Future Imperfect

We learn lots about of the facts of the Middle Ages, but what did the people themselves believe about the ways in which the world worked, and the intersections between religion and magic? Jason talks to Tabitha Stanmore about practical magic, cunning folk, and the ways in which magic was threaded through mediaeval life.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Pete Dennis

In a world of limited resources, people in the Middle Ages knew how to exploit the natural world in a way that was sustainable. Jason talks to Annette Kehnel about sustainability in the Middle Ages.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Pete Dennis

Sara Charles is a researched into books and manuscripts, who has learned all of the processes that went into making books in the Middle Ages. She joins Jason to talk about manuscripts books, and all thinks ink and vellum!Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Pete Dennis

Jason Kingsley, CBE, talks to armourer Toby Capwell about their time spent jousting against each other, how you know when to give up jousting and how armour worked in the Middle Ages.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Pete Dennis

In this episode, Jason is joined by Dr Hana Videen, who has been collecting early mediaeval words and their meanings. She talks about what we can learn about the way people in the early mediaeval period dealt with animals from the way they wrote and talked about them.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Pete Dennis

On this episode, Jason is joined by James Wright a buildings archaeologist who specialises in mediaeval myth-busting. He talks us through the legends about a lot of England's old buildings, and what the truth actually is.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Pete Dennis

We've had a lot of new listeners over the summer - so we thought we'd look back at some of the highlights of some of our older episodes.Presenter: Jason Kingsley, CBEProducer: Natt Tapley

Did people in the Middle Ages believe in fairies? Jason talks to Dr Francis Young about mediaeval beliefs in non-Christian entities and his book, Twilight of the Godlings.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Pete Dennis