The british lying-in hospital

Although we may imagine the bathing practices of our ancestors to be few and far between, in fact there exists a longstanding love story between bathing and the British Isles. This tale begins with th

Life in the Victorian slums was balanced on a knife-edge; one late rent payment or missed meal could have fatal results. Born against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution, urban areas swelled wit

Quaint relic or symbol of bad taste, garden gnomes have gone in and out of fashion. They are generally thought to have originated in Switzerland and Germany in the late 18th century. Then, in 1841, a

A pub might seem a strange place to begin a history of Britain’s playgrounds. Yet in June 1858, Charles Dickens delivered a speech at the London Tavern in Bishopsgate Street that, he hoped, would tran

Little-known fact: abortion is a criminal offence in Britain, governed by a law from before women got the right to vote. As powerful anti-choice groups seek to roll back reproductive rights here – as we’ve seen in the US and Europe – seven women, for whom the fight is personal and political, explain why it’s time to join our new campaign to enshrine in law that abortion is healthcare

Jane Austen spent the last days of her life in rented lodgings in Winchester, Hampshire. Adam Rattray describes the remarkable recent discoveries made about the house in which she died