Show Notes
Archaeology can offer us new discoveries into the Tower of London's medieval past, as well as insights into the lives of the community that lived and worked there. In 2019, and in the summer of 2025, we undertook one of the most important excavations at the Tower for a generation, just outside the Chapel of St Peter Ad Vincula.
Now for the first time ever, we have detailed information about the ordinary people who lived, worshipped, and died at the Tower, but what more can we learn from these excavations? To find out more, we join Alfred Hawkins, Curator of Historic Buildings.
Read about the recent archaeological digs at the Tower of London in our blog posts:
Life, death and worship in the Tower of London, Part I | Historic Royal Palaces
Life, death and worship in the Tower of London, Part II | Historic Royal Palaces
More from Historic Royal Palaces Podcast
Jane Seymour is often remembered as 'Plain Jane', distinguished only by her death in the famous rhyme, 'Divorced, beheaded, died...' But Jane was more than a puppet of powerful men; during her short time as Queen, she made the role her own. In some ways, she was the most successful of all Henry VIII's six queens. In this episode, Tracy Borman is joined by Elizabeth Norton, who reveals a new side to this misunderstood Tudor woman. Together, they discover the real Jane behind the myths. Turn on video on Spotify, or watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Beth in the amazing Tudor Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace. Learn more about the Tudor queens on our website.
The Tower of London loomed large over the medieval city, casting a formidable shadow with its rings of high walls and towers, wide moat and fearsome gateways.
William the Conqueror may have invaded England in 1066, but he needed castles to truly conquer England. Castles became the physical embodiment of the Norman Conquest. These were described by many post-Conquest sources as unnatural, alien structures. But they could not be ignored. The English were forced to help build them, then the castles became the source of their subjugation. Of those first-generation Norman castles, none are more famous than the White Tower at the Tower of London. How and why did William build a castle in London? How was it used? And what does it tell us about Norman rule in England?
The Bayeux Tapestry features just three women among 600 male figures. But you can't tell its story without the powerful medieval women who shaped the Norman Conquest. In this second episode of our series, Janina Ramirez and Tracy Borman join Charles Farris to explore the Norman Conquest beyond 'two kings and a duke'. How did women wield power and influence in the early medieval period? Who survived and thrived in the new Norman regime? And why have historians excluded these women from the history books? Learn more about Matilda of Flanders on our website.
William the Conqueror is one of the most famous figures in English history. But his coronation in 1066 was a disaster. Even as he was crowned as King of England, his future looked uncertain. So, how did William go from this shaky start to forging the Norman dynasty? In this first episode of a new series on the aftermath of the Norman Conquest, Tower of London curator Charles Farris is joined by Dr Marc Morris and Dr Caroline Wilhelmsson. Together, they bust some well-worn myths about William and the famous events of 1066. How did William the Conqueror really change England, and why are we still talking about him almost 1,000 years on? Learn more about William the Conqueror on our website.