We who enjoy all things medieval (but who prefer Plantagenets, especially if they’re Yorkists) will be accustomed to coming upon mention of the city of Exeter. It was a very important place back then—still is now, come to that. Spreading over a hill beside the River Exe, it’s surrounded by thick Roman walls, topped by…

“….One of the most enduring legends in English history is that of King John and his lost treasure. According to the legend, King John was crossing the marshes of Lincolnshire in 1216 when he lost his crown jewels and other valuables in the muddy waters of The Wash. But how much truth is there behind…

This book covers the period 1471-1485, so the focus is very much on the Yorkist era. The author states in the preface ‘This is not a book for easy reading; it is to give information.’ This is fair summary. It is not a light read by any means, but if does give a great deal…

A couple of weeks ago I posted about a new theory concerning Richard III’s voice, see here https://murreyandblue.org/2024/09/28/another-theory-about-richard-iiis-voice/). Well, we may still have to wait until 17 November at the York Theatre Royal (https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/a-voice-for-king-richard-iii/) to hear and see the avatar of Richard III as he is now believed to have sounded, but there is a…

If these three things—old, historic and Richard III—are to your liking, and if you are prepared to add higgledy-piggledy to your list, then Blagraves in Castle Barnard is surely for you. Go here  https://inigo.com/sales-list/blagraves (from which my illustrations are taken) to see the details of this amazing property, which is the second oldest in Castle…

This Sunday, 13 October 2024, on the Blaze TV channel you can watch a repeat of the Medieval Murder Mysteries series of one-hour documentaries. Episode 1 of Season 1 is called “Christopher Marlowe, Death in Deptford”, and the list at the end of this post tells of the other deaths being investigated. Watch out for…

Not medieval news, unless you count its famous appearance in the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. And I’m afraid I’m a few months late with this post, but it’s encouraging news about a lost, much-mourned landmark. We were all appalled and upset when, on the night of 27/28 September 2023, morons cut…

The following article – https://castlestudiestrust.org/blog/2024/09/29/penrith-castle-by-foot-a-new-reconstruction/ informs us of a new virtual reconstruction of Penrith Castle (see above). It shows part of the castle with a cutaway revealing some of the interior as it was when Richard, Duke of Gloucester had made improvements, turning it into his “luxury residence”. In 1471 the young Richard, then Duke…

When I read this article https://fcpp.org/2024/10/02/how-the-1327-coup-against-edward-ii-contributed-to-english-constitutional-development/ by Gerry Bowler, it was clear the author’s purpose was to explain how the advent of the Lords Ordainer and dethroning of Edward II affected the constitution of England. Not just in the 14th century, but right to the present day, when we’ve long been the United Kingdom. The…

In 2019 I wrote about the hopes for these new windows (see here https://murreyandblue.org/2019/07/12/a-drive-to-save-barnard-castle-church-windows-paid-for-by-richard-iii/ and here https://murreyandblue.org/2019/11/08/barnard-castles-historic-church-with-richard-iii-connections/). Now the windows have come to fruition, as I discovered when I came upon this link https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24603934.dr-fiona-hill-unveil-new-windows-barnard-castle-church/. In it I read: “….New windows designed by an award-winning artist are set to be installed above the porch doors of…