Retracing Eleanor of Castile's final journey

About this episode

Alice Loxton discusses her retracing of Eleanor of Castile's funeral procession and the historical significance of the Eleanor Crosses.

At the end of the 13th century, England was gripped by grief as news of the queen's death shook the nation. Eleanor of Castile's funeral procession from Lincoln to London would become one of the most remarkable journeys in medieval English history – and would also be immortalised in stone through the famous Eleanor Crosses. More than seven centuries later, Alice Loxton has retraced that historic route on foot – and, in her latest book, Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen, she explores the landscapes that connect us to this past. Emily Briffett caught up with Alice to find out more about how 12 stone crosses act as enduring testaments to royal love – and the history that we can uncover for ourselves by simply stepping outside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Emily Briffett

Guest: Alice Loxton

Topics covered

• Eleanor of Castile
• medieval history
• funeral processions
• historical journeys
• royal love
• landscape exploration

Keywords

• Eleanor of Castile
• funeral procession
• Eleanor Crosses
• medieval England
• historical journey
• Alice Loxton
• Emily Briffett

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen

Places: England, Lincoln, London

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