Loremen Podcast

In the depths of Gloucestershire there lived a man, nay, a visionary! This man dared to dream that his egg-intolerant wife could enjoy a sweet dollop of custard on her pudding. Just like Mrs. Bird was haunted (ironically) by eggs, the unfinished Woodchester Mansion is positively riddled with ghosts.

Remember that big hill from the West Kennet Long Barrow episode just a couple of weeks ago? Well it's back. This time Silbury Hill brings some golden treats, a posset of seethed milk and a 4500 year old flying ant. Plus, the loreboys finally get a GOOD idea for a podcast.

Yorkshire's answer to the Bermuda triangle is more of a straight line between Everingham and Pocklington...

James leads us down to Wiltshire to see the megalithic marvel that is West Kennet Long Barrow. This Neolithic burial mound is the source of much folklore and at least one awkward social encounter for James. There's ghosts, grabbing hands and a lovely reminder of a funny video off of the internet.

Smugglers! Murderers! Funereal fakers! The loreboys present tales of nautical naughtiness and photogenic phantoms from the hometowns of Andy and Dave, hosts of the ⁠Scarred For Life⁠ podcast.

Amy Jeffs joins us with the tale of King Arthur's most important quest: learning what (medieval) women want. Thanks to the Loreboys, this retelling has more Super Mario references than you'd expect.

Ciabatta beware! The Loreboys investigate a devilish crime in London's notorious bakery district. Plus, Alasdair introduces James to the original consulting detective. It's Wendel Scherer, Germany's answer to, "what if Sherlock Holmes were German and not a very good detective?"

It is time to screw on your sea legs, because the Loreboys are heading for the high seas! Specifically the ones immediately around Poole, in Dorset. James tells the life story of the pirate Harry Paye, who learned that crime can actually be quite profitable.

Strike a light guv'nor! The Loreboys are headed to Old London Town (well Camden Town, specifically). Expertly guided by ⁠Nikki Druce⁠ (host of Killers, Cults and Queens) we visit a couple of boozers that are, of course, thick with witches.

It's been a cruel summer and James is ready to chill out with a meteorological mystery from Cumberland. Things are getting snowy in Sausage County! Plus, the boys take in some saintly origin stories and enjoy a "cameo" from "Nicolas Cage".

Alasdair takes James to the Loch from Hell. Loch Hourn boasts no less than two distinct cryptids. One is your standard water-based Nessie-alike, but the Beast of Barrisdale breaks ALL the rules. Except the rules of front door etiquette, of which it's surprisingly respectful.

You find yourself in a vicarage in the Cotswolds. You've no company but the tick-tock of the many clocks. But wait! Is that the rustle of a book leafed through by an unseen hand? Is that a cough and sneeze from the empty library? And hold on... who is that brushing your hair?!?

We explore the legends surrounding a defunct theme park peopled with 1990s teens who quite wrongly believed that things could only get better.

S7E26 – Cult Classics with Hannah Platt Cult Classics with Hannah Platt Comedian Hannah Platt shares her obsession with cults, from our friends the Agapemonites to the tragic case of the Heaven's Gate comet-botherers. Meanwhile, James falls down an unusually rude rabbit hole. In a miraculous feat…

Penguin hi-jinks and Ernest Shackleton's indispensable banjo player. Ellie Gibson⁠ (Scummy Mummies, Go 8-bit) takes us on a guided tour of Antarctica in all its creepy splendour.

James is joined by comedian Scout Boxhall to explore some Australian cryptids including at least one thing that definitely did exist. Oh, and also the terrifying Drop Bear.

Phew, it's warm out, innit? Thankfully, the hilarious Amy Matthews⁠ has brought us a cask-chilled bevy of terrifying taverns and pub poltergeists. From Scotland to Cornwall (via the Midlands), prepare for a legendary lock-in with the lorelads.

First episode of this I’ve listened to, I’m liking it. #podcast

The dead do not rest easy - not if they've been on the Buckfast. Just ask the finger-nibbling zombie of Buckfastleigh.

Hey, Lorefolk! We have a bona fide dream-weaver for you this week! Comedian turned lucid dreamer, ⁠Dave Green⁠ joins the Loreboys to tell us about his nocturnal adventures.

Sweet acorns! No, that's not a cool new exclamation taking the world by storm. These sweet acorns lead a pair of half-sisters on an extraordinary adventure in the Kumamoto region of Japan. There's a talking statue of the Amitābha Buddha and a tragic ending...

BACK IN 2022... we recorded another ride-along. And this one is a real roller-coaster. (The emotional kind. We remained safely in the car throughout). The loreboys went to Leicester for an awards ceremony and (spoiler alert) came back empty-hearted. Still, we had plenty of fun on the road.

Ever wondered what it would be like to be in a car with Alasdair and James?  Wonder no more! This is a former Patreon-only episode from 2021. So if you're hearing it, that either means James is on holiday or we are travelling backwards in time.

James and Alasdair meet a retired pirate experiencing a self-imposed male loneliness crisis. Starting in the ruins of Finchale Abbey, we travel back to a time before the monastery was built (don't look for it, it's not there yet) and meet the notorious Saint Godric.

People are really losing their heads in this tale from old-timey Japan. James dips into the work of Lafcadio Hearn and recounts the legend of a warrior monk and the rokurokubi.

The Loreboys venture back to the Pacific North West for a gander at the 9 foot tall monster that terrorised a small town in 1960. "Is it a white ape? Is it an alien? Does it come in peace?" These are the questions the townsfolk asked, immediately before hunting it with guns.

The Loreboys are joined by art historian and comedian Verity Babbs for a lesson in the Art of Murder. And the Art of Gardening. What horticultural secrets lie buried in the Italian legend of Isabella and her pot of basil?

James hops in a time-travelling taxi to investigate the strange case of M. Chauffat, the Frenchman who put the snooze in “you snooze, you lose.” After being robbed of a small fortune, he fell asleep in a Soho hotel and didn’t wake up for 19 days...

A gang of burglars come a cropper in a Northumbrian country house, in this strange tale from the North Country. It's basically an 18th century Home Alone, with a trigger-happy teen, a put-upon parlour maid and a haunted backpack.

James presents another entry in the consistently and succinctly named series "Bits of Folklore From Near Where Alasdair is Going On Tour". James tells of an Aldershot wildcat, a ghost in Guildford and gives a frighteningly accurate explanation of infra-sound.

The Loremen were LIVE in Leicester, with a bit of bloomin' Byron. We took a squiz around Newstead Abbey and James told the tale of one crafty Jack versus a witch.

James Hind robbed from the rich and gave, mostly, to himself. But sometimes a little bit to the poor. Look, he's a complex character / criminal.

Old York, Old York... James has been visiting the ancient city, haunted by a keen Dean, a smug mason, and a latchkey kid with awful vibes.

No, not THAT Barnard Castle. This is Barnard Castle the castle not Barnard Castle the town. And neither have got anything to do with eye tests, ok?

England is notorious for its bad weather but at least an Englishman can shelter from the rain in his home/castle. Except in North Aston, where an unlucky bunch of Englishmen and Englishwomen (and one Englishdog) got caught in a shower indoors. And it was a shower of rocks!

A new contender for Rudest Place Name has entered the ring! James provides a run-down of Upper Dicker's top monks. Plus, a couple of mysterious spectres and a jug you do NOT want to drink from.

James takes Alasdair round the manor house of Chilham Castle, in Kent. You want skeletons? We got skeletons mate, don't you worry! In manacles? Of course in manacles.

Roses are red, daffodils are jollier, it's Valentine's time, so we're joined by Jenny Collier!

James has been digging up the dirt on Maidstone. He's found a cute little Kentish tale, plus a murderous bull straight out of Looney Tunes.

Comedian & podcaster, Edd Hedges introduces a bevy of Cambridgeshire oddities, from a terrifying monkey (some would call it a dog) to The Chronophage.

Into the depths of Wychwood Forest, where one family made a terrible mistake while digging up a tree stump. Plus, we might just have come up with a new form of forensic science. (It's fingerprints, but instead of fingers it's bums. It's bumprints.)

Amateur ghost-hunter Rosina C. Despard's Cheltenham home was the site of one of the most well-documented hauntings of the 19th century... Or was it?

We conclude our round-up of the Lorefolk's favourite moments from 2025. Now is a time to reflect on man-eating horses, saucy giants and islands that definitely aren't potatoes.

Eleanor & Alasdair Read That X @loremen.bsky.social

It's Part 1 of the annual Loremen misunderstanding of how countdowns work! We've selected the top ten(ish) moments from 2025, as voted for by the Lorefolk. Roman robots! Man-faced pigs! Two Jesuses?

Comedian Daisy Earl joins us for the legend of a boozy Mancunian pig and the Scottish fairy tale of Whuppity Stoorie.

Who is that, judging me from afar? Why it's the Man-Faced Pigs of Brussels (Wisconsin), the pickiest swine the Loreboys have encountered to date! With a sprinkling of Christmas Pig magic, here is a festive little tale to warm you from your snout right down to your curly, curly tail.

Long Hanborough? Home of the Oxford Bus Museum? Yes! And once you've listened to this episode, you'll know it for more than being home to the bus from the Spice Girls movie. You'll know it for containing a spooky cottage with a particularly busy poltergeist...

You know what they say: if you remember Finstock, you've been to West Oxfordshire. Here we discover a wealth of ghosts, including a truly chilling lady whose beckoning hands can only be seen by children. Pop on your body warmers... now!

It's a case of Till Death Us DON'T Part in the legend of Sarah Polgrain and Yorkshire Jack, whose marriage vows echoed beyond the grave. Plus, a lovely handful of teeth.