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!
The Alnwick Castle Podcast
70 - The Case of the Percy Tiles - with Karen Slade (Company of Artisans)
What can 500-year-old tiles tell us about the rise and fall of a noble family in the Tudor period? Quite a lot, as it turns out! Join us for this historical detective story, as we look into the mystery of why the survival of Percy family tiles is such a rare occurrence, and what the building of a Victorian chocolate factory has to do with their rediscovery...
To explain this intriguing history, we are joined (for her fourth appearance on the podcast) by Karen Slade from the Company of Artisans, an expert on medieval tiles who has spent years researching and recreating the Percy tiles from the fragments that remain. It is always fascinating listening to Karen and we hope you think so too!
The book Karen refers to during the episode is 'Medieval Floor Tiles of Northern England' by Jenny Stopford, published by Oxbow books.
For more from Karen, head into our podcast archive for episode 47 about illuminated manuscripts and the scriptorium, or episode 15 for an introduction to the subject of tiles.
And, of course, don't forget to make a tile of your own on your next visit to Artisans Courtyard at Alnwick Castle!