If your image of a medieval noblewoman is someone in a tall pointed hat passively swooning at her knight’s jousting abilities, we forgive you: this is indeed a theme in medieval art and literature. But there were a number of medieval women leaders whose careers clearly break this stereotypical mould.Read more

Here we take a look at the career of the determined ruler of Mercia, Aethelflaed, daughter of Alfred the Great, who battled Vikings, built forts and founded towns.Read more

The lives of Victorian mill workers were far from easy. Fines, beatings, maiming and even death, were commonplace. However, after a series of laws were passed, which aimed to improve the mill workers’ lives and reduce the working day, what did they do with their free time? Here, our Historic Environment Advice Assistant Apprentice, Emi Putnam, takes a closer look at the past times of Victorian mill workers. 1. The original Victorian staycation We all love that holiday feeling, gettingRead more

The British Spitfire – the iconic, high performance aircraft, celebrated for its maneuverability, speed and fire power – helped the RAF turn the tide of the Second World War (1939-1945) in the Allies’ favour. Here we tell the Spitfire story and commemorate the 85th anniversary of its prototype K5054’s maiden flight at the former Southampton Municipal Airport (now Southampton Airport) on 5 March 1936. The first spitfires The Spitfire had its genesis in the 1930s at the Supermarine Aviation WorksRead more

Many of Shropshire’s towns have connections to influential events on the national and global stage, and many offer unusual heritage stories.Read more