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23/04/2013

Tom Holland is joined by leading historians to discuss the latest historical research and the many and varied ways that allow us to connect with the past.

Tom Holland is joined in the studio by Michelle Brown, Professor of Medieval Manuscript Studies at the University of London.

Martin Ellis is on the border of England and Wales to celebrate an iconic landscape feature which doesn't attract the attention that its history warrants. He asks who Offa was, and what made him build a dyke which has become the physical border between two nations.

Joining Tom from Ireland is Dr Gillian Kenny from Trinity College in Dublin where she works on research into women in medieval Gaelic society. Remarkably, she has discovered that married women enjoyed a freedom in the Ireland of the middle ages that their English counterparts never had.

And Helen Castor is out on the cut finding out about the women who joined a scheme to keep the canals going during the Second World War. But has this middle-class history eclipsed a longer working-class one?

Contact the programme: making.history@bbc.co.uk

Produced by Nick Patrick
A Pier production for ±«Óãtv Radio 4.

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Tue 23 Apr 2013 15:00

Programme Guests

Tom Holland is joined in the Making History studio by , Professor of Medieval Manuscript Studies at the University of London, and for London South Bank University.

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Offa's Dyke

Offa's Dyke

Martin Ellis is on the border of England with Wales to celebrate an iconic landscape feature which doesn't attract the attention that its history warrants. He asks "who was Offa and what made him build a dyke which has become the physical border between two nations?".

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Martin is joined by the medieval historian and Secretary of the Offa's Dyke Association Ian Bapty.

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Women in Medieval Gaelic Ireland

Joining Tom from Ireland is from Trinity College in Dublin where she works on research into women in medieval Gaelic society. Remarkably, she has discovered that married women enjoyed a freedom in the Ireland of the middle ages that their English counterparts never had.

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The WW2 Boatwomen's Scheme

The WW2 Boatwomen's Scheme

Helen Castor is out on the cut finding out about the women who joined a scheme to keep the canals going during World War 2. But, has this middle-class history eclipsed a longer working-class one? Our interest was encouraged by listener Crispin Partridge who is the grandson of Molly Traill who started the scheme.


Helen went to the where she met up with Dr Wendy Freer and Curator Mike Constable.

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ÌýWendy is the author of Women and Children of the Cut.

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Broadcast

  • Tue 23 Apr 2013 15:00

Podcast