history
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Is it here already?!Yes! 😀 – our Study Day 2026 is heading towards us even through the wind, snow and rain of January!😀 From today, tickets are available for the 6th Northern Dales Study Day which will be taking place in St Mary’s Parish Church, Barnard Castle, on Saturday 25th April. If you have been…
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Most people know of the murder of Thomas a Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, but far fewer know that, in the mid-15th century, another bishop was murdered in the quiet priory church of Edington in Wiltshire. Edington is a peaceful place today; however, it was anything but in medieval times. Its most famous event was when,…
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Later this year the Bayeux Tapestry will be coming to London on loan from France for the first time in almost a millennium. It is believed to have been fashioned by English embroiderers (it’s not really a Tapestry, but an Embroidery) possibly in Canterbury. It was probably commissioned by Archbishop Odo, the brother of William…
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Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) was an important mediaeval herb. It is a bushy perennial with feathery, bright green leaves and small, daisy-like white flowers with yellow centres, similar to chamomile but its flowers are flat-topped. Its name, feverfew, or ‘fever reducer’ derives from the Latin febrifugia, meaning ‘to put fever to flight’. It was used, as…
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“….At Bosworth in 1485, Richard III’s fall from his horse marked the collapse of his kingship….” Hmm, that’s debatable. According to the Tudorised so-called “history ” that’s dominated relentlessly ever since 1485 , Richard’s downfall began from the moment he stole his elder nephew’s throne, murdered both nephews, executed Hastings and others without trial, etc.…
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Britain is full of old Christmas traditions, some that have continued through the centuries and some that (sadly) have faded away. But others have been revived, among them the medieval Crying Christmas of Lincoln, which has the City of Lincoln Waites to thank for its reappearance. See here https://tinyurl.com/4bszwaxc. Lest you jump to conclusions about…
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With permission of Kim Harding A last-minute change of speaker meant the frosty weather chimed perfectly with Kim Harding’s talk on ‘Medieval Winter’ on Monday 18th November 2025. Our centrally-heated homes and internet-driven prep for Xmas can’t compare to the hardships endured by medieval folk: a poor harvest, limited food storage and bitter cold meant…
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A receipt for the payment of 400 long pikes dated 16th December 1487 is held in an archive in Lille. These pikes were to be distributed to pikemen under the command of a knight from Germany called Martin Schwartz to serve the nephew of Margaret of Burgundy, son of Edward IV at the battle of…
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Do you feel tired and often need a snooze? Perhaps your sleeping habits are out of sync with nature. Previously, people slept differently from the way we do now. The idea of eight hours sleep in one go was unheard of. In the Middle Ages, the night was divided into two parts: the first sleep…
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All the best Christmas feasts included a Greyt Pye. It could contain many different meats, so you can choose for yourself which you include. Serves 6-8 Ingredients Line a 9in/23cm pie dish with just over half the pastry and brush the inside with the egg white. Parboil the meat gently in salted water for 10-15…
The New Murrey and Blue blog 