The Fire that struck London in 1666 was one of the city's darkest chapters. In this episode, Anthony and Maddy examine the accounts of people who witnessed the disaster at the time, tracing the story from its origin in Pudding Lane right up until its dying embers...

Who quickly did the Fire spread? How did the terrified population turn to scapegoating the innocent? And how did the aftermath of this catastrophe shape the city we know today?

Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced by Tom Delargy, Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast.

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What did it feel like to wake up Salem Village during the darkest days of the witch trials? Would you be able to swallow down your beer and pottage breakfast? As you walked towards the simple wooden Meetinghouse in the afternoon, what feeling would have been in your breast?

Anthony & Maddy are on a quest to find out!

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Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tom Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.

You can now watch After Dark on YouTube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the dark symbols of the Victorian age is the asylum. It struck fear into the mind but what was the reality of life inside its walls? Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story today.

Edited by Richard Powers, Produced by Stuart Beckwith, Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ghost hunting couple Ed and Lorraine Warren transformed twentieth century America into an enchanted land dotted with haunted houses, cursed objects, and portals to hell. Their exploits are the basis for the Conjuring movie franchise. They are the originators of the Annabelle doll. They are the most famous demon hunters ever. Who were the Warrens? Did they make it up? Or did they believe it all?

Maddy and Anthony's guest today is Professor Joseph Laycock from Texas State University. He was our guest last week on our episode about the Amityville Horror. Joseph is the author of: The Penguin Book of Exorcisms and co-author of The Exorcist Effect: Horror, Religion, and Demonic Belief.

Edited & produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Today we're delving back into the After Dark vaults to revisit our episode on Banshees...

Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls) joins Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling for the story of the Banshee.

The Banshee is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by shrieking, or keening. Anthony tells us a story about one dying man in 1772 who is called to his death by her wailing cries.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tom Delargy. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast.

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We’re re-running this episode because it’s one of our favourites — and it’s worth another listen!

The ghost of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, screaming down a corridor. A nursemaid's spinning wheel clicking in the walls. Robed Tudor figures slamming open fire exits. A noisy group of ghosts haunt Hampton Court Palace.

Tracy Borman, Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, joins Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney to guide them through the spectres of Hampton Court.

Edited by Tomos Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sweeney Todd - the demon barber of Fleet Street who beheads people and then sends their bodies through a trapdoor to be made into pies. It's just a story right? Right? There's not any real history to it....or is there? Like two food inspectors examining a particularly noxious looking pie, Maddy and Anthony dig into the dark truths that led to Sweeney Todd's creations.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. Research was by Phoebe Joyce. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.

You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast.

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The Viking attack on the monastery at Lindisfarne, a remote tidal island in North East England, sent psychological and cultural shockwaves through the history. It's a story of blood and terror, but there's more subtlety to it as well, as Maddy and Anthony learn today with returning guest Dr Eleanor Barraclough.

Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.

You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.