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The Curious History of Your Home Episodes

  1.

    Windows

    A tax on windows leads to some interesting architectural solutions.

  2. Washing Up

    A summit between Henry VIII and his French counterpart leaves a mountain of dirty dishes.

  3. Wallpaper

    Join Ruth Goodman as she guides you through the surprising stories of everyday objects

  4. Toilets

    Pigs form an unlikely part of the sewage system in ancient China.

  5. The Medicine Cabinet

    A radical apothecary causes a stir during the English Civil War...

  6. Sheds

    A boy scout assembles parts for the nuclear reactor he鈥檚 building in his mother鈥檚 shed.

  7. Pests

    In Victorian London, a rat catcher turns his profession into street entertainment.

  8. Ovens

    In Mughal India, an emperor just can鈥檛 do without his favourite tandoori meals鈥�

  9. Neighbours

    Villagers across Europe turn on each other with dangerous accusations of witchcraft.

  10. Lights

    In the hills of Northern Spain lamps help an anthropologist make an incredible discovery.

  11. Lawnmowers

    Landscape gardening leads to the downfall of a powerful politician in 17th century France.

  12. Laundry

    The Ancient Romans use questionable substances to clean their clothes.

  13. Jewellery

    In the Middle Ages, poison rings are used to covertly contaminate food and drink.

  14. Home Security

    A gaggle of geese stands guard outside a whisky distillery in Scotland.

  15. Home Entertainment

    On a windswept island in the Bristol Channel, radio is born鈥�

  16. Heating

    A king in dire financial straits institutes a controversial tax on fireplaces.

  17. Hats

    Napoleon Bonaparte causes a stir, by rotating his bicorne 90 degrees鈥�

  18. Gardening

    In medieval England, gardening brings an inquisitive monk closer to God.

  19. Fridge

    In Ancient Persia, ice houses refrigerate food in one of the hottest deserts on earth...

  20. Forks

    At a wedding in medieval Italy, a woman鈥檚 death is blamed on a two-pronged utensil...

  21. Dinner Parties

    At a feast in Norway, drunk Vikings engage in a rap battle.

  22. Coffee

    A goat herder in 9th century Ethiopia finds a stimulating plant.

  23. Clocks

    The most elaborate clock the world has ever seen is constructed in 11th-century China.

  24. Cats

    The world鈥檚 first cat lady is found living in Victorian London.

  25. Carpets

    A young girl鈥檚 innovation turns a small Georgia town into the carpet capital of the world.

  26. Bread

    Ryebread causes a devastating disease in medieval Germany.

  27. Board Games

    On the Isle of Lewis, a lost cow unearths the most famous chess pieces in history

  28. Bins

    A whole city is built from waste in Neolithic Turkey.

  29. Beer

    Prohibition in America leads to the production of potentially deadly drinks鈥�

  30. Beds

    A bed proves fatal for three men in medieval France鈥�

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