‘Pleasing terrors’: the origins and continuing popularity of ghost stories
If you’re planning to enjoy a scary book or film from the comfort of your home this Halloween, you’ll be continuing a long tradition.
Since the earliest civilisations, humans have been fascinated by the idea of ghosts, death and the afterlife. This time on The English Heritage Podcast, Amy chats with Dr Michael Carter and Dr Beverley Clack about religion, philosophy and the spiritual questions we tackle through the telling of ghost stories.
From medieval monks and revenants to a few modern-day stories from English Heritage sites, don’t listen to this one with the lights off…
Listen HereEpisodes to listen to this month
Join us on The English Heritage Podcast as we unpick the real events and people behind the famous story of the Battle of Hastings. We discuss who had the strongest claim to the English throne, what happened in the days and months leading up to the battle and what William I did to cement his reign in the years that followed the Norman Conquest.
-
The events and people behind the Battle of Hastings
-
What happened after the Battle of Hastings?
-
A coin, a castle and a conquest: the Normans in the north of England
-
Who was William the Conqueror?
-
The rise, reign and fall of Harold Godwinson
-
Ask The Experts: everything you want to know about the Battle of Hastings
REQUEST A READABLE FORMAT
If you would like to access any of our episodes in a written format, please email podcast@english-heritage.org.uk to make a request.
Speaking with shadows
When you’re wandering about a historic place, what voices do you hear echoing off the walls? Are they the ones you learnt about at school – or do you wonder about the shadowy, quiet voices that may have gone unheard?
Travel from 17th-century Northamptonshire, where we hear about the heroic servant who may have become Britain’s first black pub landlord, to wartime Essex, where Polish special forces soldiers trained in secrecy for life or death missions to their homeland.
Listen now