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The Great British Story: A People's History

Michael Wood

Rebecca Dobbs

The Great British Story: A People's History: Episode 4: The Great Rising

Factual

Factual: History

The Great Rising

Episode 4

Episode 4: The Great Rising

BBC Two - The Great British Story: A People's History, The Great Rising

How Britain was transformed by the great devastation of the Black Plague.

History series. Michael Wood tracks the spread of the Black Plague across Britain and the struggles of the Peasants Revolt during the 14th century.

This episode covers the catastrophic 14th century, including the Black Death and the Peasants Revolt. Delving into local records Michael Wood tracks the plague across Britain from Little Cornard in Suffolk to Abergavenny in the Welsh borders, and from St Andrews in Scotland to Dublin. 

With over half the population dead, British work patterns change in the aftermath. Michael discovers women's roles in the workforce as brewsters and shopkeepers and finds a new class of cloth workers in our Test Dig at Long Melford. The fight for workers rights in the Peasants Revolt is defeated but in the next century peasants rise to become middle class, illustrated by the oldest primary school in Britain. Also, unique letters from a Norfolk village give us medieval womens' takes on love, marriage, and men. Finally in 15th century Lavenham, Michael crawls down a Tudor sewer for some really hands-on history at the beginning of our modern world.

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BBC Two is a lively channel of depth and substance, carrying a range of knowledge-building programming complemented by great drama, comedy and arts.

Series looking at 1,600 years of British history through the eyes of ordinary people

Series looking at history through the eyes of ordinary people. Rulers and royals, lords and ladies have all had their say down the centuries, what were the last 1,600 years like for everyday Britons?

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The Great British Story: A People's History

Episode 4: The Great Rising

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