The podcast welcomes back Dr Mike Hodder, Honorary Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Birmingham . Mike worked as a planning archaeologist at Birmingham City Council for many years.

After the end of the Medieval period(In 1586) William Camden described Birmingham as the following: - "swarming with inhabitants, and echoing with the noise of the anvils, for here are great numbers of smiths and of other artificers in iron and steel, whose performances in thatway are greatly admired both at home and abroad".

Mike takes us on a fascinating journey to discover how Birmingham developed from a tiny settlement in the Domesday survey to a prosperous town full of industry, during the Medieval period.

- We discuss the original location of the moated manor house and marketplace in Central Birmingham. We uncover what is known about the people who first settled in this location and what the area may have looked like.

- We discuss the timber-framed buildings throughout Birmingham including the medieval guildhall which is now a pub and also St Nicolas' Place in Kings Norton.

- We understand more about the moated manor houses throughout Birmingham including Weoley Castle(and why it isn't a castle!).

- We discover whereabouts the priory was in Central Birmingham and delve into the history of the churches throughout Birmingham.

- Birmingham has a rich Industrial heritage but we look at the origins of this. What industries do we know of in Medieval Birmingham?

- Sutton Park is one of the largest urban parks in the UK, we discuss how this came about. We discussed its use as a deer park and the fascinating archaeological evidence of this.- There are many medieval myths about Birmingham, are any of them true?

Join James and Alison for another fascinating episode of the Birmingham History Podcast.

Today they speak to Dr Mike Hodder, Honorary Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Birmingham. Mike worked as a planning archaeologist at Birmingham City Council for many years.

Mike discusses the fascinating prehistory and Roman period of Birmingham's History. This includes: -

- Learning about the forests that once covered the present day Curzon Street area of Birmingham

- The sophisticated peoples that lived in what we know to be Birmingham now.

- We learn about the barrow mound in Kingstanding and its link to King Charles I

- Burnt mounds and the important research done by Mike and colleagues in Birmingham. Were they prehistoric saunas?

- The Romans in Birmingham and the fort they built near present day Edgbaston. Which soldiers were stationed there?

How did the local population interact with the soldiers?

- The Roman roads in Birmingham and the well preserved section you can visit today in Sutton Park