Welcome to Ye Olde Guide, a podcast telling the story of English urban heritage.
Our aim is to provide an accessible guide to the history of the towns and cities of England (and maybe later beyond…). The podcasts, and this accompanying website could be a starting point to visiting these towns, to uncover the many hidden gems across the country.
The podcast is brought to you by Daniel Gooch and Liam McGrath. Daniel is a local historian specialising in urban migration. You can read his MA dissertation on the The human capital value of migration to Reading here. Liam is a Principal Planner at Transport for London, and sits on the board of Leathermarket – a social housing provider. He has a blog on contemporary urban issues here.
The inspiration for this podcast was travelling around the country watching sport and coming across incredible buildings and industrial heritage. Daniel says:
I’m an avid domestic tourist. I’ve spent my entire adult life travelling around all different towns and cities of England. The well-known ones; the less well-known ones. I’m passionate about sharing my enthusiasm for the great heritage our towns and cities have to offer.
Liam’s interest in the history of cities has grown from his work developing transport and housing today
Everything we do in planning modern urban infrastructure is entangled with centuries of heritage. Understanding the myriad of dramas that have taken place in a building or plot of land has become a passion of mine.
We hope you enjoy exploring these cities and towns as we do. We hope we can promote the less well-known corners of the country and contribute to the celebration and appreciation of our towns and cities. Please contact us with any feedback or ideas.