How to Survive the 14th Century

Gone Medieval

History Hit

History

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 30 May 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Matt Lewis dives into the dramatic and transformative 14th century with historian Helen Carr, from the drama of the Peasants' Revolt, where commoners breached the mighty Tower of London and terrified a young King Richard II to the chaos of the Black Death and its surprising aftermath—an age of opportunity and change. From Edward II's controversial reign to Richard II's downfall, Matt and Helen uncover the gripping stories and seismic shifts of the 14th century to discover how resilience and upheaval forged modern Britain.

Peasants' Revolt

https://open.spotify.com/episode/793WPDhg8myDcHJLk2jw2t

The Black Death

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rfU8b4CEDUQZ9YOpH8X4o

Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. It was edited by Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Matt Lewis.
0:02.6	And I'm Dr. Eleanor Yonaga.
0:04.2	And we're just popping up here to tell you some insider info.
0:08.0	If you would like to listen to Gone Medieval ad-free and get early access and bonus episodes,
0:13.3	sign up to History Hit.
0:14.5	With the History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries.
0:20.6	Such as my new series on everyone's favorite
0:22.8	conquerors, the Normans, or my recent exploration of the castles that made Britain. There's a new
0:29.9	release to enjoy every week. Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com forward slash subscribe, or find a link in the show notes for this episode.
0:47.1	Hello, I'm Matt Lewis. Welcome to Gone Medieval from History Hit, the podcast that delves into
0:52.7	the greatest millennium in human history.
0:55.7	We've got the most intriguing mysteries, the gobsmacking details and latest groundbreaking research
1:02.1	from the Vikings to the printing press, from kings to popes to the crusades. We cross centuries
1:08.1	and continents to delve into rebellions, plots and murders,
1:12.4	to find the stories big and small that tell us how we got here.
1:16.9	Find out who we really were with Gone Medieval.
1:25.8	Travel back with me to the 14th century, a time when England was anything but the blessed
1:32.5	plot Shakespeare described. More like a place of drama, disaster, upheaval and resilience.
1:40.4	Take for example June 1381 when London was gripped by chaos as thousands of rebels,
1:47.0	peasants, artisans and labourers stormed the city, furious over crippling taxes and broken promises.
1:55.5	In a dramatic twist, the unthinkable happened.
1:58.0	The mighty Tower of London, long considered impregnable, was breached,
	...

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