Britain’s Most Historic Towns – Exploring the Past Through Place

Introduction: A Journey Through Time and Place

History is not just a collection of dates, battles, and monarchs — it is alive in the landscapes around us. It lingers in the cobbled streets of old market towns, the towering spires of medieval cathedrals, the ruined walls of Roman fortresses, and the red-brick mills of the Industrial Revolution. These places are more than locations; they are living records of human endeavour, struggle, and transformation. This concept lies at the heart of Britain’s Most Historic Towns, a documentary series presented by Professor Alice Roberts that invites viewers to explore Britain’s past by walking through the towns that shaped it.

First aired on Channel 4 in 2018, the series has since become one of Britain’s most engaging and accessible history programmes. Across three seasons, Roberts travels the length and breadth of the country, uncovering how particular towns encapsulate key eras of British history — from Roman occupation and Viking invasion to Tudor exploration and Victorian industrialisation. Each episode is both a historical investigation and a travelogue, blending archaeology, architecture, storytelling, and expert interviews to reveal how Britain’s towns reflect the great tides of history.

Origins and Concept of the Series

The idea behind Britain’s Most Historic Towns is deceptively simple yet profoundly effective: to understand history, visit the places where it happened. While many historical documentaries focus on individuals, wars, or empires, this series grounds its storytelling in geography — in the streets, buildings, and landscapes that bear witness to the past.

Produced by IWC Media for Channel 4, the series was designed to make history accessible to a broad audience by connecting it with real, tangible places people can visit. Towns, rather than large cities or abstract regions, were chosen because they often retain a stronger sense of historical continuity. Their streets, buildings, and layouts reveal the layers of time in ways that are immediately visible and relatable.

The series also reflects the academic background of its presenter. Alice Roberts, a biological anthropologist, anatomist, and professor of public engagement in science, has long been passionate about making history and archaeology accessible. Her background allows her to bridge disciplines — connecting the physical traces of the past (bones, artifacts, structures) with the human stories behind them. In Britain’s Most Historic Towns, Roberts uses this approach to bring history to life, showing how towns grew, evolved, and were shaped by the events around them.

Format and Approach

Each episode of Britain’s Most Historic Towns follows a similar structure, focusing on one period in British history and a town that best represents it. Roberts explores the town’s streets, buildings, and archaeological sites, often donning period clothing or trying out historical crafts and technologies to immerse herself — and the viewer — in the era.

Key elements of the show’s approach include:

• Thematic focus: Each episode is dedicated to a specific historical era, such as the Roman, Viking, Norman, or Victorian periods.
• Place-based storytelling: Roberts uses the town as a lens through which to understand the wider historical context, showing how national events played out locally.
• Archaeological insight: Excavations, artifacts, and museum collections are explored to reveal new evidence and stories.
• Human stories: Rather than focusing solely on kings, generals, and elites, the series highlights the lives of ordinary people — merchants, craftsmen, soldiers, and families.
• Contemporary relevance: Roberts often reflects on how these historical events continue to shape the town’s character and landscape today.

This blend of scholarship, storytelling, and immersive experience makes the series engaging for viewers of all backgrounds. It demonstrates that history is not just something that happened long ago — it is all around us, woven into the fabric of the places we inhabit.

Series Overview: Exploring Britain’s Past Town by Town

Across its three series (2018, 2019, and 2022), Britain’s Most Historic Towns covers more than two millennia of history. Each episode takes viewers to a different town and explores a distinct chapter of the nation’s story.

Here’s a look at some of the key episodes and their historical focus:

Series 1 (2018): The Foundations of a Nation

1. Roman Chester – Known as Deva Victrix, Chester was a vital Roman fortress town. Roberts explores its amphitheatre, bathhouses, and walls, uncovering how Roman urban planning and military might shaped Britain.
2. Viking York – As Jorvik, York was a thriving centre of Viking trade and culture. The episode explores Viking craftsmanship, governance, and the blending of Norse and Anglo-Saxon traditions.
3. Norman Winchester – Once the capital of Anglo-Norman England, Winchester reflects the profound political and cultural changes following the Norman Conquest, from the feudal system to the construction of grand cathedrals.
4. Tudor Norwich – Norwich was one of England’s wealthiest and most vibrant cities during the Tudor era. Roberts investigates the impact of the Reformation, religious conflict, and the rise of the merchant class.
5. Georgian Belfast – The Georgian period transformed Belfast into a bustling port and industrial centre, illustrating the urban growth and social changes of the 18th century.
6. Victorian Manchester – Dubbed the “workshop of the world,” Manchester epitomises the Industrial Revolution, with its mills, canals, and worker movements shaping modern Britain.

Series 2 (2019): Deepening the Story

1. Iron Age Colchester – Before the Romans, Britain was home to tribal societies and early urban centres. Colchester reveals the world of hill forts, chieftains, and pre-Roman trade networks.
2. Plantagenet Oxford – Oxford during the Plantagenet era was both a centre of learning and a site of political intrigue, reflecting medieval scholarship and royal power.
3. Elizabethan Bristol – As England’s maritime ambitions grew, Bristol became a hub for explorers and traders, linking the Tudor era to the birth of the British Empire.
4. Regency Cheltenham – A fashionable spa town, Cheltenham showcases the tastes, social hierarchies, and leisure pursuits of Regency Britain.
5. 20th Century Cardiff – Cardiff’s transformation into a major coal-exporting port highlights Britain’s industrial might and its global influence in the modern era.

Series 3 (2022): Resistance, Revolution, and Identity

1. Stirling – Britain’s Most Rebellious Town – A focal point of the Wars of Scottish Independence, Stirling embodies the spirit of resistance against English rule.
2. Kingston upon Hull – Britain’s Most Revolutionary Town – Hull’s radical political history, from civil war to social reform, illustrates Britain’s evolving democratic traditions.
3. Ipswich – Britain’s Most Anglian Town – This episode sheds light on the often-overlooked Anglo-Saxon era, exploring early urban development and cultural transformation.
4. Glasgow – Britain’s Most Industrial Town – Glasgow’s shipyards and factories symbolize the scale and impact of Britain’s industrialisation on a global scale.

Through these episodes, viewers see how different towns became crucibles of change — places where political revolutions, cultural shifts, economic transformations, and technological innovations took root and reshaped the nation.

The Role of Alice Roberts: History with Humanity

A significant part of the show’s appeal lies in Alice Roberts’ presentation style. Rather than delivering history as a dry lecture, Roberts brings energy, enthusiasm, and empathy to her storytelling. She engages deeply with the material, speaking not just about historical events but about the people who lived through them.

Her background as an anthropologist gives her a unique perspective. She often connects historical events to broader themes of human behaviour, society, and adaptation. Whether examining Roman burial practices or the daily routines of Victorian factory workers, Roberts approaches history as a deeply human story — one that connects us to our ancestors and helps us understand ourselves.

Why Towns Matter: A Unique Approach to History

What sets Britain’s Most Historic Towns apart from other historical documentaries is its focus on place-based storytelling. By examining history through the lens of towns, the series achieves several things:

• It makes history tangible. Viewers can see, touch, and visit the places where history happened.
• It humanises historical change. Towns are lived-in spaces, shaped by the daily lives of ordinary people as well as kings and generals.
• It reveals continuity and change. Many towns retain features from multiple eras, allowing the series to show how history layers over itself.
• It encourages exploration. Viewers are inspired to visit these towns and experience history firsthand.

This approach reflects a growing trend in public history — one that emphasises lived experience and physical heritage over abstract narratives.

Reception and Cultural Impact

Britain’s Most Historic Towns has been widely praised by critics and audiences alike. Reviewers have highlighted its accessible storytelling, high production values, and the warmth and enthusiasm of Roberts’ presentation. It has been described as both educational and entertaining, capable of engaging viewers with little prior knowledge of history while also offering fresh insights for enthusiasts.

The series has also had a significant impact beyond television. Many towns featured in the show have reported increased tourism, with viewers inspired to explore the locations they’ve seen on screen. The series has been used in schools and universities as a teaching tool, and it has sparked renewed public interest in local history and heritage preservation.

Conclusion: History Beneath Our Feet

Britain’s Most Historic Towns is more than just a television series — it is a celebration of Britain’s rich and complex history as told through the places where that history was made. By focusing on towns and the stories embedded in their streets, buildings, and landscapes, the series transforms history from something abstract and distant into something immediate, tangible, and deeply human.

Professor Alice Roberts’ engaging and empathetic storytelling invites viewers to see history not just as a series of events but as a lived experience — one that shaped, and was shaped by, the people who came before us. The series reminds us that history is not confined to museums or archives. It is all around us, written into the fabric of our towns and cities, waiting to be discovered.

In the end, Britain’s Most Historic Towns is more than a chronicle of the past — it is a call to explore, to learn, and to look more closely at the streets beneath our feet. For in those streets lies the story of a nation, and by walking them, we walk in the footsteps of history itself.