On the first episode of Three Ravens Series 5, we are back up in England's north west, exploring the history and folklore of Cumberland! We start off chatting about a few of the long-running famous folk festivals taking place at this time of year, including the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance and Widecombe Fair, after which we cavort on up to Cumberland. After chatting through some curious historical tidbits, including the weird history of Whitehaven, the unsettling depth of Lake Windermere, and an ex...
Sep 09, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Hold onto your beaks, and tuck your claws in good and tight on entry, because we are BACK and ready to get stuck right in to Series 5! In this little introductory episode we offer some updates about what we've been doing over the summer, provide an explainer about what Three Ravens is for new listeners, and chat through some of the little tweaks and changes we're thinking about making to the back-end of the series. With some news about Haunting Season and what we have in store for Christmas, it'...
Sep 09, 2024•24 min
This week we have something really special for you - a recording of our recent Three Ravens Live Show at Battle Folk & Fable Festival! Focused on the town of Battle on the Kent-Sussex border, and the lore and history of the area, we're talking ghosts, giants, faeries, demon dogs and witches, and Martin is telling his rather silly take on the life of William the Conqueror. With legends including those of Gill The Giant, the Pevensey Werewolves, 'Funny Face' the ghost, discussions of local wri...
Sep 02, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 4Ep. 45
In our fourth Listener Episode, we have a lovely clutch of tales, trivia, and even some recipes sent in by members of the Three Ravens community! The stories include lore about Norfolk's "Callow Pit," the Red Billed Chough, the mythical land of Orkney's 'Fin Folk,' details of an archaeological discovery involving an Anglo Saxon Cunning Woman, a probably (almost certainly) fake Scottish King, and more! To submit your own strange tales, anecdotes, and folky experiences to be read on future listene...
Aug 26, 2024•40 min•Season 4Ep. 44
Here's the last in our quintet of bonus compilation episodes to help plug the gap between Seasons 4 and 5. We’ve entitled this episode Three More Horrors because… well, because these stories are about horrible things, as you might expect – a bit of a warm up for Haunting Season perhaps – with this clutch of tales including our Berkshire story, Herne The Hunter , our Lancashire story, The Ghost Train , and our Middlesex story, The Crossrail Horror . We'll be back with a new Listener Episode next ...
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 48 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Here's the fourth in our quintet of bonus compilation episodes to help plug the gap between Seasons 4 and 5. We’ve entitled this episode Three Farces because these tales are silly. Not entirely silly of course, they do have important ideas running through them, but, like all good comedies, they combine a little bit of tickle with a little bit of slap! They include our Herefordshire story, The Dragon of Mordiford , our second Sussex story, The Rat Piper of Beccles , and our Bedfordshire story, Th...
Aug 12, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 4Ep. 42
Here's the third in our quintet of bonus compilation episodes to help plug the gap between Seasons 4 and 5. We’ve entitled this episode Three Tombs because these are stories of uncanny things deep underground – places of death and strangeness we’ve sought to bring out into the light – including our Gloucestershire story, The Torbarrow Gaurdian, our Somerset story, The Witch of Wookey Hole, and our Kent story, The Stain of Vice. We hope you enjoy! The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore ...
Aug 03, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 4Ep. 41
Here's the second in our quintet of bonus compilation episodes to help plug the gap between Seasons 4 and 5. We’ve entitled this episode Three Romances because it contains three of our tales that are neither comedic, nor tragic – rather, they are strange adventures, and some corkers at that – including our Westmoreland story, The Witch of the Westmoreland, our Nottinghamshire story, The Many Deaths of Robin Hood, and our Norfolk story, Black Shuck. We hope you enjoy! The Three Ravens is an Engli...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 40
Here's the first in our quintet of bonus compilation episodes to help plug the gap between Seasons 4 and 5. We’ve entitled this episode Three Fae Tales because, as you might expect, it contains three of our fairy or fairy-adjacent stories, including our Yorkshire story, A Discovery of Supposed Witchcraft, our Wiltshire story, A Cuckoo In Winter, and our Warwickshire story from Series 4 The Hand of God. We hope you enjoy! The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-wi...
Jul 22, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 4Ep. 39
For our final Local Legends episode for Series 4, Martin gathers round the campfire to talk about the folklore of Sussex with Dr Paul Quinn. Paul grew up in Sussex, going on to complete his doctorate at the University of Sussex, working on anti-Catholicism and the Early Modern Stage. He has a wide array of interests, from Doctor Who and popular science fiction to the history of fairy tales, Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and the links between Catholic discrimination and magic. After complet...
Jul 20, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 4Ep. 38
For our Series 4 finale we've got something really special: our first-ever Three Ravens Live Show, all about Sussex, recorded at the Festival of Chichester! We start off with a full live performance of Three Ravens care of Eleanor and our friend and neighbour Ben Harber, and then have a chat about the curious history of Chichester itself. After that, it's time to talk Sussex - and there's so much to say! In addition to chatting about how recent archaeological discoveries are reframing our unders...
Jul 15, 2024•1 hr 59 min•Season 4Ep. 13
For our penultimate Local Legends episode for Series 4, Martin gathers round the campfire to talk about the folklore of Shropshire with Amy Boucher. Amy is a writer and a folklorist, an educator and a podcaster. She focuses on her native Shropshire, with her emphasis primarily being on the interplay between folklore, history and the paranormal. Like many of us, Amy is fascinated by perceptions of the past as seen through the lens of folk beliefs. We first encountered her through Twitter, and tum...
Jul 13, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 4Ep. 37
In our final bonus episode for Series 4, we're exploring the truly wild life and genuinely abominable crimes of H.H. Holmes, America's first serial killer. Part of the "Something Wicked" series, we start by chatting through how communication technology in the 19th century created a much more anonymous society, one in which a man born Herman Webster Mudgett in New Hampshire could grow up and skip across national borders, and between over a half dozen states, to assume new identities and commit bo...
Jul 11, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 4Ep. 36
On this week's episode we're headed back to Shropshire in North West England, and Eleanor is telling a Devil tale with a twist... We start off chatting about St Killian, about whom Martin is decidedly unimpressed, after which we sidle on into Shropshire! In addition to talking about the Wrekin, A.E. Housman's A Shropshire Lad , and the morbid nature of some of Shropshire's folk magic, we get the pastry out once again for this week's County Dish, Fidget Pie! After some folkloric chat about topics...
Jul 08, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 4Ep. 12
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to talk about the folklore of Middlesex with the hosts of The Loremen Podcast James Shakeshaft and Alasdair Beckett-King. Over seven years ago, when they were fairly early in their careers as stand-up comedians, James and Alasdair found themselves chatting about folklore on a road trip to the South West. After amusing one another in the car, they wondered if the world might like to be in on the joke. So The Loremen was bo...
Jul 06, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 4Ep. 35
In this week's bonus episode, Eleanor talks us through the history and folklore of brooms and besom-making - so flying ointment at the ready! Part of the "Dying Arts" series, we start by discussing the difference between brooms and besoms, the neolithic strategies used to sweep, and how the Black Death ushered in new concepts of cleanliness and godliness. After that, and a chat about the noble work of 'Broom Squires,' it's onto the dark side of brooms and besoms, including how non-conformist Chr...
Jul 04, 2024•49 min•Season 4Ep. 34
On this week's episode we're headed back to Middlesex, the historic county better known as London, and Martin is telling a whopper of a story, all about the horrors unearthed during the digging of the city's underground... We start off chatting about St Serf and his wild and crazy life, dragon slaying and all, after which we move on to Middlesex! In addition to talking about the Palace of Westminster, the London Stone, and the Temple of Mithras underneath the Bloomberg building, we consider the ...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 55 min•Season 4Ep. 11
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin chats with the Lancashire-born host of the Tales of Britain and Ireland podcast, Graeme Cooke. For the last six years Graeme has been releasing episodes, but, unlike us, he's taking things slow and steady: he recently published his 50th episode, and by focusing on quality, deep research and a diverse range of incredibly rich stories, he has created a back catalogue of fantastic tales brilliantly told. Graeme's knowledge of Lancashire's lore is outs...
Jun 29, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 4Ep. 33
From nuggles to brags, the Ceffyl Dŵr to nixies, there's plenty of reasons to be nervous about horse-shaped monsters on the shoreline - but fear not, as Martin is here to demystify Kelpies and mythical water horses in general! Part of the "Three Ravens Bestiary" series, we start by discussing the links between seaweed and kelpies, the first appearances of mythical Kelpies in the poetry of William Collins, Robert Burns and Walter Scott, and how the history of horse riding is inextricably linked w...
Jun 27, 2024•55 min•Season 4Ep. 32
On this week's episode we're headed back to Lancashire, and Eleanor is telling a spooky story based on a haunted attraction at Blackpool's Pleasure Beach... We start off by discussing St John the Baptist and his bonfires of bones, after which we head off to Lancashire! In addition to talking about Liverpool and its mythical protector birds Bella and Bertie, the county's shifting borders and the whaling industry, we cook up a delicious pot full of Scouse! After some folkloric chat about ghostly w...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 4Ep. 10
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire with Kent resident and host of the Real Life Ghost Stories podcast, Emma Ozenbrook. Born in Ireland, Emma has lived in Kent for a fair old chunk of time and knows it very well, which, combined with her love for a good story, makes her a cracking ambassador for 'The Garden of England.' If you like a spooky podcast, odds are you’ll already know her from Real Life Ghost Stories – one of our absolute favourites, and a definit...
Jun 22, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 4Ep. 31
Feeling under the weather? We have something to help with that as, in this week's Bonus Episode, Eleanor is uncovering the mysterious history of folk healers in England! Part of the "Magic and Medicines" series, we start by chatting through who 'Cunning Folk' were, including quite how wide-scale their business was, as well as the time periods in which they were in their prime. This leads us through the years of Renaissance alchemy and characters like Simon Forman and Doctor John Dee, when folk h...
Jun 20, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 30
On this week's episode we're headed back to Kent, and Martin is telling a spooky story based on the life of a sinister historic Archbishop of Canterbury... We start off discussing St Nectan, his errant cows, and headless commute back home, after which we venture to Kent! In addition to chatting about Dover Castle, the oldest boat in the world, and the eerie landscape of Romney Marsh, we chew over a tonne of delicious Kent foodstuffs before assembling a tasty-sounding "Dredgerman's Breakfast!" Af...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 40 min•Season 4Ep. 9
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire with Oxfordshire local and host of The History of England podcast, David Crowther. Born in Loughborough over the border, David has lived in Oxfordshire for many years, giving him a perfect perspective on the county. That of someone who's familiar with it, but who sees it with a sense of perspective. Plus, in addition to being very funny, David is inclined to take the long view, having told the story of England from the An...
Jun 15, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 29
In this week's bonus episode, we're exploring the history of the 17th century mass murderer and sorceress La Voisin! Part of the "Something Wicked" series, we start by chatting through the history of poisoner rings and life in the times of Louis XIV, "the Sun King." We then discuss the rise to power of Catherine Deshayes, a penniless child fortune-teller on the streets of Paris, who married jeweler and silk merchant Antoine Monvoisin and began her ascent to the upper echelons of French society. ...
Jun 13, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 28
On this week's episode we're headed back to Oxfordshire, and Eleanor is telling a tale drawn from a ghastly 18th century true crime! We start off discussing St Olivia of Palermo, who was apparently resistant to boiling oil - if not axe-blows - after which we head to Oxfordshire. In addition to chatting about Oxford's Civil War heritage, Henry VIII's favourite bathing spot at Ewelme, and the peculiar tradition of 'Christmas Princes,' we then bake ourselves some Banbury Cakes in County Dishes, and...
Jun 10, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 4Ep. 8
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire with Nottinghamshire local and author of the fascinating new book Historic Building Mythbusting , James Wright. Though a long-time resident of Nottinghamshire and a genuine expert in its historic buildings and folklore, James was born in Staffordshire and has been involved with the world of archaeology for over twenty years. Following his graduation from the Department of Archaeology at the University of Nottingham, he qu...
Jun 08, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 4Ep. 27
In this week's bonus episode, Eleanor talks us through the surprisingly saucy history of glove making! Part of the "Dying Arts" series, we start by discussing where Eleanor's interest in the topic first arose, specifically in Renaissance drama, clothing and costume, before we then explore the truly ancient relationships humans have had with gloves, from Ice Age mittens to Tutankhamen's riding gloves, references to gloves in Classical texts and art, and the important positions gloves occupied in ...
Jun 06, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 26
On this week's episode we're headed back to Nottinghamshire, and Martin is telling his take on the legend of Robin Hood! We start off discussing St Elmo, witchfire, and his three rather unpleasant deaths, after which we head to Nottinghamshire. In addition to chatting about Southwell Minster, Newark Castle ruins, and a pretty epic story associated with St Catherine's Well, we then chew over 'Nottinghamshire Pudding' in County Dishes, while also recounting the tangy history of Houses of Parliamen...
Jun 03, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Season 4Ep. 7
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire with the author of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Folk Tales Mike O'Leary. Mike has been a professional storyteller since 1995, and across the last almost 30 years has developed a real expertise in the folklore of Hampshire. Based in Southampton, a city which he’s studied academically, as a Geographer, Mike has led a rich life that has seen him travel, live, and work, all over the UK. He’s written several books, including Ha...
Jun 01, 2024•52 min•Season 4Ep. 25
