A Complete History of England with Dan Snow | Full History Hit Series

England is a country stuffed full of history. From the Stone Age to the Nuclear Age there are thousands of inspirational sites that have helped to shape the past and present.
Join Dan Snow on an epic road trip, from Stonehenge in Wiltshire to the Cold War Bunker in York. He’ll be racing across the country exploring some key places in the care of English Heritage, where you can feel the heartbeat of history!
In episode one, Dan begins in the Stone Age at the enigmatic and inspiring Stonehenge. With curator Heather Sebire, Dan investigates who created this incredible structure and why. We then jump a few hundred years forward to the Iron Age stronghold of Old Sarum, a defensive and civic centre spanning two thousand years of history - right through to the Normans. The next stop is a big one, 1066. We can’t do a history of England without one of the most significant battles of the medieval period, the Battle of Hastings, where English and European history would change in a day, on a hillside in Sussex. After William the Conqueror and his Normans defeated the Anglo-Saxons, they needed strong defensive structures to keep their people under control and fend off invasion, so they built castles, first in wood and then in stone. So Dan's next stop is to the site of one of England's most strategic fortresses, powerful (and surprisingly luxurious) Dover Castle. At Dover, Dan discovers the colourful world of a 12th century castle and Historian and Dover Castle expert Marc Morris explains how this mighty castle was used 800 years ago.
In episode two, Dan kicks off with the Tudors at Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire where he discovers the story of one of the most spectacular displays of decadence of the times and explores the reality of the relationship between Kenilworth’s owner, Robert Dudley and the ‘Virgin Queen’ Elizabeth I. After the relative stability of Elizabeth came the unpredictability and chaos of the Stuarts and the English Civil War, travelling to Staffordshire Dan explores the hiding place of a King on the run. Finally arriving in Ironbridge in the West Midlands Dan gets hands on as he tackles the origins of another revolution - this time a bloodless one, but one that would change the world as we know it - the Industrial Revolution.
In the third and final episode, Dan uncovers the stories of some of the winners and losers of the Victorian Age with a visit to Brodsworth house and gardens, before finishing his awesome quest in the city of York, deep inside a secret underground bunker, a time capsule for one of the darkest periods in human history...
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free exclusive podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsely, Mary Beard and more. Watch, listen and read history wherever you are, whenever you want it. Available on all devices: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, Xbox, Chromecast, and iOs & Android.
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#historyhit #historyofengland #dansnow

[@HistoryHit]

Hope you enjoyed this full series on the History of England! Please make sure to like, subscribe and comment on the videos so we know which topics we should do more of. Thanks!

[@kimyip4207]

I'm just passing by, and now a subscriber.

[@joycestewart4893]

Do you even know what "woke" means? It indicates awaken to the realities of being a human being!

[@kimyip4207]

@@joycestewart4893 Really?! Then I am an angel who falls asleep in this reality.

[@CollectiveVibe_DJs]

​@@kimyip4207it's true bud. Just deal with it.

[@kimyip4207]

@@CollectiveVibe_DJs Ha!

[@augustuslxiii]

0:05 Really thought he was about to say "And full... of sheep."

[@HistoryHit]

🤣🤣🤣

[@cheeseknife3593]

@@HistoryHit Dan: ”And full… of sheep”. Sheep: BAAAAAAAHH.

[@Ravenoflight2275]

Dan Snow and History Hit make English history awesome. Thank you 🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@sammyb1651]

English history IS awesome. That's the material point.

[@wowplayer160]

Dan snow is my fav. More of him plz.

[@hjr2000]

He wants the UK to be dominated by foreign powers 😢

[@katehatcher4190]

Dan Snow is an excellent presenter- he is just right!

[@goodwillhumping7331]

you know nothing dan snow

[@Dannym-uy1ur]

I enjoyed watching his dad too. They make history fun to watch

[@beedalton9675]

I stll love watching the earliest episodes with his dad..... thanks dan for doing more england history

[@AgnesC1111]

Seems like an unnecessary dig at Eleanor of Aquitaine. Where is your source for that?

[@NathansWargames]

Just like his dad.

[@finch45lear]

England is a country that can enrich your mind, heart and soul. So much more of it’s past is just waiting to be discovered in the future.

[@castlerock58]

It's a police state now. It used to be good.

[@davidsullivan7743]

​@@castlerock58 oh grow up

[@marcel-ec6qe]

Now mudslims enrich it

[@jessebarmon7717]

So are France ♥️🤍💙 Scotland and Ireland 🍀 and Bengal.

[@michaeldbhawker3556]

Your future is sharia law.

[@oj_ow]

England in 118 minutes: A few revolting peasants, several Kings called George and a Dachshund named Colin!

[@brettcurtis5710]

I think you meant a Corgi called Maurice! And that bastard Blackadder stirring the pot in the background!

[@jamieyates3854]

78 minutes

[@williamrobinson7435]

Best watched in bite size chunks, this is a real tour de force, most enjoyable! Nice one Dan and team. 🌟👍

[@JohnPaul-ii]

Proud of the fact that I was born in England.

[@brendadrew834]

♥♥ This proud Brit-American/Anglophile's motherland ever since 1648! Cheers from Yankee New England!🍺🍺

[@nigga_nigga]

you shouldn't

[@bogetostart9550]

I mean you’re not gonna get a truly complete history in an hour eighteen minutes but it was still really good. I love all history hits stuff. Always good.

[@KimberlyPatton-x1n]

Britain is a fascinatingly beautiful place..and the history is also.

[@accountnamewithheld]

We don't find it too bad living here, either!

[@terencephillips6833]

@@accountnamewithheld..But we are fast becoming a very different nation due to the immigrants being allowed to flood our great country, yes we need a few immigrants but not the overwhelming number starving us of air .

[@brettcurtis5710]

Another great one from Dan Snow - along with the other Dan (Jones) - both compelling viewing for the armchair historian! Keep them coming pls! Also the other experts on various periods, History Hit has it all!

[@oonaghmarguerite6752]

Very enjoyable flash run thru British history.

[@stephenconnolly3018]

Is there a complete history of Ireland, Wales and Scotland on History hits?. If not please make them they would make a great series.

[@blairrobert3438]

Typical chippy Celt. We Anglos were ere first. Before Norman Rollo came and ruined things innit. Bloody Viking/Jocks/Micks/Taffs/Frogs constantly wanting succour from mother Anglos teat. Leave us be we like tapestry and mead.

[@sullacicero2610]

It’s difficult to fill a whole episode, I’m Scottish BTW.

[@frankschlanker]

@@sullacicero2610 what?

[@54mgtf22]

Your cousin Billy did a world tour of Scotland. Near enough.

[@NobleKorhedron]

If one is ever made, @stephenconnolly3018, I doubt Dan Snow will make it. He doesn't seem to have much interest in Ireland, Wales, or Scotland...

[@liennitram9291]

Lots of my ancestors rest in, and lived upon, the soil of England.

[@briannewman6216]

What about the Anglo Saxons? There seems to be a lack of coverage of the period between the Roman's leaving Britain and 1066.

[@TheGavinChaos]

Saxon history is so interesting! it deserves its own video for sure!

[@masalika]

it is called the Dark Ages for this very reason, not much written about this period.

[@davidsullivan7743]

​@masalika it not known as the Dark Ages but is referred to as Early Medieval and a lot is known about the period

[@It_Puts_The_Lotion_On_Its_Skin]

The entire world owes England a debt of gratitude. Much respect, from the South Bronx 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇨🇦 🫡.

[@perseusveil9376]

lol

[@It_Puts_The_Lotion_On_Its_Skin]

@@perseusveil9376 I’m serious, man. There have been many countries and cultures that have influenced the entire world in some way, I’d say England is top 3, maybe even #2, depending on how you look at it.

[@higginsj]

*Stares in rest of the world not massively enthusiastic about being "influenced" by England* 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪🇪🇬🇰🇪🇿🇼🇿🇦🇮🇳

[@nohbuddy1]

No

[@It_Puts_The_Lotion_On_Its_Skin]

@@Adam-ux5fw so? The Golden Horde took a lot, but I don’t know if what they gave back as much as they took or destroyed. England took the whole world, but they gave the whole world more than it took.

[@alanphillips556]

Nice job Dan. Short and straight to the point. Can't squeeze everything in. So big thumbs up.👍

[@N-Kari]

Virtually no mention of the Viking invasions outside Harald in 1066?

[@papapabs175]

And no mention of the War of the Roses. To be fair English history simply cannot be crammed into the time of Dan Snows vid.

[@N-Kari]

​@@papapabs175 I noticed the War of roses absence also. I appreciate that English history is both complex and a massive subject, but the title is "A Complete History of England". Perhaps is should have been An abbreviated history of England with Dan Snow. Or Dan drives Around England and points out cool historic features. Both would be more accurate. ☺

[@him050]

I guess it’s because he’s basing it around historical tourist attractions. So as he didn’t go to Bosworth field, no mention of the war of the roses.

[@Angelcynn_2001]

Snow has not studied English history pre 1066AD.

[@TribuniPlebis]

Drone footage has revolutionized history documentaries.

[@TheJCJexe]

Quite the jump from 1066 to the Tudors.

[@mabhatter4294]

Poor Henry 1 through 6.

[@Necrokvnt]

Bro really just skipped the War of the Roses and 100 years wars

[@nigelcowie6883]

Brilliant - Dan Snow always is!

[@brendadrew834]

Great presentation, love British history since my maternal forebears the Drew family has lineage all the way back to William the Conqueror and mentioned in his Doomsday Book of 1066 as Drewe! Am a direct descendant of William Drew from Devon who landed at Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1648! Went to another smaller stonehenge when I was in the famous lovely English countryside, fascinating! Dan, did you know the Snow family is one of the founding families of Cape Cod? Where I spent my summers at my grandmother's house built in 1776 and recently lived there for 36 years, along with the Nickerson family also from England who founded the town of Chatham at the elbow of the Cape and the Eldredge,Bassett, Hopkins and Winslow families. Most of the historic towns and cities on the Cape and in New England are named after the ones in England as you may know. Small world, thanks for more history, much appreciated, cheers from Yankee New England~♥💙🍺🍺

[@davidgray3321]

That is quite a lineage you have, glad you value it, tell your children and grandchildren. The British had a huge role in world history, inventive, empire building, fabulous academic achievements, and the country that invented industrial production. All of it in your family history.

[@brendadrew834]

@@davidgray3321 Thanks, I have told my children and grandchildren! I think it's very important to know one's past family history! Agree with you on the British contribution throughout history and a very romantic culture as well!

[@davidgray3321]

@@brendadrew834 I hope you can get back here soon, June is usually a good month but you never know. One day when walking along the coast in England I came across the place when the Mayflower left our shores. Years later whilst walking in America, I found where they landed by sheer fate. Quite a journey in a small ship. All the best. The mayflower by the way is the flower of the Hawthorne tree, they are in the hedgerows in spring, an attractive white flower.

[@brendadrew834]

​@@davidgray3321 Very interesting because our first American novelist was famous Nathaniel Hawthorne, born in Salem, MA "Halloween Central" here and was a direct descendant of a William Hathorn originally from England, who was a judge during the infamous Salem Witch trials in 1692! Hawthorne added the "w" in his surname and also had a job in customs and then lived in England and Italy for a number of years. His wife was Sophia Peabody who was an artist who described him as an "Adonis" as he was very handsome! You can read about their long marriage together in a fascinating book, "New England Love Story", they should make a movie about that!! Her older sister Elizabeth Peabody was a teacher and started the kindergarten movement here in the states and was the first woman to own a bookstore in Boston in the mid-1800s. Their other sister was Mary Peabody who was also a teacher and married education reformer Horace Mann of the Horace Mann Schools. They ere also very close friends with the famous Alcott family in Concord, MA, Bronson Alcott, a teacher and philosopher who started his progressive school, "Fruitlands" and admitted the first black child into his school in the mid 19th century! Father of famous Louisa May Alcott of "Little Women" fame! They're all buried on Writer's Hill at SleepyHollow Cemetery in Concord MA where I've been where you can tour the Alcott home, "Orchard House" and his school and the home of Nathaniel Hawthorn! They're also buried with philosophers and Transcendental writers Ralph Waldo Emerson, a close friend of theirs and naturalist/writer/philosopher Henry Thoreau! Several years ago they brought back the remains of Hawthorne's wife Sophia and their oldest daughter Uma, to be buried next to Nathaniel after 100 years. Concord had a huge funeral parade through town celebrating that historic moment in time! You can read about the famous Peabody sisters in a fabulous book, "The Peabody Sisters", Three sisters who ignited American Romanticism", by Megan Marshall available on Amazon. A great book well worth reading! The town of Peabody MA is named after the family just northeast of Boston where I was born in 1948.

[@sweetchariotengland]

Yeeeess love it. The Uk is very much in need of a bit of reflection and perspective right now

[@jennybates]

Henry Viii was a renowned horse breeder. He bred the smallest heavy horse in history - the Suffolk Punch. Not only can they pull carriages, but, they can also be ridden.

[@Maybeabandaid9]

An hour of Dan Snow? I'm in.

[@Electricdreams21]

He's a great communicator

[@muddymite4936]

@@Electricdreams21 I love how you can tell that he is absolutely fascinated by history

[@Electricdreams21]

@@muddymite4936 history has always been my favourite subject from way back in primary school and I was lucky enough to have a great history teacher at secondary school. I just love it when people are experts AND great communicators. It's quite rare and such a skill!

[@HistoryHit]

Fasten your seatbelts!

[@sharonbland9061]

I remember going in the Top Secret tunnels at Dover. Fascinating place, was used during the war. Makes you proud to be British. ❤

[@whiteonggoy7009]

Sir, one of your best, I thank you and of course your team.

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

English History is fascinating.

[@marshaprice8226]

Love the beautiful Broadsworth garden and the amazing library!

[@ASMRHistoryHub]

I adore Dan Snow, would love to have dinner with him and talk about history, would be so fascinating

[@sc2320]

Dan snow is history hit 🤛🏻🔥💯

[@carolinependleton8445]

Love my country,to the depth of my Soul,good,bad and indifference.Thankyou for this video.

[@K_Laura]

Heartfelt greetings from Moscow, RF.

[@EGSBiographies-om1wb]

This was well worth my time to watch! Well done !!

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

Battle commemorated on a wall tapestry...gives the whole lowdown in stitches.

[@brucegibbins3792]

Fascinating. Buildings from antiquity have an aura a presence difficult to quantify.

[@petermcdonagh7820]

Absolutely brilliant!

[@HistoryHit]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@AnthonyBrown12324]

Just take out the word Complete and then it's a very good video . Of course it would need to be at least 3 times longer or more to approach completeness .

[@Mathemagical55]

300 times longer

[@brentoutashape9141]

I wish your government was as passionate about your home as you are. R.I.P., England.

[@marcoplumari5356]

Truly

[@davidsullivan7743]

Oh for God's sake

Some interesting nuggets in this (extraordinarily in)Complete History of England

[@psvhangoveral]

Thankyou Dan the nation needed this, i needed this!

[@bumberClart1000]

Sovereign but never Fascist 🇬🇧✌️

[@Anaguma79]

"Complete" feels like a bit of an overstatement.

[@harry_rambles]

Agreed

[@AnthonyBrown12324]

Absolutely no Mention of the Black Death the 100 years war .war of the Roses Peasants Revolt hardly Complete but nicely presented

[@marshaprice8226]

More like “Highlights” than “Complete”. But interesting.

[@briancolwill3071]

Ah, the subtle difference in meaning between an indefinite and definite article...

[@JohnnyOTGS]

I remember this guy from 20th Century Battlefields, I didn't know he still does this stuff.

[@HistoryHit]

Oh you're in for a treat! Check out our channel

[@johndyson4109]

I'm surprised in a way that the Romans did not destroy Stone Henge? Excellent job Mr. Snow! I'm 1/2 English by heritage. I was told the Dysons come from Huddersfield in Yorkshire..

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

Dover Castle and The Tower are fascinating places

[@ukqwerty999]

Might have to do a directors cut of this, in a couple of weeks if you're calling it "A Complete History of England"

[@AndrewUtz3]

Wow what an accomplishment!

[@Eiko286]

Better than a podcast slideshow history documentary.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Extremely wonderful introduction documentary about 10000 years of England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧 history..

[@danegunther6621]

For St. George and ENGLAND !

[@AnthonyOMulligan-yv9cg]

Don't forget Ahmed and Abdi Mustapha Mercedes

[@jilltagmorris]

Oh boy. I needed something good to watch ❤❤❤❤❤

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

Good show thus far

[@-Blackberry]

They now learned the Altar stone came all the way from Scotland, they also found remains of eaten livestock that was driven down from Scotland too. Just goes to show how the people of Britain back then were part of one big community that had a shared culture and assembled at this site.

[@JoshLuck]

excellent show

[@AnonymousBosch]

Five days after this video was released, it was discovered that the Alter stone in the centre of Stonehenge was from Northern Scotland.

[@nigelhamilton815]

Enjoyed that.

[@LovellAlger-xi1db]

Thanks for dropping this. Not sure it's the right niche but if anyone's very (very) much into Medieval and Early Modern English warfare and history I strongly recommend Schwerpunkt's relative playlists. Keep up the good work

[@bine35]

still spamming with fake accounts

[@__Shellspace__]

a lesson and very timely video

[@JohnDuffy-vc8wr]

All well done in breife a great teacher.

[@lindsaytwort8655]

Thanks! So enjoyed that!

[@glennhopkins2643]

England yeah !!!!!

[@Indlovu402]

Wow! Every Englishman must be very proud.

[@marionhulspas1391]

Very interesting program

[@leonmarkrodziewicz279]

The history of the British Isles (notjust England) is so rich and varied, it would take a documentary at least 10 times longer to do it full justice, so I hope you are on the case Dan! Nonetheless this was a wonderful watch.

[@CYP0]

Greetings from a fellow Balliolite! Mr Dan Snow, you are a shining star of Balliol (unlike a certain recent PM who made a total fool of himself)! 🌟

[@user-kf5mn5vn3t]

Excellent.

[@Alan_Saund_Models]

Luv it more of Dan 👍👏

[@luckyspurs]

Me wondering how Dan's going to make the Complete History of England the same length as the already bursting full Bismarck episode felt. But ready to find out.

[@mintythemoose]

I will save this for a nice Winter's night.

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Great docu. Thanks, enjoyed it a LOT 👍 Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱, TW.

[@sebastiandk2753]

Fantastic video, as always

[@VinylFrontier81]

hardly a complete history though is it?

[@hpmmiggie]

Excellent show. ty! Though, an interesting note about the blue stones of Stonehenge: Despite the BBC saying so, I believe that the origins of them (the blue stones) is still disputed amongst accredited scholars. Worth doing more research regarding the subject.

[@Falkriim]

Very interesting video

[@HistoryHit]

Thank you!

[@nicholahenry539]

Thank you that was enjoyable

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

When I see that bridge I think of the "Smith's" song "Still Ill".

[@sandler20uk]

I was hoping to see more about King Cnut in this and his reign! please do a series on this :)

[@phillipsesate1364]

Now do one about Scotland

[@Lucifer2.0287]

Irn bru buckfast super gran , rab c , flat sausage done, forgot diazepam 😂

[@SpuktasticAudio]

A complete history in 1hr 18mins 20sec? My arse. A skim over, would be generous

[@smithnatalie4803]

Really enjoyed but I also feel short changed … no mention of Vikings

[@HistoryHit]

We've got plenty of shows on the Vikings! Just couldn't fit EVERYTHING into one series

[@danielvandervort]

They built it then. Nobody can begin to repeat this landmark with all the technology and equipment of today. Not even close.

[@rosemaryamundson4542]

I adore Dan Snow ,so I was surprised to find this video tedious and uninteresting . It merely recycles that which we have seen and heard to many times previously .

[@georgebamforth7372]

Great Britain, the Greatest Empire the World Will Ever See.

[@user-wy9ds5mf4q]

Tremendous 🧐🌸🧡

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

Super cool

[@goodwillhumping7331]

England is my city

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

Shiver me timbers !

[@jamesbrown5739]

Incredible! 👍🏿❤️

[@joshhoffman1975]

Fun summary, thanks! 🇬🇧😃😃😃

[@CM-ol5qj]

Thanks!

[@FlatMax2]

I’m a great fan of intermittent fasting. I was interested in losing weight and lowering my cholesterol. I started with a vegan diet and added intermittent fasting. The first couple of weeks were a 6 hour eating window. I eventually transitioned to a 2 hour window. I walked around 10 km almost everyday. I didn’t count calories at all. I ate what I wanted as long as it was plant based. I did this on my own without my doctor. After two years I had lost 28 kg and my cholesterol without any medication was no longer high. That was 67 years ago. Today at age 62, I have kept my weight and if I stick to a vegan diet, my inherited cholesterol problem is no longer a problem. I still fast in a 2 to 8 hour eating window and eat a 90% plant based diet. If I feel like eating something that is not plant based, I do it because my body seems to need it. Intermittent fasting has worked for me.

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

Chains, circles...its a real feature

[@tolgakilic2172]

Dan snow the goat

[@tomyoungman5547]

I live 20 minutes from York ❤️

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

Coolest bridge on planet

[@skapunkno1]

Ooo I had a mate who joined the Royal Observer Corps part time when we left school in the mid 80s... I know why now haha.

[@victoriahhigman9611]

Thank you south bronx. I’m no quite sure where we are today

[@robnewman6101]

Kings & Queens of England since 1066. Our Longest Reigning Monarch. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿👑🇬🇧⛪️🏰📯🐎🛡⚔️🗡🤴💍👸💎🕎✝️➕️⚜️

[@AnthonyOMulligan-yv9cg]

Habibi?

[@davidsullivan7743]

​@@AnthonyOMulligan-yv9cg grow up man

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

Good spot for a golf course