
Loremen Podcast
byLoremen Podcast
ComedyHistorySocietyCulturePlacesTravel
Join the Loremen (James Shakeshaft and Alasdair Beckett-King) as they "investigate" local legends and forgotten folklore.
Episodes(40 episodes)

S7E3 - The Shug Monkey of Cambridge with Edd Hedges
The Loreboys are joined by the legend that is Edd Hedges, returning to right an ancient wrong. Comedian & podcaster, Edd is probably best known for being on the fabled lost episode of Loremen. We're finally making up for that whole palaver with a bevy of Cambridgeshire oddities, from a terrifying monkey (some would call it a dog) to The Chronophage.
Check out Edd on tour in the UK, Ireland and the US!
AND if you're in the mood for seeing live comedy, come see the Loremen Live at Leicester Comedy Festival 7th...
Published: Jan 29, 2026Duration: 51:19

Loremen S7Ep2 - The Mysterious Portal of Langley
James leads Alasdair back into the depths of Wychwood Forest. Therein, the denizens of a peculiar farmstead make a terrible mistake while digging up a tree stump...
As usual, the Loreboys offer fresh nuggets of insight and wisdom. And we might just have come up with a new form of forensic science to aid the police in the fight against crime. (It's fingerprints, but instead of fingers it's bums. It's bumprints.)
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
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Published: Jan 22, 2026Duration: 35:54

S7E1 - The Pittville Circus Haunting
The Loreboys have returned!
Alasdair kicks off Series 7 with the story of amateur ghost-hunter Rosina C. Despard. Her Cheltenham home was the site of one of the most well-documented hauntings of the 19th century... Or was it?
Creaks on the stair! A rustle of cloth! A face hidden by a handkerchief! It simply has to be a ghost... Surely?
We promise not to end every sentence this series with an ellipsis followed by a question... Or do we?
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Edited by Laurence Hisee
Join the LoreFolk a...
Published: Jan 15, 2026Duration: 33:52

2025 Almanac Part 2
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. No one who remembers The Amazing Journey of 1607 will be surprised to learn that the episode about "the pinnace" made it to the top five. Or eight.
The Disappearing Diplomat
Scareships and the Headless Cyclist - LIVE!
Albina or the Origin of Giants with Tales of Britain and Ireland
Pluckley, the Hauntedest Village
Prince Edward, Island
The Witch That Wasn't...
Published: Jan 8, 2026Duration: 1:35:29

S6E43 - 2025 Almanac Part 1
It's time for the annual Loremen misunderstanding of how countdowns work! We've selected the top ten* moments from 2025, as voted for by the Lorefolk.
Part 1 of this year's Almanac is more of a Jamesmanac, as Shakeshaft delivers hit after hit. Roman robots! Man-faced pigs! Two Jesuses?
The featured episodes are:
The Legends of Lullingstone
Valentine's Special 2025 with Jenny Collier
The Roman Robot of Cirencester
The Man-Faced Pigs of Brussels
Vicky's Ticker
Somerset Sects
Witches of Essex with Joel Morris
* Actually fifteen.
Join us LIVE in Leicester on the 7...
Published: Jan 1, 2026Duration: 1:12:22

S6E47 - Xmas Pig 2025 with Daisy Earl
It's PIIIIIIIIGMAAAAAS! James and Alasdair are joined by multi-award-having comedian Daisy Earl. We make merry with the legend of a boozy Mancunian pig named Polly, and the Scottish fairy tale of Whuppity Stoorie. (The latter of which bears a strong resemblance to the more famous tale of old... you know... Rumple-whatshisname.)
Follow Daisy!
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Edited by Laurence Hisee
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
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Published: Dec 25, 2025Duration: 52:14

S6E46 - The Man-Faced Pigs of Brussels
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.
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Edited by Laurence Hisee
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
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Published: Dec 18, 2025Duration: 34:27

S6E40 - The Hanborough Haunting
Long Hanborough? Home of the Oxford Bus Museum?
Yes! THAT Long Hanborough. And once you've listened to this episode, you'll know it for more than being home to the Spice Girls' bus from Spice World (1997). You'll know it for containing a spooky cottage with a particularly busy poltergeist.
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
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Published: Dec 11, 2025Duration: 35:11

S6E44 - Finstock Phantoms
You know what they say: if you remember Finstock, you've been to West Oxfordshire. Here we discover a wealth of ghosts from James's old stomping ground. There's a 1990s spectre, an 1800s preacher and a 39000s (BCE) neanderthal. Plus, a truly chilling lady ghost whose beckoning hands can only be seen by children. Pop on your body warmers... now!
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Edited by Laurence Hisee
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
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Published: Dec 4, 2025Duration: 29:05

S6E43 - The Penzance Poisoner
James dives back into the well of Cornish lore and surfaces with story of undying love - and a chilling counterpart to last week's tale. 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.
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Edited by Laurence Hisee
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
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Published: Nov 27, 2025Duration: 31:31

S6E42 - The Spectral Bridegroom
Sure, this starts with a derailment. But a derailment BY Alasdair? What crazy mixed up episode is this?
Well, most of it is a classic ghost story from Cornwall. Featuring a fast-thinking blacksmith, a humble servant, a burst horse and a bit of magick.
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Edited by Laurence Hisee
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
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Published: Nov 20, 2025Duration: 36:33

S6E41 - The Disappearing Diplomat
Prussia, 1809. An Englishman named Benjamin Bathurst vanishes without leaving a trace. Apart from his trousers. And his cloak. And possibly his skull. Who is behind this baffling disappearance? A local hoodlum, a French comte, or Napoleon Bonaparte himself?
This cold case has remained unsolved for over two centuries. Until now! Because James has a theory NO ONE has considered before.
(Maybe a horse ate him.)
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Edited by Laurence Hisee
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
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...
Published: Nov 13, 2025Duration: 48:06

S6E40 - Somerset Sects
The boys discover a peculiar cult boasting not one, but two Jesuses. Yowzah! Must be pretty awkward at Christmas. James whisks Alasdair off to the commune of the Agapemonites: a scandalous Victorian sect nestled in the sauciest region of Somerset. (Well, a few miles north of Taunton.)
There's a little extra spice in the mix, because James has noticed that the word "sects" sounds a bit rude.
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Edited by Laurence Hisee
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
<...
Published: Nov 6, 2025Duration: 33:56

S6E39 - Keeping Austin Weird
James and Alasdair do their absolute darndest to keep Austin at least a little bit odd with this selection of spooky tales from that Texan bastion of peculiarity.
SPOILER ALERT: we get the fairy tale Goldilocks very wrong. But wait! Before you have your butler send us a strongly worded telegram, we do get it right in the end.
Edited by Laurence Hisee
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
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Published: Oct 30, 2025Duration: 32:24

S6E38 - Vicky's Ticker
Queen Victoria, the second longest Queen of England (at the time of recording), escaped death on numerous occasions. But did she ever explore the spirit world? Alasdair recounts an series of (attempted) murder mysteries and relates the strange tale of a stolen timepiece. While James attempts to answer that age old question: who watches the watch, man?
Find out more about Vicky's Ticker in Roger Clarke's article on the Spitalfields Life blog here.
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
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Published: Oct 23, 2025Duration: 43:29

S6E37 - The Gold Hoard of the Great Ants
Alasdair bedazzles James with tales of gold-digging ants. Did we mention these creatures were also massive? And deadly? Well, they were! Beginning with an Old English legend from Hana Videen's bestiary The Deorhord, the Loreboys travel into a world of dubious manuscripts and outlandish beasts.
Lock up your camels!
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
youtube.com/loremenpodcast
www.instagram.com/loremenpod</p
Published: Oct 16, 2025Duration: 40:12

S6E36 - The Little Man in the Red Cap
Are the paths of Wiltshire stalked by a pagan deity in disguise? Usually on Loremen we recount tales that are seldom told, but this week is different. The legend of the Peaked Red One was, in fact, told by James and Alasdair at the Strange Days Festival of Forteana. But the sound quality was a bit bobbins, so we told our stories again, and here they are!
There's ghosts, treasure and a little man with a pet trout.
See the Loremen LIVE in London on Oct 15th.
This episode was edited b...
Published: Oct 9, 2025Duration: 37:25

S6E35 - Witches of Leigh-on-Sea with Amy Matthews
Comedian and podcaster Amy Matthews takes the Loreboys on a spooky tour of her Essex hometown. From Bell Wharf to Doom Pond, Leigh-on-Sea is no stranger to strange goings-on. But what's the truth behind the legend of the witch who sold the wind?
Order Amy's stand-up album Commute with the Foxes now, and check out the English Heritage Podcast!
See the Loremen LIVE in London on Oct 15th.
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
...
Published: Oct 2, 2025Duration: 50:02

S6E34 - Pluckley, the Hauntedest Village
It's Britain's most haunted village, according to the Guinness Book of Records. Pluckley in Kent is replete with legends and thick wi' ghosts. James leads Alasdair through your basic Pluckley hauntings, and uncovers a couple of stories that haven't had mainstream media coverage*. Plus... has James been Mandela-effected?
* I.e. they're not in the Usborne Book of Ghosts.**
** Plus a BIG*** reveal about that book.
*** Not that big.
See the Loremen LIVE in London on Oct 15th.
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor...
Published: Sep 25, 2025Duration: 41:18

S6E33 - Hy Brasil with the Map Men
The Loremen meet the Map Men. Yes, it's the crossover we can only assume people have been clamouring for! Jay and Mark joined us to discuss the mythical island / clerical error known (amongst other things) as Hy-Brasil.
Prepare for some dodgy pronunciations and little local lore from Enfield.
Watch the Map Men on YouTube and pre-order their book.
And see the Loremen LIVE in London on Oct 15th.
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
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Published: Sep 18, 2025Duration: 49:38