Britain's Most Historic Towns

In this unique take on British history, Professor Alice Roberts explores Britain's rich and varied past through the stories of individual towns and cities. In each programme Alice studies one key period in history by delving into the secrets of a historic town that encapsulates the era, providing an accurate impression of what life was really like at key moments in our turbulent past. At the climax of each programme, cutting-edge CGI reveals the entire historic town in all its former glory.

Type: tv

Season: 1

Episode: 1

Duration: 0h 45m

Release: 2018

Rating: 8.5

Season 1 - Britain's Most Historic Towns
2018-04-07
"In Chester, Britain's most Roman city, Alice enjoys a Roman feast, checks out an extraordinary archaeological find deep underground and explores a radical theory on the Romans' plans for the city"
2018-04-14
"Alice tells the story of Viking England by studying the history of York, Britain's most Viking city. She takes part in a Viking battle, meets the metal detectorists behind one of the UK's greatest archaeological finds and gets her hands on an almost 1000-year-old Viking poo."
2018-04-21
"Alice tells the story of Norman England by studying the history of Winchester, Britain's most Norman city. Alice attempts to storm a castle in chain mail, investigates the origins of modern surgery and tucks into an appetising eel pie."
2018-04-28
"Alice learns the harsh reality of religious intolerance, uncovers the origins of Norwich City FC's iconic canary, and experiences humiliating Tudor justice"
2018-05-05
"In Cheltenham, Britain's most Regency town, Alice attends a period society ball, investigates the rigid social hierarchy of the age and explores the Regency fondness for enemas"
2018-05-12
"Alice reveals the history of Belfast, the UK's most Victorian city. She visits the shipyards that built the Titanic, gets locked up in the notorious Crumlin Road gaol and takes a crash course in 19th-century female etiquette."
Season 2 - Britain's Most Historic Towns
2019-05-18
"Professor Alice Roberts examines Britain in wartime by looking at the coastal town of Dover"
2019-05-25
"Alice explores the Georgian era in Bristol, from Clifton's architectural gems to the world's first chocolate factory, backstreet gin and the horror of the slave trade"
2019-06-01
"Alice tells the story of Edwardian Britain by visiting Cardiff. She explores the coal trade and Cardiff's pioneering multicultural heritage, and experiences the life of a lady of leisure."
2019-06-08
"Alice Roberts explores the history of Oxford during the Civil War, when the city became a power base for the royalist forces and a rival capital for nine years of conflict. Aerial archaeologist Ben Robinson discovers why the city was such a good strategic position, while Alice takes up Charles I's favourite sport and learns to fire a 17th-century musket."
2019-06-15
"Alice Roberts visits Canterbury to explore the Plantagenet era, when the powerful house held the throne between 1154 and 1485. She discovers the secrets of the city's cathedral, the lasting impact of the Black Death, and joins a modern-day pilgrimage in medieval garb. Aerial archaeologist Ben Robinson provides a bird's-eye view of how the religious institutions of the era still dominate the city's topography."
2019-06-22
"Professor Alice Roberts explores the story of Stewart Britain by visiting Stirling, the seat of the Scottish royal family for 200 years. She joins a team of archaeologists in uncovering remnants of the docks, explores the secret passageways of Stirling Castle, learns how to make medieval ale, and discovers the origins of football. Last in the series."