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Bringing the echoes of history into the modern day
History is not a collection of dates in a dusty chronicle. It is a living record of power, consequence, and ordinary lives caught in extraordinary circumstances. At Histories and Castles, our mission is to strip back the myth and present the evidence, giving readers a grounded, forensic understanding of England and Wales's medieval and early modern past.
What began as a personal obsession with the medieval heritage of England and Wales has evolved into a dedicated digital archive built for three different readers with the same underlying need: a reliable, evidenced account of the past that goes further than a summary but doesn't demand a university library card to follow. By focusing on real lives rather than royal narratives, we bridge the gap between dense academic study and the modern reader, making complex stories of sieges, chivalry, and social upheaval accessible to all.
Most history content on the web is written for one reader at a time. We write for three, because the same well-sourced article can solve different problems depending on who's reading it.
Save preparation time with articles built around real GCSE and A-level exam questions rather than generic overviews, sourced clearly enough to hand to a class with confidence.
Our Fourth Crusade article is cited as a teaching resource in WJEC's own GCSE History guidance.
Get past revision-notes level. Articles and Investigated Histories study guides are built around the "how far", "to what extent", and "explain the significance of" framings examiners actually use.
Named sources, so you can cite with confidence in coursework and essays.
If you just want a good, true story well told, that's here too: castles, crusades, plague, Welsh myth, and the odd haunted keep.
Written with the same evidence standard as everything else on the site, minus the exam framing.
History communicator and storyteller
Simon A. Williams is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Histories and Castles, a history communicator and storyteller who makes the past accessible through podcasts, books and digital media. His work blends careful research with compelling narratives that entertain, educate and inspire curiosity, bringing medieval English and Welsh history, castles and the Crusades to life for readers and listeners who want more than a textbook account.
He is based in North Wales, within reach of Edward I's Iron Ring of castles at Rhuddlan, Conwy, Flint and Caernarfon, landscapes that form the backbone of his research. His work is shaped by direct, on-the-ground engagement with historical sites. Rather than relying solely on secondary interpretation, Simon documents locations first-hand, studying terrain, defensive positioning and architectural detail in situ. This approach lets him offer insights that go beyond standard guidebooks, connecting physical evidence to the documented historical record.
Rather than approaching history as a closed academic subject, Simon treats it as a living story worth retelling well, one that rewards curiosity as much as rigour. He shapes Histories and Castles' editorial voice across articles, video and podcast content, and is the author of five published books, stocked by UK booksellers including Foyles and Waterstones as well as Amazon.
Histories and Castles publishes books exploring the hidden forces of law, fear, myth, and power
Fear, Betrayal and the Witchfinder General
England's deadliest witch hunt exposed. Matthew Hopkins' reign of terror across East Anglia, 1645 to 1647, when neighbours turned against neighbours and fear spread like wildfire.
Buy on Amazon
We are not traditional scholars in gowns, nor are we content aggregators. Our work sits at the intersection of primary source research and direct site investigation, a combination that produces analysis grounded in both the documentary record and physical reality.
All content is cross-referenced against primary sources wherever possible, from the records of the National Archives to the Chinon Parchment, ensuring accuracy over repetition of accepted narratives.
Locations are documented first-hand. If terrain, structure, or geography is described, it is based on direct observation, not assumption or secondary map work.
We challenge accepted narratives where the evidence demands it. Our Pendle Witch Trials work applies a forensic legal lens that overturns four centuries of folklore-led interpretation.
Complex medieval history is written in clear, accessible language, for casual visitors and serious enthusiasts alike, without sacrificing factual rigour.
All historical claims are cross-referenced against primary sources. We do not treat widely repeated secondary narratives as sufficient verification.
Geographic and architectural descriptions are based on first-hand observation. If a site is described, it has been visited.
Every article on this site carries the name of its author. We do not publish anonymous content.
Articles include reference sections linking to primary and secondary sources so readers can verify claims independently.
Where articles are revised or updated, publication and last-updated dates are shown clearly on the page.
Histories and Castles is editorially independent. We carry no advertiser influence over our historical analysis or conclusions.
Histories and Castles is an independent endeavour sustained by its community. When you buy a study guide from Investigated Histories, purchase one of Simon's books, or buy from our collection, you directly fund the continuation of this research, maintaining our digital archives, supporting primary source investigation, and keeping our historical articles free and accessible.
By supporting our work, you are helping keep the past alive for future readers.
