HistoryExtra
type: channel
link: https://www.historyextra.com
description: Home of Britain’s bestselling history magazine and award-winning podcast
date: 2026-05-01T15:31:04.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: The Tudor village that time left behind
items: Margaret Beaufort catapulted the Tudors to the throne. But that wasn’t her original plan
items: What was it like to be a Viking in the Great Heathen Army?
items: George Orwell's final chapter
items: Can you solve our history crossword of the week?
items: History crossword: 24 April
items: The 'Nine Days Queen' is one of England's most controversial monarchs - here's why
items: Quiz of the week: who was the first British royal to visit the United States?
items: From ancient China to modern America: an astonishing history of censorship
items: Churchill's ‘finest hour’ helped defeat the Nazis. But was it a double-edged sword?

The Tudor village that time left behind
type: item
date: 2026-05-01T15:30:23.000Z
creator: Kavita Puri
subject: Medieval
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Tudor
subject: Column
subject: Tudor life
description: Kavita Puri explores the rise, fall and enduring charm of a Suffolk village
encoded: Lavenham is one of Britain's best-preserved medieval and Tudor villages. Roaming its narrow streets, past crooked timber-framed houses with steep gables, you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. Henry III gave this Suffolk settlement a market charter in 1257, stimulating the local economy, and Lavenham soon became a major hub for the wool trade. By the late 15th century, it was one of the richest towns in England, that status reflected in magnificent buildings built by prosperous merchant families. By 1524, it was the 14th-wealthiest place in the kingdom, paying more tax than large cities including Lincoln or York. The village was famed for its prestigious ‘Lavenham blue’ cloth. This was coloured at the raw wool stage using a natural dye from a plant called woad, then spun into yarn before being woven into fabric. Woollen cloth and raw wool were Britain’s most important exports during the Middle Ages. Continental Europe – especially towns such as Bruges and Ghent – depended on English wool to fuel their textile industries, and Lavenham was a significant contributor. Read more | Want to understand modern Britain? Look towards its villages However, the village’s fortunes declined precipitously during the 16th century. Flemish weavers arrived in nearby Colchester and began to weave cheaper, lighter and more fashionable cloth, with a greater variety of dye colours, using new techniques. Lavenham failed to adapt to these newer methods, or to diversify its industry beyond the wool trade. As that income dwindled, money was no longer available to update village houses in newer styles, and Lavenham essentially became preserved largely as it was five centuries ago. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2026/05/GettyImages-118386210-d2f0f3a-e1777621450819.jpg" width="1500" height="1000" alt="Two wooden wool carders with angled handles rest on a wooden surface; one has raw wool fibres caught on its metal teeth." title="Lavenham’s Guildhall is a…

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Margaret Beaufort catapulted the Tudors to the throne. But that wasn’t her original plan
type: item
date: 2026-05-01T13:19:53.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Medieval
subject: Period
subject: Plantagenet
subject: Tudor
subject: Discover / Apple News
description: Before Bosworth, Margaret Beaufort’s actions were shaped less by maternal devotion to Henry Tudor than by trauma – and the harsh reality of shifting politics
encoded: Who was responsible for the ascendency of the Tudor dynasty, defining over a century of English history? There might not be a single answer – but Margaret Beaufort must surely take as much credit as anyone. Often depicted as a Game of Thrones-like schemer, Beaufort could be portrayed as a calculating woman who orchestrated the rise of her son, later Henry VII – and in doing so, sank the fortunes of the Plantagenets while simultaneously ending decades of ferocious civil war. But how much of that view rests on hindsight? Speaking on the HistoryExtra podcast, historian Lauren Johnson explains that, rather than following a carefully drawn blueprint for royal success, Margaret’s manoeuvring was born out of constant – though certainly canny – adaptation to changing and dangerous circumstances. Her relationship with her son, and her ambitions for his future, developed gradually. Indeed, in the first phase of her motherhood she seemed to want nothing to do with him. A kingdom in crisis Henry was born during the opening phase of the Wars of the Roses, which rumbled on for some three decades from 1455. This was a series of intermittent conflicts between rival branches of the English royal family: the House of Lancaster and the House of York. Both factions claimed descent from King Edward III, and competed for the throne. Henry Tudor’s claim came through his young mother. Margaret was a descendant of John of Gaunt, a son of Edward III, though through a line that had originally been barred from royal succession. This made Henry’s claim relatively weak, especially compared with rival Yorkist claimants. At the time of his birth, there was no clear expectation that he would ever become king. Read more | Married three times by the age of 15: Margaret Beaufort, the woman who birthed the Tudor Dynasty Henry was born on 28 January 1457 at Pembroke Castle, south Wales. His mother, Margaret, was only 13 years old. In the 15th century, noble girls were technically eligible for marriage a…

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What was it like to be a Viking in the Great Heathen Army?
type: item
date: 2026-05-01T08:25:29.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Viking
subject: Viking Britain
subject: Viking warfare
description: When a Viking force unlike any before it landed in England in the 9th century, it changed everything. HistoryExtra’s James Osborne explores how this formidable army was formed…
encoded: Known to contemporaries as the Great Heathen Army, this was no ordinary raid. It was a coordinated invasion, bringing together warriors from across Scandinavia with a clear aim: conquest. HistoryExtra’s James Osborne explores how this formidable army was formed, and how it swept through Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, toppling rulers, seizing territory, and reshaping the political landscape of England. From the fall of Northumbria to the struggles of Wessex, it's the story of a turning point in British history. How did the army come together, and what was it like to travel and camp with them? Who were the leaders behind the army? Why did they come? And how did Anglo-Saxon kings respond to this new kind of threat? You'll hear expertise from historian and broadcaster Dr Eleanor Barraclough, who takes us inside life in the camps. Drawing on historical sources and archaeological evidence, we reveal how the Great Heathen Army transformed England and paved the way for the Viking age in Britain. View Green Video on the source website

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George Orwell's final chapter
type: item
date: 2026-05-01T08:12:11.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: 20th Century
subject: Membership
subject: Period
description: Robert Colls traces George Orwell's final years, as the novelist found critical acclaim as the Second World War ended
encoded: Did you know that George Orwell only found national acclaim as an author in the final years of his life, as his health was worsening? Or that, with the prospect of death looming increasingly large, he sought refuge on a remote Scottish island? Historian Robert Colls tells James Osborne about these last stages of Orwell's life, and the toll that writing his two most celebrated works – Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four – took on the author.

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Can you solve our history crossword of the week?
type: item
date: 2026-05-01T07:31:15.000Z
subject: General History
subject: Period
encoded: View Riddle on the source website

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History crossword: 24 April
type: item
date: 2026-05-01T07:30:46.000Z
subject: General History
subject: Membership
subject: Period
encoded: View Riddle on the source website

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The 'Nine Days Queen' is one of England's most controversial monarchs - here's why
type: item
date: 2026-04-30T14:40:39.000Z
creator: Isabel King
subject: Period
subject: Tudor
subject: Discover / Apple News
description: Has history captured Lady Jane Grey’s story accurately? As her childhood home re-opens to the public, we investigate the misunderstood queen
encoded: In April 2026, Bradgate House – the childhood home of Lady Jane Grey – was reopened to the public after extensive conservation work, bringing with it a new wave of interest in the so-called ‘Nine Days Queen’. But what do we actually know about this enigmatic Tudor noble, who is often cast as a tragic victim? Who was Lady Jane Grey? In 1537, Jane was born into the noble Grey family. Her parents were the Duke of Suffolk, Henry Grey, and Lady Frances Brandon. As the great-granddaughter of Henry VII and great-niece of Henry VIII, Jane was orbiting the English throne from birth. However, as historian Nicola Tallis explains on an upcoming episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, “she wasn’t ever raised as an heir to the throne. She was just this great-niece of Henry VIII who had been living in the countryside." <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2026/04/dreamstimel173782772-53db152-e1777556403679.jpg" width="1498" height="1000" alt="A man dressed in ornate Tudor clothing stands against a dark backdrop, wearing a fur‑trimmed robe, a heavy gold chain set with jewels, and a black hat decorated with pearls and gold." title="A portrait of Henry VIII, modelled after Hans Holbein the Younger’s iconic depiction. Grey’s distant relation to the king meant she was never raised as an heir to the throne (Image by Dreamstime)" /> In 1553, that all changed. King Edward VI was in increasingly ill-health but, being the first English monarch raised as a Protestant, he was desperate for his Protestant legacy to live on. So, he issued his Devise for the Succession. This legislation barred both of Edward’s half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, from succeeding to the throne. Read more | Edward VI: why the forgotten Tudor king had the makings of a monster “[Edward] didn’t want his Catholic half-sister [Mary] to be given the opportunity to reverse all of his good work in the cause of religion”, explains Nicola. “However, Edward realised that he couldn’t exclude one half…

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Quiz of the week: who was the first British royal to visit the United States?
type: item
date: 2026-04-30T08:30:16.000Z
subject: General History
subject: Period
subject: Quiz
subject: Evergreen
description: How much have you been paying attention to this week's content on HistoryExtra? Test your knowledge with our quiz…
encoded: Test your knowledge with our general knowledge weekly history quiz... View Riddle on the source website More from us Exclusive quizzes for HistoryExtra members from our archives The ultimate Windors quiz The ultimate Second World War quiz How well do you know the history behind everyday inventions? Who's missing from these images? Not a HistoryExtra member? Explore our latest membership offers How did you score? Share your result on social media to see how your knowledge compares with other HistoryExtra readers!

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From ancient China to modern America: an astonishing history of censorship
type: item
date: 2026-04-29T16:00:22.000Z
subject: General History
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Civil rights
subject: Communism
subject: Debate
subject: Trends-News
subject: US presidents
description: A mistrust of ‘experts’ and ‘intellectuals’ has recently crystallised into US government interventions targeting academic institutions. Emily Knox and Joan Scott share their thoughts with Danny Bird about the troubling history of anti-intellectualism
encoded: Danny Bird: Anti-intellectualism can feel like quite a contemporary concern – but when did this phenomenon emerge? Joan Scott: It goes back a long way. In the case of the United States, a key reference is Anti-intellectualism in American Life by Richard Hofstadter, published in 1963 in the wake of the McCarthy anti-communist hearings. I return to it often. Hofstadter traces anti-intellectualism almost to the nation’s beginnings, particularly in debates over education. Attempts to centralise schooling repeatedly provoked hostile reactions from local communities determined to control what their children were taught. Hofstadter locates this strain chiefly among non-elite, less formally educated groups who are suspicious of expertise and claims to superior competence, and wary of those in elite positions. The US therefore has a long history of anti-intellectualism, though it also appears in different forms elsewhere. France may be something of an exception – as a historian, I have seen philosophical disputes conducted at every level of French society in a way quite unlike anything in the US. In any case, though the tradition of anti-intellectualism is long-standing, we may now be experiencing it at its most acute. Emily Knox: When I think about anti-intellectualism, I see a rift. There is a fear that, if someone becomes more educated or begins to listen to experts, a break opens within their community. This is especially visible with first-generation university students, who can feel pulled away from their families and local ties. In many cases, anti-intellectualism grows from that sense of separation. It is rooted less in abstract questions of trust than in fear of loss, distance and change. Viewing it in those terms helps us to understand it more clearly. Has it commonly been during times of upheaval – such as religious conflicts, revolutions and the rise of authoritarian and populist regimes – when academic freedom has been attacked? EK: Yes. One of the earliest and …

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Churchill's ‘finest hour’ helped defeat the Nazis. But was it a double-edged sword?
type: item
date: 2026-04-29T14:17:49.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Period
subject: Second World War
subject: Discover / Apple News
description: Winston Churchill’s leadership in 1940 became one of the defining moments of modern British history – but the legacy of that triumph may have shaped Britain’s future as much as the war itself
encoded: On 18 June 1940, Nazism was sweeping across continental Europe and Britain seemed on a precipice. France, Britain’s principal ally on the continent, had rapidly collapsed under the force of the German invasion. The British Expeditionary Force had escaped from Dunkirk, but only by abandoning vast quantities of weapons and equipment on the beaches of northern France. Britain now faced the very real possibility of invasion, defeat, or a long war fought in near isolation. In that context, Winston Churchill stood in the House of Commons to deliver one of the most well-known speeches in British history. “If the British empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years,” he declared, “men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’” This crystallised a moment when an increasingly isolated Britain resolved to continue the fight. But as historian Richard Vinen suggests, for all that Churchill’s famous words marked the moment, they also conveyed a deeper ambiguity about Britain’s post-war future. The meaning of ‘finest hour’ “It always seems to me that the most double-edged words Churchill ever uses are on this very iconic date – 18 June 1940,” Vinen explains, speaking on the HistoryExtra podcast. On the same day that Churchill sought to rally the British, Charles de Gaulle delivered his own appeal from London, urging the French people to continue resisting after their government had sought an armistice with Germany. Together, these speeches marked the opening of a new phase of the war, in which resistance against occupation became an essential theme. Indeed, Churchill’s phrase “finest hour” was intended to inspire – and it did. It recast the ongoing disaster as a test of national character, suggesting that greatness would be forged in the fires of conflict. But, Vinen says, that central phrase also has an edge of pessimism. “If you say people are going to look back on June 1940 as our finest hour,” Vinen notes, “you also mean that one day that finest hour is going to b…

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