Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
© John Reavy, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
St Adamnán worked tirelessly to secure protection, rights and dignity for the women of Ireland.
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© Norbert Nagel, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.
After surviving a terrible storm, a crew-member on St Nicholas’s ship met with a tragic accident.
© milo bostock, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
Cromwell’s killjoys almost silenced the English Christmas, but thanks to a royal family tradition the message is still being proclaimed.
© ceridwen, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
French revolutionaries in a fleet of four ships attempted to spark a revolution in Britain.
© Matt Riggott, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
The Puritans said it was unfit for God-fearing men, but George I thought it fit for a King.
© Sara Guasteví, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.
In England’s brief but dismal experiment as a Republic, Playford saved traditional English dance music from destruction.