Why Victorian Workhouses Were Even Worse Than You Think

1 in 10 British citizens today has a direct family connection to the workhouse. Discover some of the individual stories of this cruel and dehumanising institution.

Were Berserkers real? Did Vikings wear horned helmets? How far did they reach? Did they all have slaves? Dr Eleanor Barraclough answers all of the internet's most asked questions about the Vikings.

Journey across Britain with leading archaeologists as they unearth ground-breaking discoveries that rewrite human history. In this documentary episode, we travel from Norwich Castle Museum into the heart of the Cambridgeshire Fens to explore Must Farm - Britain’s "Bronze Age Pompeii" - revealing industrial-scale fishing, pristine log boats, and combat-scarred weaponry. 💚 Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 📺 You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.

Who were the first Europeans, and what did they actually look like? In this feature-length documentary, cutting-edge genetic science and archaeology combine to rewrite thousands of years of human history. By extracting ancient DNA from skull bones buried deep within ancient tombs and ring forts, researchers are peeling back the millennia to uncover the truth about our ancestors—from dark-skinned, blue-eyed hunter-gatherers to the Neolithic farmers who erected Europe’s most magnificent megaliths. Plus, journey into the early Middle Ages to uncover shocking "deviant burials," pagan rituals that survived the arrival of Christianity, and the chilling ancient fear of the living dead. 💚 Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 📺 You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.

Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney investigate the case of Scotland’s most notorious serial killers, Burke and Hare. Join Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney on the dark streets of Edinburgh as they investigate the infamous nineteenth century case of Burke and Hare: Scotland’s most notorious serial killers. William Burke and William Hare murdered for money, killing in cold blood at least 16 times, so that they could sell the bodies of their victims to the anatomist table. Anthony follows the story of their horrific crimes right up to Edinburgh’s high society, to the medical establishment so bent on scientific progress it fuelled a clandestine trade in bodies. Maddy examines the evidence we have about the victims' lives, the poor and itinerant people who made their livings in Edinburgh’s crowded Old Town. Those unlucky people who tragically crossed Burke and Hare’s murderous path were targeted because of their isolation… but there was always more to their stories… The murders could only go on for so long… and Burke and Hare’s downfall, trial and the public execution of Burke caused a media storm.

Ever wondered how we went from flying small wooden machines, to supersonic jets taking off vertically in the space of less than 70 years? Luke Tomes travels to Brooklands Museum in Surrey, one of Britain’s first operating aerodromes and home to one of the oldest and largest aircraft factories, to find out just how this evolution was possible. Luke explores the pioneers that were able to break the boundaries of what was imaginable, the ingenious designs they developed and implemented and what role this site played in the remarkable era of aviation. As well as seeing some twentieth-century defining aircraft along the way, he'll be given a private tour of one of the most spectacular planes to have ever graced the skies, Concorde, with former Chief pilot of British Airways' Concorde Fleet, Mike Bannister, before getting in the cockpit myself to see if he can cut it as a commercial pilot. Make sure to come and check out Brooklands Museum the home of British motorsport and aviation. They host many events and activities throughout the year to celebrate Brooklands incredible