This House Podcast

Every house tells a story. Liz Barker goes in search of interesting properties and people to discover the history of our homes. Why we live there and why we decorate them the way we do. Offering stories from now and the past & design tips for inside and out. Come on a fascinating journey of Britain’s houses.

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This House Podcast

There are 10 episodes in S1 - one released every week. Come on a journey with presenter Liz Barker as she goes in search of Britain's best loved homes. Uncover secrets, ghosts, hidden pasts, famous residents and facts about houses you have yet to discover, from the oldest longest inhabited house in the country to hidden gems, learning about what it is like to live in these houses and how we decorate and restore them. Poets, authors, artists and ordinary people who all have a story to tell. Our homes tell us about who we are and were. We give interior and garden design tips and advice on building your own house, as well as looking at influences from other cultures. The series is  accompanied by photographs and lots of extra content, including videos and house tours.. Follow @this_house_podcast on Instagram to find out more.   

Series Two

Travelling to locations including Margate and Merseyside series two of the This House Podcast features episodes on the mysterious Shell Grotto; newly discovered Ron’s Place and historical Hinchingbrooke school. The unassuming Leper Chapel in Cambridge and The Queen’s Head in Newton. Liz Barker talks to the fascinating people who work, live and breathe in these buildings from architect’s restoring old post offices to eco homes and ancient book restorers working for the universality to third generation landlords. We discover what it’s like to live on a houseboat in London to barn conservation and be Bauhaus residents. See inside a beautiful Georgian hidden House and talk about the future of flowers at Howbury Hall Gardens. 🌳🍀🪴🌷🌹🌺🌸🪻🌼🌻🌾🌿🌱

Episodes

5 hours ago

Lucy Copeland runs Howbury farm flowers from Howbury Hall’s Victorian garden in Bedfordshire. She and Cissy Bullock from Wildstems and the sustainable school of floristry talk to Liz Barker about their work and passion for British flowers. 

5 hours ago

Lucy Copeland runs Howbury farm flowers from Howbury Hall’s Victorian garden in Bedfordshire. She and Cissy Bullock of Wildstems and the sustainable school of floristry talk to Liz Barker about their work and passion for British flowers. 

6 days ago

George Evennett of George Evennett Limited is an architect who has transformed his own home a former post office in a village in Cambridgeshire using the most eco friendly materials - come with Liz Barker as George takes us around his house and shares his ideas and techniques for the design.  

Monday Jun 02, 2025

Historian, teacher and expert guide Thomas R Wheeley MA gives Liz Barker an extensive tour of Hinchingbrooke House in Huntington to kick off series two of the This House podcast. Come with them through the corridors and hear stories about one of the most historically interesting schools in Britain. From residents The Cromwells and Montagus and famous events, the Mediaeval nunnery and ghost stories to the present day, now as a place thousands of children learn. Tom brings it all to life in this exciting and informative episode. 

Tuesday Jul 16, 2024

In the last episode of series one, Holly O'Brien the digital and events content producer for The David Parr House Charity discusses this hidden gem with Liz. The David Parr House epitomises the exact premise of the This House Podcast - behind an innocuous looking terrace facade in Gwydir St Cambridge there lay a beautifully designed homage to the Arts & Crafts period. Created by David Parr over 40 years it stayed in his family as a normal home until one day being discovered, and now we the public can visit and see the intricate skill deployed by a craftsman who worked for William Morris for ourselves. An important part of Cambridge's history and social history, showing a way of life over a hundred years it is also a love letter to the art and design techniques once used to decorate grand houses, churches and palaces. This homes is like no other. An audio tour with volunteer Nicky Moreland is available for members that subscribe or visit the house yourself to truly see what episode 10 tries to convey. The David Parr House Charity organises many workshops and events, please follow on social media for more information.  

S1 Episode 9 Thatch Cottage

Tuesday Jul 09, 2024

Tuesday Jul 09, 2024

Nicky & Mike Maddin live in Perks Close, a beautiful 500 year old thatch cottage, the fun loving couple from London talk frankly about looking after a piece of village history and the change from city life to village life, the history of their home and the journey they have had to settling in an old property. This episode looks at thatch cottages and as an added extra bonus there is an interview with Luke a thatcher of 30 years discussing this still secret craft and a video of a new thatch roof from start to finish available on the YouTube channel to accompany episode 9 in series 1 of the This House Podcast. 

Tuesday Jul 02, 2024

Christine Schwick shares Kingfisher her converted watermill home on the river Bure in Norfolk, Liz discusses the history of this 1798 building & 1086 Mill, the village of Aylsham and living on Bure river is bought to life with video footage and photos to accompany this episode on the This House instagram page. Christine is also in the process of renovating Bure House on the other side of the river and Stanley cottage which came as part of the estate. It's a fascinating look at life on the water and a Georgian house stripped back to it's bare bones.   

S1 Episode 7 Frog End

Tuesday Jun 25, 2024

Tuesday Jun 25, 2024

From naming your house to bringing it back to life, actor Julia Swift takes us on her house journey, filled with love, enjoy her beautiful voice as she shares interior design tips, memories and her renovation of 2 Frog End, Pithayes, a house and garden straight out of a Jane Austin novel.      

S1 Ep 6 Living in a Windmill

Tuesday Jun 18, 2024

Tuesday Jun 18, 2024

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to live in a windmill? Ben Gardiner tells Liz about the fascinating history of Barrington windmill and what living in one entails. He also offers an insight into running an Airbnb, with lots of lovely archive available through his website of the surrounding villages.  

Tuesday Jun 11, 2024

Hemingford Grey Manor is a very special place, it is the oldest, longest continuously inhabited house in the country, dating back 900 years to the Norman's. Diana Boston, Lucy Boston - the author of the Greene Knowe books and world renowned patchworks - daughter in law, tells Liz about the incredible history and artifacts in the house. This episode is not to be missed. Look at accompanying photographs on @this_house_podcast and an extra bonus episode of an audio house tour coming soon which brings it to life.  

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Coming up ... 

Featured in this series are Hemingford Grey Manor where world renowned children's author and patchwork quilter Lucy Boston lived for part of it's 900 year history. Two Norfolk properties - a Watermill and Georgian house renovation. Tyrells Hall land management, ghosts and tunnels. Living in a Windmill and running an Airbnb. Beautiful interior design and advice on listed buildings and changing the name of your house. Looking after a Thatch cottage that is 500 years old and moving from London to village life. The David Parr House a recently discovered Arts & Crafts house in Cambridge which took 40 years to complete and tells a story of several generations and the history of these techniques. Liz also interviews a woman who has built four of her own houses in different styles including an eco house and offers invaluable advice on the process and an inspirational Finnish friend who reveals how to turn a new build house and garden into something wonderful on a budget and what Finland offers to the subject. There is so much to listen to and learn in this series if like us you love houses.     

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