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The Best Episodes of Britain's Most Historic Towns

Every episode of Britain's Most Historic Towns ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Britain's Most Historic Towns!

Binge this in 14h 15m•Peaking at 8.6/10

In this unique take on British history, Professor Alice Roberts explores Britain's rich and varied past through the stories of individual towns and cities. In each programme Alice studies one key period in history by

Airs on
Channel 4
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Seasons3

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 3 Episode 5 - Glasgow's Age of Steam
    8.6/10(14 votes)

    #1 - Glasgow's Age of Steam

    S3:E5

    Alice Roberts explores Glasgow's age of steam, from lethal diseases and industrial injury to genteel tea rooms, football at Celtic Park, and the beautiful Loch Katrine.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 3 Episode 3 - Naval Portsmouth
    8.1/10(20 votes)

    #2 - Naval Portsmouth

    S3:E3

    Alice explores Nelson's dark side, the heat of the battle at Trafalgar, the role of the Navy in the British Empire, and the lives of Portsmouth's sex workers.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 1 Episode 1 - Roman Chester
    8.0/10(52 votes)

    #3 - Roman Chester

    S1:E1

    In Chester, Britain's most Roman city, Alice enjoys a Roman feast, checks out an extraordinary archaeological find deep underground and explores a radical theory on the Romans' plans for the city

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 3 Episode 4 - Elizabethan Plymouth
    8.0/10(15 votes)

    #4 - Elizabethan Plymouth

    S3:E4

    Alice Roberts visits Elizabethan Plymouth, exploring the story of England's `Golden Age', from Sir Francis Drake to the Spanish Armada, piracy, theft, and the slave trade.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 1 Episode 2 - Viking York
    7.9/10(39 votes)

    #5 - Viking York

    S1:E2

    Alice tells the story of Viking England by studying the history of York, Britain's most Viking city. She takes part in a Viking battle, meets the metal detectorists behind one of the UK's greatest archaeological finds and gets her hands on an almost 1000-year-old Viking poo.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 3 Episode 1 - Medieval Lincoln
    7.9/10(19 votes)

    #6 - Medieval Lincoln

    S3:E1

    Alice is in Lincoln, getting to grips with life in medieval England. She visits the magnificent cathedral that was once the tallest building in the world and re-lives the battle at Lincoln Castle.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Britain's Most Historic Towns

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  7. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 3 Episode 7 - Industrial Revolution Manchester
    7.9/10(17 votes)

    #7 - Industrial Revolution Manchester

    S3:E7

    Professor Alice Roberts explores Manchester's history of protest and revolution during the Industrial Revolution, from Marx to the Suffragettes and the Peterloo massacre.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 1 Episode 4 - Tudor Norwich
    7.8/10(32 votes)

    #8 - Tudor Norwich

    S1:E4

    Alice learns the harsh reality of religious intolerance, uncovers the origins of Norwich City FC's iconic canary, and experiences humiliating Tudor justice

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 1 Episode 5 - Regency Cheltenham
    7.8/10(27 votes)

    #9 - Regency Cheltenham

    S1:E5

    In Cheltenham, Britain's most Regency town, Alice attends a period society ball, investigates the rigid social hierarchy of the age and explores the Regency fondness for enemas

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 1 Episode 6 - Victorian Belfast
    7.8/10(23 votes)

    #10 - Victorian Belfast

    S1:E6

    Alice reveals the history of Belfast, the UK's most Victorian city. She visits the shipyards that built the Titanic, gets locked up in the notorious Crumlin Road gaol and takes a crash course in 19th-century female etiquette.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 2 Episode 5 - Plantagenet Canterbury
    7.8/10(20 votes)

    #11 - Plantagenet Canterbury

    S2:E5

    Alice Roberts visits Canterbury to explore the Plantagenet era, when the powerful house held the throne between 1154 and 1485. She discovers the secrets of the city's cathedral, the lasting impact of the Black Death, and joins a modern-day pilgrimage in medieval garb. Aerial archaeologist Ben Robinson provides a bird's-eye view of how the religious institutions of the era still dominate the city's topography.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 2 Episode 6 - Stewart Stirling
    7.7/10(16 votes)

    #12 - Stewart Stirling

    S2:E6

    Professor Alice Roberts explores the story of Stewart Britain by visiting Stirling, the seat of the Scottish royal family for 200 years. She joins a team of archaeologists in uncovering remnants of the docks, explores the secret passageways of Stirling Castle, learns how to make medieval ale, and discovers the origins of football. Last in the series.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 1 Episode 3 - Norman Winchester
    7.6/10(34 votes)

    #13 - Norman Winchester

    S1:E3

    Alice tells the story of Norman England by studying the history of Winchester, Britain's most Norman city. Alice attempts to storm a castle in chain mail, investigates the origins of modern surgery and tucks into an appetising eel pie.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 3 Episode 2 - Restoration London
    7.6/10(20 votes)

    #14 - Restoration London

    S3:E2

    Alice is in London, as she attempts to make sense of the world-changing events during the short but eventful Restoration period. She learns the violent and vengeful truth behind Charles II's carefully crafted public image.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 3 Episode 6 - Georgian Edinburgh
    7.6/10(15 votes)

    #15 - Georgian Edinburgh

    S3:E6

    Alice Roberts explores Georgian Edinburgh's finest architecture, the origins of `Auld Reekie', the roots of modern Scottishness, and some dark imperial controversies.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 2 Episode 3 - Edwardian Cardiff
    7.5/10(18 votes)

    #16 - Edwardian Cardiff

    S2:E3

    Alice tells the story of Edwardian Britain by visiting Cardiff. She explores the coal trade and Cardiff's pioneering multicultural heritage, and experiences the life of a lady of leisure.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 2 Episode 1 - Wartime Dover
    7.3/10(22 votes)

    #17 - Wartime Dover

    S2:E1

    Professor Alice Roberts examines Britain in wartime by looking at the coastal town of Dover

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 2 Episode 4 - Civil War Oxford
    7.1/10(19 votes)

    #18 - Civil War Oxford

    S2:E4

    Alice Roberts explores the history of Oxford during the Civil War, when the city became a power base for the royalist forces and a rival capital for nine years of conflict. Aerial archaeologist Ben Robinson discovers why the city was such a good strategic position, while Alice takes up Charles I's favourite sport and learns to fire a 17th-century musket.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Britain's Most Historic Towns Season 2 Episode 2 - Georgian Bristol
    6.3/10(24 votes)

    #19 - Georgian Bristol

    S2:E2

    Alice explores the Georgian era in Bristol, from Clifton's architectural gems to the world's first chocolate factory, backstreet gin and the horror of the slave trade

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Glasgow's Age of Steam" is the best rated episode of "Britain's Most Historic Towns". It scored 8.6/10 based on 14 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 12/5/2020. This episode scored 0.5 points higher than the second highest rated, "Naval Portsmouth".