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208 episodes

Chapter 204- “No man dare speak against…” (1539-1544)
08/07/2026 | 54 mins.
Henry VIII was a tyrant. He was a brutal, wilful, petulant king, whose desire to do whatever the hell he felt like and deal with the consequences later, had driven his country into uncharted and dangerous waters. And this is his reign made manifest upon the streets of London- a city filled with massive mock battles on the river, accidental shootings of washerwomen, new churches to prevent bodies being dragged through Whitehall Palace, confusing mass executions of both Protestants and Catholics on the same day, parades of soldiers never destined to fight, and the king going through wives faster than some residents went though a decent jacket.
And in all of this- that highest ranked of all London residents, Thomas Cromwell was to fall from power and be put to death. The sheer madness of the king made manifest in a city just trying to cope with his whims…
Cover includes altered version of the portrait of Henry VIII, done by Hans Eworth based on the original by Hans Holbein the Younger (1540-1547)
Chapter 203- Gregory Sweet Lips (1536-1540)
25/06/2026 | 52 mins.
This weeks chapter examines four busy years in the story of our city- culminating in the first death by shooting in its history; along the way we explore a country descending into resentment, resignation and eventually rebellion as Henry VIII descends into tyranny. We examine the seeming madness of his actions, from the speed and ferocity with which he turned on Ann Boleyn, to the dramatic sudden marriage to Lady Jane Seymour, to suddenly being married to a German princess…
Along the way we look as the city copes with massive rebellions in the north, violent turmoil in Calais, and crucially, explore why the city itself remained peaceful- discovering that while the king increasingly gave way to his own dark passions, perhaps driven there by a near fatal accident, London’s mercers and others began to look to each other for continuity.

Cover includes detail from the portrait of Queen Jane Seymour by Hans Holbein the Younger.
Chapter 202- “With force and arms break down the gate” (1536-1550)
17/06/2026 | 54 mins.
We take a pause from the narrative, to examine, in detail, what the dissolution of the monasteries of London meant for the city- literally, who gained the land and the buildings, what did they do with them, and how much money was made from this?
What we see is series of deals that will influence London for the next few decades, as a plethora of new landlords and new homes erupted, and how a small bunch of people were able to make a fortune out of this.
Cover includes photograph of the blue plaque denoting the site of Grey Friars Monastery, the City of London
Chapter 201- Down, down, down, down… (1533-1535)
10/06/2026 | 55 mins.
We return with the story as we examine the circumstances that saw a drastic change in fortunes for the cities two most powerful residents- for Thomas Cromwell? His rise in power and status, and his leaving of a physical mark upon the very fabric of the city.
For Thomas More? The opposite. The driven man, rushing headlong towards his own death, the circumstances of his life making it impossible to avoid.
And around this, a city on the edge of panic, the politics of the new Queen, and much more, as the Story of London reaches the end of the saga of ‘The Boy from Milk Street’.
Cover features the Portrait of Thomas Cromwell, attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger, c.1533, Frick copy of original.
Chapter 200- “She has raised a fire…” (1528-1534)
27/05/2026 | 57 mins.
This week we examine the tale of Elizabeth Barton- holy woman, prophetess, political demagogue and the figure who openly defied Henry VIII over his desire to marry Anne Boleyn. But her story is one which drops us into a world of religious fervour, popular discontent, and public humiliation, as her extraordinary tale reveals the unspoken opposition and helplessness to what the king was doing…

Cover contains a detail from ‘Portrait of a Lady’ by Rogier van der Weyden, c.1460, often erroneously said to be a portrait of Elizabeth Barton.

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About The Story of London

Welcome to The Story of London, a podcast dedicated to telling the history of London as a single narrative tale; from its birth until the present day.Each episode takes us along that tale, a chronicle of the most fascinating and vibrant city on Earth.There is a lot of content in here and each listener can enjoy it in a variety of ways. You can listen to an episode by itself for a slice of life from London’s past; or, if you have a favourite period of time you want to explore, find the era and follow the Chapters in that section.Or maybe you want to join us on the grand journey, starting at the beginning and following along? Whatever option, welcome to the chronological tale of this amazing place.The Story of London covers events as they happened, from the actions of the great and the good, down to those of the poor and marginalised. We try to be as historically precise as possible, sometimes stumbling upon little gems of history that change the way we see the past, and never take ourselves too seriously.Feel free to join us… new episodes every week.

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