This Union: The Ghost Kingdoms of England

This is an excellent series on BBC4 about the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that eventually evolved to fill the vacuum left by departure of the Roman legions. In the first episode, Ian Hislop visits East Anglia, particularly Colchester, Ipswich and Sutton Hoo, viewing some coins with Philip Wise and hearing about the Wuffingas, apparently descended from a…

1066 Remembered

Nearly 1,000 years have passed… In October 2016 I began a series of posts in memory of 1066, arguably the most important year in the history of England. Interestingly enough, while I enjoyed history, this era was not always my favored, as it once seemed so complicated and intimidating; my memories of studying it in school were…

The Crown Jewels of East Anglia?

This excellent EADT article suggests that a horde found near Tamworth about ten years ago included some crown jewels worn by Anna* or Onna, the (Wuffing) King of East Anglia and nephew of Raedwald. He is likely to have died in a 653/4 battle near Blythburgh, along with his Bishop, Thomas, fighting against Penda’s pagan…

ST OSWALD’S IN GLOUCESTER–A TOWER FOUND

The scanty arches of St Oswald’s Priory lie tucked in a Gloucester suburb  a few minutes walk  from  the cathedral. Once a place of great importance, it was the burial spot of Queen Aethelflaed, daughter of Alfred the Great. She was a warrior-queen who fought the Vikings. Henry of Huntingdon wrote this about her– Heroic…

Warwick Castle – England’s Finest Medieval Castle

Warwick Castle Portcullis Francis Frith Photo of the portcullis 1901 The mound as viewed from the portcullis Old bridge Warwick Castle The moat Warwick Castle. Old staircase in Warwick Castle 14th century Guys Tower For more photos and an interesting article  from ‘Britain and Britishness’ about Warwick Castle please  see this link . Much of…

Helen Castor’s “Made in the middle”

  This is part five, of a short series by the Warwickshire-born historian, which concentrates on modern issues such as Richard’s reburial: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07c56j6#play. However, the whole series is available and covers the Anglo-Saxon period, when there were several Cathedrals in the Midland kingdom of Mercia.