Early medieval

An illustration depicting King Arthur fighting the Saxons, from the Rochefoucauld Grail. The absence of a clear and present origin for King Arthur has created a ‘void’ which many are keen to fill, says Miles Russell. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

The real King Arthur: why are we so obsessed with trying to solve the mystery?

Newark Castle flanked by the river Trent. To say that King John's death here in 1216 was little-lamented is something of an understatement. "With John's foul deeds all England is stinking, as does hell, to which he is now sinking," wrote the chronicler Matthew Paris. (Getty Images)

Where history happened: King John and the French invasion

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King John. (Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

Why ‘Bad King John’ was actually good

King John hunting on horseback

Was King John really that bad?… Yes!

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Sunlight dapples a clearing in Sherwood Forest, which was an essential resource for peasants centuries before it became a tourist attraction (Photo by Alamy)

Where history happened: ancient forests

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King John hunting on horseback, 14th century. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Was King John murdered?

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Historian Simon Schama.

Books interview: Simon Schama

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5 reasons you won’t want to miss our York History Weekend

An illustration depicting King John signing Magna Carta in 1215. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

6 Magna Carta myths explained

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The real King John and the BBC in World War Two

Emma Wells.

Emma Wells

A Victorian front cover of Lindisfarne Gospels.

The Lindisfarne Gospels

A 13th-century miniature of King John. (AKG)

Q&A: Did King John ever display goodness?

Graffiti crosses found in churches

Church graffiti