The 11th-century Durham Castle is benefitting from a £5-million refurbishment – and now offers holiday accommodation within its ancient walls. The UNESCO World Heritage Site in north-east England is home to Durham University’s oldest college and its rooms are available to rent for bed and breakfast during the university’s vacation times. There are now 40…
A few months ago I reviewed the Medieval Exeter tour for the Rama: Travel App. With over 90 tours available there are plenty of tours for the medievalist. Today we will look at the Medieval Winchester Tour by Kaye Jones (Twitter: @KayeJones). Medieval Winchester is available for $1.99 USD, covers 1.5 miles (2.4km) and takes…
Today is the 945th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. We look at the year 1066, the death of King Edward the Confessor and the dispute over the throne of England. Harold Godwinson was crowned the new king of England. However, Harold Hardrada, Viking King of Norway and William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy both…
The Tower of London is, compellingly and unquestionably, one of the most famous attractions in the capital. Its abundant and absorbing past will not fail to enchant you. Take a Tower of London tour with Golden Tours and investigate this noteworthy landmark. Ensure you afford some time in ascertaining what life was like imprisoned in…
Helen Castor’s very readable “She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth” is, she writes, “the kind of book I loved to read before history became my profession as well as my pleasure.” It’s full of beautiful, imperiled ladies; fearless knights; and remarkable, often unbelievable turns of fortune. Pause a moment if you feel this…
Robbery, The Sun Times, gun fire and a thrilling ride through history from The Silk Road to the royal court of William The Conquerer. These are some of the themes author John Wright will touch at a reading and signing of his second novel Knight Harolde at the Downtown Bookstore Friday night. It’s the second…
No fewer than 38 kings and queens have been crowned there in an unbroken run since it was built by Edward the Confessor on the site of a former monastery in the 11th century. He was buried at the Abbey in 1066 and on Christmas Day that year, William the Conqueror became the first monarch…
Fortress Friday During the month of October Fortress Friday will be exploring the paranormal. Throughout Europe there are stories of ghost sightings and strange occurrences. In a 6-part series we will look at some of the most haunted Castles in Europe. The third castle in our series is Dover Castle. Dover was started as an…
Medieval history is a fashionable but challenging period: the sources are often flimsy and obscure, yet modern readers have a craving for detail that is often absent from the prissy monkish chronicles of the time. The great challenge is to present the period’s subtle complexities without sacrificing historical authenticity. She-Wolves is a history of a…
In this episode of the Medieval Archives Podcast we discuss “The Anarchy” a nineteen year period of civil war and chaos. The death of King Henry I set off a chain reaction of events that set England on a path of destruction. The Scots in the North, the Welsh in the West and the English…
Cambridgeshire is the home of one of the oldest continuously inhabited houses in England. The Manor at Hemingford Grey was begun by the Normans in 1130 and parts of the house have changed little since then. The thick stone walls mean truly freezing winter conditions, according to its current owner, Diana Boston. “I sleep in…
Children will have the chance to finish the final missing panel of the Bayeux Tapestry at a Medieval Fair in Wallingford on Saturday. Experts at the town museum believe that the original tapestry, which shows William the Conqueror’s Norman Conquest, must have ended with a scene at Wallingford as the invader marched to London to…
Norman names such as William, Henry and Alice have been popular for 1,000 years. Why did the English copy their invaders? The date 1066. William the Conqueror. King Harold with the arrow in his eye. Soldiers in those nose-protector helmets. But many people will struggle to come up with more than these sketchy facts about…
