Historic Building Mythbusting

'Funny, occasionally filthy and ultimately fascinating.' - Richard Herring, comedian Go to any ancient building in the land and there will be interesting and exciting stories presented to the visitor. Tales of secret passages and hidden tunnels, strange marks and carvings left by stonemasons - all commonly believed and widely repeated, but are they really true? From ship timbers being repurposed on dry land to spiral staircases giving advantage to right-handed defenders, and from archers sharpening their arrows on church stones to claims of being the oldest pub in the country, Historic Building Mythbusting seeks to uncover the real stories. Buildings archaeologist James Wright explains and unpicks the development of these myths and investigates the underlying truths behind them. Sometimes the realities hiding behind the stories are even more engaging, romantic and compelling than the myths themselves...

JAMES WRIGHT is an award-winning freelance buildings archaeologist who specialises in mediaeval and early modern architecture. He has two decades professional experience of ferreting around in people's cellars, hunting through their attics and digging up their gardens. He holds both a BA and PhD in Archaeology from the University of Nottingham and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He is a recognised specialist in timber-framed vernacular buildings and has expertise in understanding the development of folklore and myths relating to the historic built environment. He has over 10,000 Twitter followers, is an experienced nationwide public speaker and has made many appearances on TV, radio and podcasts.