Dockers unloading wine barrels

Social history

Gin Lane, a print issued in 1751 by painter and printmaker William Hogarth. It depicts the perceived evils of the consumption of gin. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

The 18th-century craze for gin

The Monteagle letter, which shares a warning about the Gunpowder Plot. (National Archives)

In their own words: 6 of history’s most fascinating letters

Peter Hennessy on Britain in transition.

The trial of Lady Chatterley’s Lover: how the 'obscene' book caused a moral storm

Illustration by Davide Bonazzi.

The WW2 obsession: why the world can't move on from 1945.

A cartoon from 1862 shows a pair 'garroters' attacking a victim. (Photo by The Cartoon Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Gangs and knife-crime fears: how has Britain responded through history?.

Half-timbered medieval cottages, Water Street, Lavenham, Suffolk, England, (Photo by Getty Images)

History explorerA wealth of history: Laversham, Sulfolk

Cardinal John Henry Newman

How to become a saint.

This 1867 magazine illustration shows a group of children preparing for Halloween. (Photo by American Stock/Getty Images)

The origins of Halloween: tricks, treats and cobbled streets.

Cariad Lloyd, Suzannah Lipscomb and Greg Jenner

"A history podcast for people who don't like history": Greg Jenner on his new podcast You’re Dead To Me.

Daisy Dunn.

The destruction of Pompeii.

A painting by Italian painter Defendente Ferrari (c1480-1540) showing a Saint performing a miracle.

Medieval saints and sinners: tales of saintly miracles in the Middle Ages.

(Photo by Getty Images)

The package holiday revolution

The cast of Downton Abbey in front of Highclere Castle

Downstairs in Downton: a guide to the life of an Edwardian servant.

A student party, c1824: Oxford undergraduates drinking together. drinking escapade.

The Georgian guide to university life.

A gamer plays the video game 'Red Dead Redemption II', an action-adventure and multi-platform western video game developed by Rockstar Studios released on October 26, 2018. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)

Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire and Battlefield V: the real history behind 3 popular video games

A dinner scene from Downton Abbey, with large candlesticks on the table

Could you survive an Edwardian dinner party?

King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and their daughters, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret of United Kingdom. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

The Windsors at war: what did the royal family do during WW2?.

The battle of Agincourt, 1415

True-to-scale battle numbers and 15th-century life: look inside the revamped Agincourt museum

A photo which was believed to be of the Loch Ness Monster

The quest for the Loch Ness Monster.

Engraving depicting Chinese opium smokers in a saloon

What caused the First Opium War?.

Robin Hood statue outside Nottingham Castle (Photo by Getty)

The many faces of Robin Hood.

The card game cribbage

General Early Modern

Q&AWhy do we say 'level pegging'?

The engine houses of Botallack mine in Cornwall

A visit to Botallack Mine, Cornwall.

Bottles of snake oil

Q&ADid salesmen really sell snake oil?

A real Peaky Blinder mug-shot

In pictures: what did the real Peaky Blinders look like?

The humble G&T truly sustained the troops of the British Empire. (Photo by ahirao_photo/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Q&AWhen did people start drinking gin and tonic?

A woman on a medieval ducking stool

Q&AQ&A: Were ducking stools ever used as punishment for crimes other than witchcraft during the Middle Ages?

An 18th-century public execution and crowd

Q&AWhen did people stop attending public executions in Britain?

A beach scene at an Easter Bank Holiday at Southend, c1927. In 1871, the Bank Holiday Act established the first paid days off for commonworkers in England, while some senior managers could be granted extra leave. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Q&AWhen were Brits first given leave from work to go on holiday?