For centuries, England has been known as one of the world’s strongest naval powers, but in the tumultuous age of Henry V, this fearsome reputation had yet to be forged. During the Hundred Years’ War, England and France waged a fierce war at sea. In this episode, Dr Ian Friel talks about Hampshire’s vital role in defending England and attacking France, as well as the brutal methods medieval sailors waged war on each other.

The late medieval wall of Southampton, fronting the former West Hithe, one of the quays of Southampton in the Middle Ages. Ships would have once moored where the road now runs.

Dr Ian Friel MA, PhD, FSA

Historian, museum consultant & writer

Dr Ian Friel has degrees in history from the University of Lancaster (BA Hons), the University of Leicester (MA in English Local History) and a PhD in medieval maritime history from the University of Keele. He worked for 30 years in museums, including posts at the National Maritime Museum (NMM), Greenwich, the Mary Rose Trust (MRT), Littlehampton Museum and Chichester District Museum.

He has been an independent museum consultant, historian and writer since 2007 and has worked on projects for Sea City Museum and Tudor House Museum in Southampton, the NMM, the MRT, Windermere Jetty and Poole Museum, amongst others.

Ian has published widely and is the author of five books, The Good Ship (1995) and The British Museum Maritime History of Britain and Ireland 400-2001 (2003), Henry V’s Navy (2015), Britain and the Ocean Road (2020) and its sequel, Breaking Seas, Broken Ships (2021).

Further Information and Additional Links

You can find out more about Dr Friel’s work at his website - http://www.ianfriel.co.uk/

If you’d like to learn more about the English Navy during the period covered in this week’s podcast, Ian’s book, Henry V’s Navy, provides a good place to start.