Want to engage with a new audience? Get a podcast. At least that seems to be Leeds Castle’s new engagement strategy.
The 900-year-old castle in Kent has launched its first podcast to celebrate its anniversary this year, and has enlisted the help of actor Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet and Downton Abbey) to talk listeners through the castle’s place in English history.
Episodes will cover Leeds Castle under siege, Henry VII at the Field of Cloth, to the roaring 20s when Gatsby-style parties took over the castle.
It’s not only Leeds Castle that is jumping on the history podcast hype, in fact, Acast’s UK content director, Sophie Herdman, says history shows are amongst some of its most popular offerings.
“History is such a rich and interesting area in podcasting as it naturally allows for plenty of great storytelling. At Acast our history podcasts are among some of our most popular shows - from the likes of established historians such as Dan Snow and many more,” she told the Standard.
You can listen to Leeds Castle’s History Highlights podcast on iTunes and Stitcher now. In the meantime, you can peruse our list of the best history podcast to listen to.
Best history podcasts to download now
Dan Snow’s History Hit
Dan Snow’s history podcast is top of the list for history shows. Learn more about some of the most iconic and influential moments in the world’s past.
Recent episodes cover the Peterloo Massacre in 1800s Manchester, and the Hiroshima attacks with one of the few remaining survivors who speaks English, Hirata San.
Download Dan Snow’s History Hit on Acast and iTunes
Histories of the Unexpected
You won’t find battles, monarchs, or political movements in Histories of the Unexpected. Instead, Dr Sam Willis and Professor James Daybell discuss anything from the history of Halloween, to bells, colours and eyes.
Download Histories of the Unexpected on Acast and iTunes
Lore
Lore regularly tops the charts for the best history podcast and it’s no wonder. Each episode looks at the darker side of history so it’s almost a true crime podcast, with a side sharing of mysterious creatures and nightmares.
Recent shows cover the depths of the ocean in Anchored and how your tendency to collect things can lead to dire consequences in The Collection.
Download Lore on iTunes and TuneIn
SpyCast
Hosted by Dr Vince Houghton, historian and curator at the International Spy Museum, each episode of SpyCast takes you deep into the world of espionage.
You’ll find interviews from ex-spies, intelligence experts and espionage scholars covering everything from security issues in Korea, to the Cold War, and counter-terrorism.
Download SpyCast on AudioBoom and iTunes
The Bowery Boys
Who doesn’t dream of living in New York in the 1920s when dancing was all the rage and gangsters ran the streets?
Listening to The Bowery Boys makes you feel like you too are a part of this magical city’s colourful past.
Presented by two New Yorkers, Greg Young and Tom Meyers, explore the treasured history of Brooklyn, or behind the scenes of New York’s celebrated comedy scene.
Download The Bowery Boys on iTunes and Stitcher
The Story
Mission.org make a raft of different podcasts and The Story is one of its most well-known shows. Each episode takes you back in time to explore the unknown backstories of people who changed the world.
The first season focused exclusively on women whilst the most recent season, season six, covers stories of people who underwent radical personal transformations to transform themselves as well as the world around them.
Download The Story on iTunes and Stitcher
Witness
This BBC World Service podcast is about specific moments in history by the people who were there.
Whether it’s the businessman who opened the first call centre in India in the 1990s to the female publisher who opened a feminist publishing company, Virago Press in 1972 to promote women’s writing, you’re sure to learn something in every episode.
