UK/Irish History
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Centuries of Rivalry: Britain versus France
During and after the 16th century, when European countries began to spread their settlements overseas, they became hot rivals for power, influence and wealth.
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Lady Arbella Stuart
Lady Arbella (or Arabella) Stuart (1575-1615) was an English aristocrat whose royal birth blighted her life.
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Fruit, Vegetables and Spices at a Tudor Banquet
In 1528 Henry VIII gave a Royal Banquet in a lodge at Windsor Great Park. As well as vast quantities of meat and dairy food there were also some exotic surprises.
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Details of Henry VIII's Feast at Windsor in 1528
On 25 February 1528, Henry VIII gave a Banquet at a lodge in Windsor Great Park. Here is what you could have expected from a Royal Tudor Feast, with some surprises.
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Thomas Telford, Scotland's Master Engineer
Even those who know little of Thomas Telford's life story will probably be familiar with some of the projects with which he was involved in a long and productive career.
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The Christmas Cracker, Tom Smith
A bang, novelty, corny joke and a paper hat, Christmas crackers today are vastly different from the original crackers of the 1800s.
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Traveling in Medieval England
For a noble household, traveling between one of their castles and the next was an expedition rather than a journey and one that could involve hundreds of people.
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Flower of Scotland and Its Legend
The prolific, thorny thistle is credited in legend as the plant that saved Scotland during the Middle Ages.
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Belleek Pottery in Ireland's County Fermanagh
The name Belleek refers to a village in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland on the banks of the River Erne, and to the lustrous porcelain made there.
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High House Chapel Weardale
See the chapel and attend a weekly religious service where John Wesley and his evangelists preached Methodism to the hardy miners and farmers of the North Pennines.
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Shamrock, Celtic Cross, Claddagh Ring, and Harp
The sacred shamrock, Celtic cross, Claddagh ring from Galway, and ancient harp are all symbolic of Ireland.
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Was Fawkes the Ultimate Fall Guy?
Many think Britain's favourite figure of hate might have been framed.
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Different Models of the UK Parliament
The latest furore over expenses has projected the British Parliament into a unique new members' club.
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Weardale Railways - Stanhope
Take a journey along idyllic Weardale in the trains of yesteryear. Join or alight from the trains at the Wolsingham and Frosterley platforms or at Stanhope Station.
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The Development of the Flushing Lavatory
Nowadays, flushing lavatories are a fact of life facilitating the need to remove and treat human waste, hygienically, but this wasn't always the case
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100 Greatest Britons
A BBC poll, and subsequent television show, revealed the most important British people in history.
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Britain Abolishes the Slave Trade
The struggle in Britain to achieve abolition, first of the slave trade and next of slavery itself, was long, hard and frustrating.
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A Christmas Gift From Queen Victoria
Exchanging of gifts is a pleasures of the Christmas season. Few can say they received a gift from the monarch, but soldiers fighting the Boer War could say just that!
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History Trail - Names of Lancashire Alehouses
History is discovered in ancient documents or from artefacts dug up by archaeologists. Or it may be revealed in place names, and signs and symbols on old hostelries.
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History Trail - Traditional Lancashire Pub Names
Over four thousand years people have travelled English county byways. Research Lancashire's ancient trade routes by sampling its hotels, restaurants and public houses.
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Trade in England in the Early Middle Ages
The history of trade in England is fascinating. Readers will learn, in brief, how trade evolved from the time of the Normans over the following 400 years.
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Raby Castle
Northern England has many old castles but few can surpass the amazing stronghold of Raby. See how it was built as a fortress and how it became a northern treasure house.
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Philanthropists of 19th Century Britain
In 1840, the British Parliament was presented with a shocking document that revealed the appalling conditions endured by women and children working in the coal mines.
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The English Aristocracy in the 18th Century
In the 18th century, the aristocracy in England was in a supremely powerful position. They controlled the government, owned most of the land and enjoyed colossal wealth.
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The Murder of Captain James Cook, 1779
Although it may sound a contradiction in terms, killing a god for the benefit of a community was not uncommon in the Pacific Islands during the 18th century.
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Charles Dickens and the Metropolitan Police
When the Metropolitan Police Force, founded by Sir Robert Peel, started work in London, England, in 1829, there was plenty of crime to investigate and criminals to catch.
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Hatfield House
Hatfield House was the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth I and home to the Cecil family.
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Taking the Shetland Bus to Freedom
After Norway was invaded by the forces of Nazi Germany in 1940, a secret operation, the Shetland Bus, defied the perils of the North Sea to aid the Norwegian Resistance.
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The Beaker People in Britain
Around four thousand five hundred years ago, another kind of newcomer arrived in Britain - the ingenious, inventive and artistic folk known as the Beaker People.
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Invaders of Britain – Skara Brae, Orkney Island
The village of Skara Brae on the shores of Sandwick in the Orkney Islands housed around one hundred people and could fairly be described as up-market for Neolithic times.
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The Italian Chapel in the Orkney Islands
The Chapel built by Italian prisoners of war in the Orkney Islands during World War II turned two unlovely huts into a thing of beauty that proved to be a joy for ever.
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Prehistoric Invaders of Britain
Great Britain has a history of invasions dating further back than virtually any other country in northern Europe. The first occurred some 700,000 years ago.
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Village Edinburgh - the History of Corstorphine
Passing through the Edinburgh suburb of Corstorphine, most people don't see the village's historic core. But the village of Corstorphine is worth a second look.
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Mental Illness in the Victorian Era
The Victorian Era (1837-1901) was a time of change. One important change was in the treatment of mental illness.
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The Truth Behind the Golden Age of Elizabeth I
English victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588 was the summit of what is often termed Elizabeth's Golden Age, but behind the glory lay many cunning deceptions.
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Victorian Child Labour
In Victorian England many children as young as five began working in the most appalling conditions imaginable.
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Hever Castle
Hever Castle was the home of the Boleyn family, Anne of Cleves, and the Astor family.
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The Bloody Code and The English Legal System
The French Revolution of 1789 cast a long shadow over the English legal system, raising fears that its influence might give the populace subversive ideas.
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Bowes Museum The Silver Swan
Visit a quite unique community museum in Teesdale, Northern England. View the priceless relic that is the Silver Swan. Watch this fantastic machine as it fishes daily.
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The Spanish Armada and the Invasion of England
The Spanish Armada which sailed against England in 1588 was designed by King Philip II to wreak revenge on its Queen, Elizabeth I and remove her from her throne.
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The Murder of Queen Elizabeth I of England
The first of three Catholic plots involving the invasion of England and the overthrow and assassination of its Protestant queen, Elizabeth I was laid on March 24, 1571.
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Tanfield Railway
Journey back in time on the northeast of England's and the World's oldest existing railway. Find out what it was like in the days of the steam trains of yesteryear
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Robin Hood, Folklore Hero and Outlaw
Robin Hood is a character portrayed on film and television by actors such as Errol Flynn and Richard Greene. Is he urban myth, fable or real person?
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Book Review of Culloden, Edited by Tony Pollard
Edited by noted battlefield archaeologist Dr Tony Pollard, other contributors to this volume offer additional perspectives on Culloden and the 1745 Jacobite Rising.
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Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire
Newcastle Emlyn is situated on the Teifi River at the point where Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire meet.
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5th November, Guy Fawkes Gunpowder Plot, Treason
Remember, remember 5th of November, Gunpowder Treason & Plot. Poor Guy Fawkes, not the ringleader of Gunpowder Plot, but symbol for bonfires, fireworks and parties in UK
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Eighteenth Century Directory of Prostitutes
Jack Harris was a rogue who gave his name to a scandalous bestseller publication in Georgian London.
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Historical Anecdotes from the Bank of England
Most historical institutions in London, England have colorful histories and this includes the Bank of England on Threadneedle Street.
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Prostitution in Georgian England
London in the 18th century was a raucous place typified prostitution practiced openly with some ladies servicing their clients in public.
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Elizabeth I, England's Virgin Queen
After Elizabeth, known as the Virgin Queen, became monarch of Protestant England in 1558, she was immediately in danger from her Catholic enemies.
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