The Kingdom of Mercia
Gone Medieval
History Hit
4.6 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 2 January 2026
⏱️ 44 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Once the powerhouse of the Anglo-Saxon world, the kingdom of Mercia dominated not just Wessex but nearly all its neighbouring realms. At its height, Mercia held sway over regions that include modern Birmingham and even London. Though the kingdom eventually faded with the rise of Alfred the Great, its story—and its influence—were far from over.
In this episode, Matt Lewis sits down with historian Annie Whitehead to uncover the enduring legacy of the Mercians. From the fierce warrior-king Penda, to the empire-building Offa, to the legendary Lady Godiva, the people of Mercia helped shape the foundations of the English nation in ways both dramatic and surprising.
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Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis, edited by Ella Blaxill and Amy Haddow and produced by Rob Weinberg. The Senior Producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, I'm Matt Lewis. Welcome to Gone Medieval from History Hit, the podcast that delves into the greatest millennium in human history. |
| 0:09.0 | We've got the most intriguing mysteries, the gobsmacking details and latest groundbreaking research from the Vikings to the printing press, from kings to popes to the crusades. |
| 0:20.2 | We cross centuries and continents |
| 0:22.3 | to delve into rebellions, plots and murders, to find the stories big and small that tell us |
| 0:28.6 | how we got here. Find out who we really were with Gone Medieval. Welcome to this episode of Gone Medieval by Matt Lewis. |
| 0:41.0 | The Christmas break means that all those outside the Gone Medieval dungeon are off partying. |
| 0:47.3 | So we've got a handpicked repeat from our huge back catalogue for you. |
| 0:51.6 | This is a great episode that I did with the wonderful Annie Whitehead |
| 0:55.4 | about the rise of Mercia, the Anglo-Saxon kingdom at the heart of England. Definitely no bias in |
| 1:03.0 | this episode from this Mercian, I promise. This episode is part of a series we did about the |
| 1:09.2 | Anglo-Saxon Kingdom, so you can find Northumbria and Wessex in there too. |
| 1:13.8 | So sit back and enjoy the story of the rise of Mercia. |
| 1:22.0 | The year is 641 AD. |
| 1:26.1 | After years of tension and hostility between the great kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria, |
| 1:32.2 | the reign of Oswald is over. The legendary ruler of Northumbria has been slain. In Beade's |
| 1:41.4 | account of Oswald's death, the Northumbrian warlord is killed by Pender, |
| 1:47.3 | the last pagan king of the Mercians in a great battle at a place called Measafield. |
| 1:54.0 | Beed writes that Pender removes Oswald's head and hands to display them on stakes, |
| 2:00.2 | perhaps as an offering to his pagan god of war. |
| 2:03.6 | It's a momentous defeat. |
| 2:05.6 | Pender returns to Mercia, victorious. |
| 2:12.6 | For some, the death of a mighty ruler like Oswald isn't a cause for celebration, but for |
... |
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