63 - Archery, Hotspur and the Wars of the Roses - with Andy Rice Artwork

The Alnwick Castle Podcast

Alnwick Castle is one of North East England's top visitor attractions and has been part of British history for nearly 1,000 years. Now, Alnwick Castle has a podcast! Join hosts Daniel and Deborah, and regular special guests, as they discuss fascinating aspects of Alnwick Castle's history, from the people that lived there to its connections with famous events, its place as a filming location, and more. New episodes will be available every two weeks - make sure to subscribe so you don't miss any!

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The Alnwick Castle Podcast

63 - Archery, Hotspur and the Wars of the Roses - with Andy Rice

June 26, 2024 • Alnwick Castle

When master medieval archer Andy Rice was last on the Alnwick Castle podcast, we were introduced to some of the principles and the importance of archery in the Middle Ages. For our latest episode, Andy returned for a live interview in Artisans Courtyard - with a live audience listening in!

You will hear Andy explain how the bow and its arrows were made. Continuing our 2024 theme of the Wars of the Roses, he describes how archery made a difference (or didn't) in battles like Towton in 1461. And then we get a little bit gory with the story of the arrows during the Battle of Shrewsbury - one that was fatal for Alnwick Castle's own Harry Hotspur, and one that Prince Hal, the future Henry V, survived.

C/W: This last section of the episode (16:42-28:08) contains references to medieval surgery and may not be for the queasy or faint-hearted!

This was a live episode recording in Artisans Courtyard, so you will also hear various background noises as Andy speaks.

See Andy demonstrate the medieval longbow in person at Alnwick Castle this July and August. Check our website for all the dates and details.

Finally, if you missed Andy's first podcast about archery, head into our podcast archive where you will find it and every other episode of the Alnwick Castle podcast!