The Secrets Of Salisbury Cathedral | The Tallest Spire in Britain

The Secrets Of Spencer House | A Stately Home In Central London In this video History Hit's Alice Loxton delves into the secrets of Spencer House. Tucked away in the heart of St James’s is one of London’s most sumptuous buildings. It’s the London house of the Spencer family - that’s the family of the infamous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and the late Princess Diana. Spencer House was the vision of John, the First Earl Spencer, born in 1734. He was the great-grandson of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, who built Blenheim Palace. He was also the grandson of Third Earl of Sunderland. Young John inherited both these fortunes, becoming one of the wealthiest young men in the land. Not only was John lucky in his birth. He was lucky in love, too. He married his childhood sweetheart, Georgiana Poynz. Unusually for the 18th century, the couple didn’t detest each other. They were genuinely in love. Shortly after their marriage, and equipped with a vast fortune, they built a splendid new London house in St James’s overlooking Green Park, as compliment

The Secrets Of Wells Cathedral | The First Gothic Cathedral In England Join Alice Loxton as she unveils the secrets of Wells Cathedral, getting up close and personal with all aspects of the building's history. Among other things, that means abseiling down the cathedral's facade - not for the faint hearted! Also in this video, we’ll be getting inside the mind of a medieval mason, we’ll be uncovering the mysteries of the magnificent chained library and we’ll be traversing stones which are so weathered by time that they have been compared to a rolling ocean. The cathedral we see today was begun in 1176, and completed over the next couple of centuries. The endeavour paid off, because the result is quite magnificent. The west front of Wells is one of the most glorious examples of medieval architecture in the world. Because cathedrals took so long to build, the fashions often changed whilst they were being built. So, Durham Cathedral, for example, has rounded Romanesque arches at one end and pointed Gothic at another. But at Wells, the fashions stayed the

The Secrets Of The Hospital Of St Cross | And Why There Are No Patients!' History Hit's Alice Loxton explores the secrets of the Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty in Winchester, England. St Cross isn't really a hospital at all, at least in the modern sense of the word. Instead, it's the oldest almshouse in England still in use for its original purpose and arguably the oldest charity in the country. Although anyone can visit the site today, since its foundation, the charity has only catered for men. The main activity of the Hospital continues to be the provision of individual, private apartments for a living community of about twenty-five elderly men. Known as ‘Brothers’ they wear black or red gowns and a trencher hat for daily church and other formal occasions. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and are usually single, divorced or widowers. Founded around the year 1132, the almshouse was set up by Henry of Blois to support thirteen poor men who were unable to work and to feed some 100

"Solving The Mystery Of Stonehenge With Dan Snow" Dan Snow explores one of the most recognisable and mysterious historic sites on Earth - Stonehenge in Wiltshire, United Kingdom. Released shortly after the origin mystery of the sarsen stones was solved, this documentary takes an in-depth look at what we know, and what we still have to discover, about this iconic Neolithic monument.

Alice Loxton delves into the hidden secrets behind some of Britain's most iconic historic locations.

Exploring The Incredible Royal Tombs Of Westminster Abbey In this video, historian Dan Snow joins Sir David Cannadine to explore the complex history of religious affiliation at Westminster Abbey, which has evolved from being a Catholic monastery to a Protestant cathedral, with monarchs buried at the site representing a range of beliefs. He also discusses the various tombs, statues, monuments, and effigies in the abbey, highlighting how the process of memorialization has changed over time, with physical burials now rare and reserved for the most notable figures. Cannadine also takes viewers on a tour of the tombs, noting the juxtaposition of Winston Churchill's tomb and the Unknown Warrior's monument, and discussing how modes of commemoration and celebration continue to evolve in the 21st century. This episode was filmed before the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.