S01E01 The First Age 6000 BC - 2000 BC

November 15, 2003

Bettany Hughes provides an insight into how British inhabitants evolved over 8,000 years, beginning with the story of man's battle with the environment in 6,000 BC, when global warming transformed Britain into an island covered...

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S01E02 The Second Age 1500 BC - 43 AD

November 22, 2003

Bettany Hughes explores the period from 1500 BC to 43 AD, comprising the Bronze and Iron Ages, which saw Britain engulfed by widespread flooding and the hunter-gatherers forced to abandon their homes and learn new...

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S01E03 The Third Age 43 - 410 AD

November 29, 2003

Historian Bettany Hughes explores the third age of Britain, from 43 to 410 AD, when the Romans arrived and took control of the island, consolidating their burgeoning empire's position as a great world power. The...

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S01E04 The Fourth Age 410 - 1066 AD

December 6, 2003

Bettany Hughes considers the fourth age, between 410 and 1066 AD, a period of change that led to the disintegration of Britannia following the gradual collapse of the Roman Empire and an invasion by Scandinavians...

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S01E05 The Fifth Age 1066 - 1350 AD

December 13, 2003

Bettany Hughes considers the fifth age of Britain, from 1066 to 1350, charting the period between two shattering historical events - the invasion of William the Conqueror and the Black Death. She looks for evidence...

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S01E06 The Sixth Age 1350 - 1530 AD

December 20, 2003

Bettany Hughes considers the sixth age of Britain, from 1350 to 1530AD, a period which saw Henry VIII provide land for the country's peasantry and begin the dissolution of the monasteries. The programme reveals how...

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S01E07 The Seventh Age 1530 - 1700 AD

December 20, 2003

Bettany Hughes provides an insight into the seventh age of Britain between 1530 and 1700, from the Elizabethan era to the eve of the agricultural and industrial revolutions. The documentary chronicles the emergence of many...

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