logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
19 m

Cumbria: the forgotten Anglo-Saxon kingd...

History Extra
About this episode

William of Normandy sailed across the Channel and swiftly conquered England in 1066 – or at least that’s how the story goes. But, in this Long Read written by Sophie Thérèse Ambler and James Morris, we reveal how the northern stronghold of Cumbria remained untouched for another 26 years.


HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the May 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Jul 6
The women who shaped Malcolm X
Malcolm X became one of the most influential leaders in the US civil rights movement – thanks largely, explains this Long Read written by historian Ashley D Farmer, to the women who shaped his life and ideas. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History M ... Show More
24m 49s
Jun 29
Spartacus: Rome's worst nightmare
When the Spartacus revolt erupted in 73 BC, it exposed a terrifying truth: that the cocksure Roman Republic was nowhere near as invincible as it liked to believe. This Long Read written by historian Guy de la Bédoyère takes up the story. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the bes ... Show More
25m 19s
Jun 22
Scotland's season of the witch
In 16th and 17th-century Scotland, many hundreds of ‘witches’ were put to death – 10 times the proportion executed in England. This Long Read written by Martha McGill asks what drove the killings. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, dir ... Show More
22m 51s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2022
1066: What Became Of The Anglo-Saxon Children?
1066 is a year carved into the history of western Europe. It radically transformed the cultural, political and built landscape of England in a way that is hard to overstate - and yet its immediate aftermath is often forgotten. By Domesday, just 20 years later, around 94 percent o ... Show More
32m 14s
Feb 2023
Birth of Cornwall
In the fifth century, Western Europe began remaking itself in the turmoil that followed the collapse of the Roman Empire. In south-west Britain, old tribal authorities and identities reasserted themselves and a ruling elite led a vibrant and outward-looking kingdom - today’s Corn ... Show More
35m 33s
Apr 2023
Excavating An Anglo-Saxon Palace: Ad Gefrin
Though today it is just a muddy field, the small hamlet of Yeavering was once a bustling centre of Anglo-Saxon power in the North of England. At its heart was a 7th century palace - known in Latin as Ad Gefrin - which was built by King Edwin in 616 AD, the first king of a united ... Show More
31m 56s
Sep 2023
The Bones of Anglo Saxon England
It's the 13th of December, 1642, and Parliamentarian soldiers have just stormed the city of Winchester. They burst into the city's grand cathedral on horseback, and begin tearing it apart. The soldiers smash windows, burn tables and tapestries and steal anything of value. Stashed ... Show More
27m 14s
Jul 2023
Scottish Kings' Sex Lives
One thing royal families strive for is the common touch. Whilst some have struggled with it, King James IV and V in the 15th and 16th centuries excelled in it.  It could be said, however, they took the term ‘common touch’ too literally, as it wasn’t uncommon for them to have sexu ... Show More
47m 17s
Nov 2022
Dark Age bullies & forgotten kingdoms: busting early medieval myths
The traditional story that’s told about Britain from the end of the Roman period through to the arrival of the Vikings is one of coalescing kingdoms, leading inexorably towards the rise of Wessex as the last man standing. However, the real story is much more complicated, as Thoma ... Show More
45m 50s
Jul 2023
Britain’s love affair with Edward VII
The death of King Edward VII in 1910 pitched Britain into a frenzy of mourning, as the nation marked the passing of a symbol of continuity and stability in an ever more unpredictable world. Speaking to Spencer Mizen, Martin Williams reveals how the ageing, conservative king emerg ... Show More
35m 30s
Aug 2023
Æthelstan: First King of the English
The grandson of Alfred the Great, Æthelstan the Glorious was the first King of England, reigning from 924 to 939. Æthelstan inherited the title King of Mercia from his father Edward the Elder, but was not immediately accepted as King of England. Shortly after his crowning he marr ... Show More
26m 49s
Aug 2023
The Magna Carta in America
What does a document written in 1215 in England have to do with the United States? The Magna Carta has supposedly influenced foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. In this episode, Don is joined by Eleanor Janega, the new co-host of our ... Show More
29m 39s
Nov 2023
Mary, Queen of Scots
This is the story of the incredible rise and fall of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was queen of Scotland, she was queen of France, and she could have been queen of England. She led armies, lived as a fugitive, became embroiled in love affairs and spent nearly two decades in jail. Dan ... Show More
41m 55s