A poetic horticultural book by a 9th century monk is still inspiring today’s gardeners. Professor Giles Gasper, in our Department of History, explains the important influence medieval monks had on ecology, growing plants for food and medicine, and keeping livestock.

Stories of wandering spirits and the restless dead were common in the Middle Ages. These ghostly encounters were recorded in a wide variety of medieval literature. Dr Alex Brown from our Department of History and our Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies delves into the these spooky stories from the past.

The appearance of Halley’s Comet in 1066, as captured in the Bayeux Tapestry, was seen as a sign of impending change. Giles Gasper, Professor in High Medieval History, Department of History, and Brian Tanner, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Physics, tell us more about the ‘terror of kings’.

The European rabbit is a common sight in the British countryside today. Yet it was not always so. They are not native to the British Isles and are one of the most devastating invasive species. Dr Alex Brown from our Department of History and our Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies explores the fascinating history of the humble rabbit.

Dr Alex Brown from our Department of History and our Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies delves into the history of a little-known battle that had a huge influence on English, Scottish and French relations.

Visitors to Durham Castle can step back nearly 1,000 years thanks to a new immersive light and sound installation in one of England's oldest Norman buildings.

We’re hosting a new £1.3m (€1.5m) research project, led by Dr Amanda Hsieh, shedding light on the history and impact of the Japanese Empire on the Pacific through music.

Reputation mattered deeply in medieval England. Dr Alex Brown, Associate Professor in Durham University's Department of History and a member of IMEMS, examines how people turned to the courts to defend themselves against rumours, slander and damaging accusations.

A heatwave lasting four months, followed by water shortages and crop failures. This is England in the 13th century, not the 21st. In this article, Dr Alex Brown from our Department of History and our Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies says we should heed the lessons of the past when it comes to dealing with climate extremes.

Congratulations to Lucy Jameson, who has won the Singer Prize from the British Society for the History of Science for her paper ‘Pass the Parcel: Disabled Expertise, Prosthetics of Productivity, and Scientific Management in the British Post Office, 1918–1921’.

Memories of pandemics are often contentious. They can be disputed, uncomfortable and politically charged. Dr Alex Brown from our Department of History and our Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies examines how the Black Death was chronicled in medieval times and explores how this history can inform commemorations of modern pandemics.

For many women, childbirth is transformative. For Dr Erin Maglaque from our Department of History, it also sparked an exploration into how history has shaped understanding, expectation and perceptions of the female body.