Extraordinary Stories of Britain
History Podcasts
Extraordinary Stories of Britain is a history podcast packed with fun and informative tales from our island’s long and storied past. Visiting little-known corners of British history, shedding new light on familiar faces, uncovering unusual - and...
Location:
United Kingdom
Genres:
History Podcasts
Description:
Extraordinary Stories of Britain is a history podcast packed with fun and informative tales from our island’s long and storied past. Visiting little-known corners of British history, shedding new light on familiar faces, uncovering unusual - and sometimes bizarre - facts along the way, this is the podcast for anglophiles, history buffs, and anyone interested in finding out more about the UK. From killer queens to grime and punishment, from medieval medicine to celebrity cats, from secret sewers to pickled philosophers, we leave no historic stone unturned. Follow our blog at: www.storiesofbritain.com
Language:
English
Contact:
07956268060
Website:
https://guildw.podbean.com/
Email:
mz@blueyonder.co.uk
Episodes
Love Letters, Spies and Stolen Mail - The History of Britain’s Post
3/20/2026
From the first Valentine’s letter to postal highway robbery, from spies to street wars and the invention of the first postage stamp, this British history podcast tells the story of how the Royal Mail evolved into a network that connected a nation.
Duration:00:40:17
History of Money Part 2 – Forgers, Firesticks & Financial Fiascos
2/5/2026
Discover how war, crime and chaos shaped Britain’s money. From wooden money to lusturous gold Guineas to Isaac Newton hunting forgers, this episode reveals the stories behind Britain’s currency. The dramatic history that gave us the coins and notes still used today.
Duration:00:40:25
A History of Money - Coin Clippers, Con-Men and a Coppernose
12/20/2025
The extraordinary history Britain’s money. Where kings mutilate moneyers, coins spark riots and fortunes are made, debased, clipped and forged. This podcast shows how money isn’t just metal — it’s about power, violence, trust, and the magic of the philosopher’s stone
Duration:00:40:09
The Diary of a Graverobber - London's Darkest Trade
10/24/2025
The Diary of a Graverobber dramatises the true-life story of Joseph Naples, a London gravedigger in the early 1800s who slips into the city’s darkest trade — stealing corpses to sell to surgeons. Driven by poverty and desperation, Naples is lured into ruthless Borough Gang, only to be consumed by guilt, betrayal, and the ghosts of those he unearthed.
Duration:00:31:20
About Time: The History of Timekeeping
9/15/2025
From Stonehenge to Greenwich, Celtic seasons to Roman calendars, candle clocks to knocker-uppers - and John Harrison’s chronometer. This podcast tells the story of how language, and technology shaped the way we keep time.
Duration:00:45:00
Murder at the Theatre - The William Terris Story
7/28/2025
The story of William Terriss - Victorian London’s beloved stage hero. While audiences flocked to the Adelphi Theatre, a troubled bit-part actor plotted his downfall. What followed was a sensational courtroom drama, and a ghost story that haunts the theatre to this day.
Duration:00:39:57
Dr Johnson - The Man Who Made the English Dictionary
5/20/2025
Hear the story of the extraordinary life of Samuel Johnson. The sicky, part blind, provincial boy, a failure at Oxford University he went on to create the first great dictionary of the English language.
Duration:00:44:42
Heratic? Homosexual? Spy? - The Life and Murder of Christopher Marlowe.
3/6/2025
Christopher Marlowe was the star writer of the 1580s. The Elizabethans flocked to his plays. But Kitt’s life was shrouded in mystery. Was he a secret agent? A Catholic spy? A double agent for Queen Elizabeth’s government. There is evidence that he was heretical atheist. And he may have been England's first gay poet Hear how this ended with a murder mystery on May 30, 1593.
Duration:00:42:58
Strange Stories of Animals - From Pigs to Pigeons, Ravens to Elephants
1/14/2025
Amazing stories of animals in Britain. From performing pigs, to medal-winning pigeons. From war elephants to bears who appeared in Shakespeare plays. From a runaway goose to the famous ravens in the Tower of London.
Duration:00:46:51
History of Christmas - From Carols to Cards to Canterbury Riots
12/11/2024
Hear the history of Christmas traditions. Who invented the Christmas card? Why do we say Merry Christmas? Who put up the first Christmas tree in England? How old is Father Christmas? And why did Canterbury riot over Christmas? Find out in this podcast
Duration:00:18:37
248 Days – The Story of the London Blitz
10/21/2024
From September 1940 to May 1941 London was the target of a brutal bombing campaign. We tell the story of the eight months of misery and resistance. From the spirit of London’s East End, to a special team that saved St Pauls Cathedral. From the evacuated children, to the families sleeping on the underground. Hear about the firefighters, bomb squads, the home guard and the unique role of London’s women.
Duration:00:53:56
Charles Dickens - The Writer Who Changed Britain
8/18/2024
This podcast tells the dramatic story of the life of Charles Dickens. When his father was imprisoned for debt, he had to work as a child labourer. The excitement of his first publication, his troubled early romance, eventual marriage, success and secret affair – and relentless campaigning to improve the life of the poor and needy
Duration:01:07:42
Bedlam - The Story of a Madhouse
5/27/2024
St Mary’s Bethlem was England’s first psychiatric hospital. This podcast tells the story of the hospital, from its medieval origins to its home in a grand 17th century palace. We follow the lives of its famous inmates: the woman who tried to kill King George III, the first documented case of paranoid schizophrenia and a brilliant Victorian artist who murdered his father.
Duration:00:49:54
Trapped by the Plague - Eyam Village 1665
4/1/2024
In 1665 plague devastated England. The remote Derbyshire village of Eyam was spared the horror - until a tailor bought a roll of cloth from London. To stop the pestilence spreading, the local vicar closed down Eyam - and the villagers were locked in. Hear the dramatic story of the plague village in this podcast.
Duration:00:29:00
A History of London Pubs - Pilgrims, Parrots, and Phantoms
2/26/2024
Our history of London pubs pubcast visits the oldest tavern in London, including a pub haunted by phantasmal spirits. Hear about Parliamentary boozers, the smallest bar in the world, the Pilgrim Fathers Mayflower pub, and Gandalf’s riverside alehouse.
Duration:00:33:00
Pub Names, Ghosts and Flying Ale - A History of Beer Part 2
1/31/2024
What is the oldest pub name in Britain? And the most popular pub name in the country? Where is our oldest pub? What are the boozy origins of the nursery rhyme “Pop Goes the Weasel”? What caused the London beer flood? And where is Britain’s most haunted pub? Find out in our latest History of Beer podcast
Duration:00:39:25
Boozy Britain – History of Beer. Part 1
12/19/2023
The story of Beer. From Britain’s first brewer, to ancient ales made with psychedelic plants. From rules on Viking drinking horns to the English king who drank himself to death. From the rise of female brewers, to a drunk Queen Elizabeth I. From the legend of the ale-conner, to pubs forced to change names.
Duration:00:36:04
Lav Affair - The History of Sewage Podcast.
11/1/2023
The story of sewage: from the Romans taxing urine, to York's Bog on the Bridge; from Henry VIII's Groom of the Stool, to pure finders selling dog faeces. Hear about the life of a Gong Farmer, and how a lav affair with toilets lead to the Great Stink, which brought London's mighty Thames to a standstill.
Duration:00:46:54
Podcat Special - Cats in World War II
9/22/2023
This special history podcast brings to life the stories of beloved pets and their owners during the dark days of WW2. From a cat who lost his tail, to a pussy who warned its family about an impending air raid. From a heroic church cat, to felines in the trenches. All brought together using personal stories, newsreel, dramatised events and music.
Duration:00:21:36
Podcat – The History of Cats
8/9/2023
We investigate the history of cats: from mummified felines in the British Museum to George the Lion who lived in the Tower of London; from the world’s favourite pantomime cat, to the pussy who helped write an English dictionary. Hear about only cat to win the prestigious wartime Dickin Medal, and political cats - from Churchill's mouser to the famous Downing Street Larry.
Duration:00:45:11