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British History

Newbury is the birthplace of Michael Bond, the British author who wrote the Paddington series.

Judge Reprimands Thieves in Bear Statue Heist: ‘Your Actions Were the Antithesis of Everything Paddington Stands For’

Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, a pair of 22-year-old members of the British Royal Air Force, apologized for stealing a statue of the beloved bear from a park bench

Researchers found evidence of a ceremonial platform next to the Farley Moor standing stone, which measures roughly 6.5 feet tall.

Cool Finds

3,700-Year-Old Bronze Age Stone Circle Discovered in an English Forest

An amateur archaeologist recently encouraged researchers to take another look at the Farley Moor standing stone, which was once part of a bigger ceremonial site

Researchers spent three months excavating the site.

Cool Finds

Treasure Trove of 800 ‘Exceptional’ Iron Age Artifacts Discovered in England

The collection, which dates to the first century C.E., includes items ranging from elaborately decorated horse harnesses to ornate cauldrons

The well-preserved ring was found by a retired firefighter.

Cool Finds

See the Stunning Sapphire Ring Belonging to a Medieval Bishop That Just Sold at Auction

Found by a metal detectorist in England, the item features a sapphire surrounded by two emeralds and two stones that are either garnets or rubies

A wax writing tablet with a stylus

Cool Finds

Discover the 14,000 Ancient Roman Artifacts Just Donated to the London Museum

Among the items are sandals, pottery and Britain’s largest collection of Roman writing tablets, bearing IOU notes and gossip in stunningly well-preserved wax

Mark Rylance (left) and Damian Lewis (right) as Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII in "Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light"

Based on a True Story

The Real Story Behind ‘Wolf Hall’ and the Fall of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s Most Controversial Adviser

Based on Hilary Mantel’s novel “The Mirror & the Light,” the last installment in the acclaimed television series chronicles the last four years of the statesman’s life

An artistic interpretation of what Flagstones might have looked like shortly after it was constructed

New Research

Could This Prehistoric Burial Site Have Influenced the Construction of Stonehenge?

Researchers say that Flagstones, a large circular enclosure in southern England, dates to around 3200 B.C.E.—which means it predates Stonehenge by several hundred years

Curator Katherine Carter with the restored Marlborough portrait in Chartwell's main staircase

Restoration Reveals the Secrets of One of Winston Churchill’s Most Beloved Paintings

Long thought to be a family heirloom, the artwork was actually gifted to the British prime minister in 1942 during the darkest days of World War II

Harold Godwinson's death, as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry

Cool Finds

Newly Rediscovered, a Missing Fragment of the Bayeux Tapestry Is Returning to France

Likely removed by Nazi researchers, the scrap of fabric is a small but crucial part of the tattered tapestry’s nearly 1,000-year history

The portrait recently went on display at England's Wrest Park.

Does This Mysterious Portrait Depict Lady Jane Grey, the Doomed Queen Who Ruled England for Nine Days in 1553?

After conducting a new analysis, some researchers think it may be the only portrait of Grey created during her lifetime—a conclusion that has generated controversy

The poem was discovered by researcher Leah Veronese.

Cool Finds

‘Politically Repurposed’ Copy of Famous Shakespearean Love Sonnet Discovered Inside a 17th-Century Poetry Collection

The rare handwritten copy of “Sonnet 116” features several additional lines, which may have been an attempt to insert British royalist ideas into the romantic ode, according to researchers

In this 1936 photo by Eddie Worth, an anti-fascist demonstrator is arrested during the Battle of Cable Street in London.

Nearly 200 Captivating Photographs Spotlight a Century of Protest in Britain

Titled “Resistance,” a new exhibition curated by filmmaker Steve McQueen examines 100 years of struggles against the status quo, from women’s suffrage to the war in Iraq

An artist's illustration of the London Tunnels, a planned tourist attraction in a World War II-era labyrinth beneath central London

Plans Are Taking Shape for an Extravagant New Tourist Attraction Inside London’s World War II-Era Tunnels

The 86,000-square-foot labyrinth was built in the 1940s during the London Blitz. Now, workers are transforming it into a museum, memorial, art gallery and bar

The circle was found during construction in a small town in northern Denmark.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Denmark Discover 4,000-Year-Old Circle of Wooden Posts Resembling Stonehenge

The monument once featured more than 80 posts, which formed a circle measuring nearly 100 feet across. Its prehistoric builders may have used it as a ritual site

An aerial image of the excavation site in Cumbria

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Say They’ve Unearthed Britain’s Largest Known Viking-Age Building Beneath a Family Farm

A team of experts and enthusiasts discovered the structure at High Tarns Farm in northwest England. Researchers think it dates to between the late 10th and early 11th centuries

This George Romney sketch was discovered in a dumpster in upstate New York.

Cool Finds

This 18th-Century Sketch by a Renowned English Portraitist Was Hiding in a Dumpster in New York

The tiny drawing by artist George Romney depicts Henrietta, Countess of Warwick. It will be sold at an upcoming auction in London

The suitcase was likely made in the 1920s.

Cool Finds

Suitcase Belonging to the Legendary Archaeologist Who Discovered King Tut’s Tomb Surfaces in England

Howard Carter used the luggage while working in Egypt before giving it to a fellow researcher in 1939. Now, it’s heading to the auction block

“Here … we claim the first blow was struck in the war of independence,” wrote Salem historian Charles Moses Endicott in his account of Leslie's Retreat.

America's 250th Anniversary

Was This Little-Known Standoff Between British Soldiers and Colonists the Real Start of the American Revolution?

On February 26, 1775, residents of Salem, Massachusetts, banded together to force the British to withdraw from their town during an oft-overlooked encounter known as Leslie’s Retreat

The new exhibition comes on the heels of the A.I. Safety Summit held at Bletchley Park in 2023.

Bletchley Park Exhibition Shows How World War II-Era Research Shaped Artificial Intelligence

Titled “The Age of A.I.,” the show examines the technology’s 20th-century roots and spotlights its role in contemporary healthcare, environmental conservation and the creative industries

The ring dates to between 1650 and 1750.

Cool Finds

This 17th-Century ‘Lovers’ Ring’ Unearthed in England Is Marked by a Romantic Inscription

Found near a historic property in Lancashire, the ring represents a history of affectionate gifts

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