Monk | Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

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

05: Durham Cathedral | Britain's Best Buildings

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

02: 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 comp...

01: 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 lea...

05: 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 C...

02: Redemption at Lincoln | Cathedral

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

03: Flood at Winchester | Cathedral

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

07: 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-cen...

03: Belief | Inside the Medieval Mind

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

01: 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 encha...

03: 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. Fion...

S01E01: Beginnings | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama begins his history of Britain at the miraculously preserved Stone Age cottages of Skara Brae in Orkney...

S01E04: Anglo-Saxon Ghost Hunt | Horrible Histories

A paranormal researcher attempts to locate the source of a haunting in ''Anglo-Saxon Ghost Hunt''. (A parody of Ghost Hunt.)

Episode 1 | Saints and Sinners: Britain's Millennium of Monasteries

Dr Janina Ramirez begins her series by exploring how monasteries evolved from a cult of isolation and sel...

Episode 3 | Vikings

Neil Oliver uncovers the truth about King Canute and explores how Christian conversions saw the Viking Age finally come to an end and the doors to Europe...

Episode 2 | Vikings

Neil Oliver reveals the truth behind the legend of the Vikings. He heads out to Russia, Turkey and Ireland to trace the beginnings of a vast trading empire.

S01E10: Twisted Fairytales: The Pied Piper of Hamelin | Horrible Histories

With the plague spreading.

S01E08: Historical Hairdressers: Saxon | Horrible Histories

Hair treatments for Saxon Women.

The Vikings | Learning Zone

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

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...

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

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

A look inside a Neolithic home | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama investigates a Neolithic home.

S01E12: The Monk Art Show | Horrible Histories

How to write like a monk-if you can survive the ink-making process.

S01E12: Monk mealtimes | Horrible Histories

Mealtime charades in a monastery take an unexpected turn.

S01E10: The Plague Song (Song) | Horrible Histories

Musical theatre parody.

S01E08: Presents of Poo | Horrible Histories

Holiday presents demonstrate the many useful uses of dung.

S01E05: Twisted Fairytales: Goldilocks & the Three Bears | Horrible Histories

Goldilocks and the Three Bears in the form of Saxon punishments, read by Meera Syal.

S01E05: Court of Historical Law: Ethelred the Unready | Horrible Histories

Ethelred the Unready determines a horse thief's guilt via ordeal by cake.

S01E04: Saxon EastEnders | Horrible Histories

'Saxon EastEnders'' finds a ruler trying to mediate a family feud via the new Weregeld law. (A parody of EastEnders.)

S01E02: From Cradle to Grave | The Battle for Britain's Soul

Looking at what life was like in a Christian fundamentalist state, as Britain was in 700AD.

02: The Lady of the Mercians | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons

Michael Wood uncovers the story of Alfred's daughter Aethelflaed, who led armies, campaigned against the Viki...

S01E01: 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 affecte...

01: 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 t...

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 ...

01: 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 ...

S01E05: 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 d...

02: 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 L...

The First Signs of the Black Death in Europe | Ken Follett's Journey Into the Dark Ages

Author Ken Follett explores the first signs of the Black Death in Europe and the earl...

Medieval Realms: 05: 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 m...

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.

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...

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...

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

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

03: 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 centur...

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

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

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

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

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.

S01E11: Too many "Stupid Deaths"! | Horrible Histories

The Grim Reaper finally gets fed up while processing the overflow of casualties from the plague, floods, Hundred Years...

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

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

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

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

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

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

S01E02: Conquest | The Normans

Robert Bartlett explores the impact of the Norman conquest of Britain and Ireland, and looks at how England adapted to its new masters.

02: The Battle of Hastings | Battlefield Britain

Peter and Dan Snow on the battles that shaped our nation, using state-of-the-art graphics. The story of the turbulent events...

Episode 1 | 1066: A Year to Conquer England

Dan Snow explores the political intrigues and family betrayals between Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Normans that led to war and the ...

01: Instruments of Invasion | Castles: Britain's Fortified History

Sam Willis shows how the castle arrived as an instrument of invasion with the Normans but became a weapon ...

S01E01: Men of the North | The Normans

A look at how the Normans developed from a band of marauding Vikings into the formidable warriors who conquered England in 1066.

01: The Normans and their Castles (Dover Castle) | Castle

Marc Morris consults the Bayeux Tapestry and archaeological evidence to discover how castles evolved over a 600-yea...

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...

01: 1066 | Historyonics

Nick Knowles sets out to find the truth behind the story of William the Conqueror and King Harold. Why and how did the two protagonists of the Battle...

Norman cultural changes | The Normans

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

Medieval Realms: 01: The Norman Conquest | History File

For his part in the Norman Conquest, Alan the Red was rewarded with vast estates all over England. Programme visits A...

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.

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.

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...

S01E07: That Was Entertainment! | Horrible Histories

Jousting on ice & other peculiar past-time fun.

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...

Episode 2 | 1066: A Year to Conquer England

King Harold of England has to take on two invasion forces. His brother Tostig attacks the south coast, then King Harald Hardrada ...

Episode 3 | 1066: A Year to Conquer England

Duke William leads his vast invasion fleet across the Channel to face King Harold. The two armies meet at battle in Sussex on 14 ...

S01E05: William the Conqueror's Funeral | Horrible Histories

William the Conqueror's increasingly unusual funeral.

S01E05: HHTV News: Domesday census | Horrible Histories

HHTV News: taking a census for the Domesday Book.

01: 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.

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 ...

01: The Peasant | Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

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

04: 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 tra...

S01E08: Confusing Wat Tyler | Horrible Histories

The Peasant's Revolt is led by the confusingly named Wat Tyler.

04: 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 ser...

Too Much, Too Young: Children of the Middle Ages

Dr Stephen Baxter takes a fresh look at the Middle Ages through the eyes of children, and discovers how they played a vital ...

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...

02: Sex | Inside the Medieval Mind

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

05: Table Games | Games People Played

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

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...

S01E08: The Rules of Chivalry | Horrible Histories

The rules of chivalry, & more importantly how to find the loopholes.

06: 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 we...

04: 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,...

03: The Damsel | Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

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

01: 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...

S01E03: Top Three Viking Beliefs | Horrible Histories

The origin of the first man and woman, who holds the sky up and the story of Thor searching for his stolen hammer (part...

S01E13: Stupid Deaths: Sigurd the Mighty | Horrible Histories

Sigurd the Mighty (Sigurd Eysteinsson), the second Viking Earl of Orkney, died in 892 AD from an infection caus...

S01E13: HHTV News: Viking report | Horrible Histories

King Alfred is a Saxon king who fight the Vikings in the 800s. The city of Swansea is a city of the sea named after the...

S01E11: Viking poetry | Horrible Histories

A returning warrior enthusiastically recites battle poetry to his distinctly sceptical friend.

S01E11: More Viking Words | Horrible Histories

More Words We Get from the Vikings.

S01E09: Viking horned helmets | Horrible Histories

Vikings didn't have horns on their helmets (animation); debunking the myth of horned helmets.

S01E09: Viking words | Horrible Histories

Can you guess some of the words we use that came from the Vikings?

S01E08: Valhalla Tours | Horrible Histories

Come to England for the burning & pillaging, stay for the plunder!

S01E08: Stupid Deaths: Edmund II | Horrible Histories

The Saxon King tells of his famous death where he learns Vikings will attack in the most bizarre places!

S01E01: Historical Hairdressers: Vicious Vikings | Horrible Histories

The Vikings liked their grooming, including the use of ''ear spoons''.

S01E01: Warrior! Viking vs Monk | Horrible Histories

Warrior! Viking vs Monk…

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 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 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 home life | Learning Zone

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

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...

03: 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 resp...

S01E03: 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 disappearanc...

S02E02: 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 th...

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...

03: The Death of Kings | The Plantagenets

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

S01E03: 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.

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...

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...

S01E05: Pig Piano | Horrible Histories

Louis XI & the Pig Piano, with special guest Simon Cowell.

S01E12: The Earl of Warwick's dinner party preparation | Horrible Histories

The Earl of Warwick checks on preparations for his dinner party.

S01E12: Twisted Fairytales: The Ugly Duckling | Horrible Histories

In this twisted version, the Ugly Duckling ends up getting eaten by the Royals, who were the only people a...

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...