Loremen Podcast

Loremen S7Ep16 - Flix, the Conser Lake Beast

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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? ...

Loremen S7Ep16 - The Legend of the Sicilian Vases with Verity Babbs

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 sec...

Loremen S7Ep14 - The Sleeping Frenchman

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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.” A...

Loremen S7Ep14 - The Long Pack

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 Al...

Loremen S7Ep13 - The Guildford Ghoul

09 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

From an ABC to a haunted Zoologist, James presents another entry in the consistently and succinctly named series "Bits of Folklore From Near Where Ala...

Loremen S7Ep12 - Byron's Ghosts

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Loremen were LIVE in Leicester, with a bit of bloomin' Byron. We took a squiz around Newstead Abbey, old Georgie's ancestral home. And James told ...

Loremen S7Ep11 - James Hind, Highwayman

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's the big three-oh-OH! Yes, the Loreboys have turned in a triple century of episodes (depending on how you do the sums). To celebrate, James retur...

Loremen S7Ep10 - Spectres of York

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Old York, Old York... The city so York they named it York. James has been visiting the ancient walled city, but he's here to tell Alasdair about visi...

Loremen S7Ep9 - The Hermit of Barnard Castle

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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? T...

Loremen S7Ep8 - The North Aston Terror

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 unlu...

Loremen S7Ep7 - Michelham Priory, Upper Dicker

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new contender for Rudest Place Name has entered the ring! (Don't get your tonsure in a twist, Upper Dicker is actually very polite). James provides ...

Loremen S7Ep6 - The Ghosts of Chilham Castle

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

James takes Alasdair round the manor house of Chilham Castle, in Kent. Featuring some vintage names, a panoply of ghosts and some classic Shakeshaft m...

Loremen S7Ep5 - A Romantic Welsh Buffet with Jenny Collier

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Roses are red, Daffodils are jollier, It's Valentine's time, So we're joined by Jenny Collier! Jenny returns to the pod having just moved house...

Loremen S7Ep4 - Wild Wild Maidstone

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's a midisode! In prep for his UK (and Ireland Tour) James is forewarning (and therefore four-arming) Alasdair about some of the places he is visiti...

Loremen S7Ep3 - The Shug Monkey of Cambridge with Edd Hedges

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 be...

Loremen S7Ep2 - The Mysterious Portal of Langley

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Loremen S7Ep1 - The Pittville Circus Haunting

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

Loremen S6Ep49 - 2025 Almanac Part 2

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 d...

Loremen S6Ep48 - 2025 Almanac Part 1

01 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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....

Loremen S6Ep47 - Xmas Pig 2025 with Daisy Earl

25 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 pi...

Loremen S6Ep46 - The Man-Faced Pigs of Brussels

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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! Wit...

Loremen S6Ep45 - The Hanborough Haunting

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 bei...

Loremen S6Ep44 - Finstock Phantoms

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 groun...

Loremen S6Ep43 - The Penzance Poisoner

27 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

Loremen S6Ep42 - The Spectral Bridegroom

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 fro...

Loremen S6Ep41 - The Disappearing Diplomat

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Prussia, 1809. An Englishman named Benjamin Bathurst vanishes without leaving a trace. Apart from his trousers. And his cloak. And possibly his skull....

Loremen S6Ep40 - Somerset Sects

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 com...

Loremen S6Ep39 - Keeping Austin Weird

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Loremen S6Ep38 - Vicky's Ticker

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Queen Victoria, the second longest Queen of England (at the time of recording), escaped death on numerous occasions. But did she ever explore the spir...

Loremen S6Ep37 - The Gold Hoard of the Great Ants

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alasdair bedazzles James with tales of gold-digging ants. Did we mention these creatures were also massive? And deadly? Well, they were! Beginning wit...

Loremen S6Ep36 - The Little Man in the Red Cap

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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....

Loremen S6Ep35 - The Sea Witch with Amy Matthews

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 strang...

Loremen S6Ep34 - Pluckley, the Hauntedest Village

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 l...

Loremen S6Ep33 - Hy-Brasil with the Map Men

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 mythic...

Loremen S6Ep32 - The Black Rains of Slains

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Storm's comin', and it is quite literally "mucky out". Alasdair forecasts peculiar precipitation with spells of weird science. The black rains that fe...

Loremen S6 Ep31 - Beware Cambridge with Matt Stewart

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Stewart (Do Go On Pod, Who Knew It? With Matt Stewart) joins James as Alasdair is laid-low having lost his voice. Matt is about to launch his UK ...

Loremen S6Ep30 - Bonny Bona of the Great North Road

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Buff the buckles on your shoes and ready your bodices for ripping. James has plucked a tale of betrayal and romance from the annals of Yorkshire legen...

Loremen S6Ep29 - The Cholsey Poltergeists

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Polterguys are back! As are Alasdair and James! After a wee August break, the Loreboys return with some noisy sprits from a disputed corner of Oxfords...

Loremen - Summer Bonus 2025

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The boys are on holiday, so this episode is pure "bants". Enjoy a selection of bonus bits from our recent episodes and take care out there, kids. I...

Loremen S6Ep28 - Edward Mordake and Herne the Hunter

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Alasdair and James in a not-at-all dank Oxford cellar, as part of the Oxford Comedy Festival. The boys meet a hornéd hunter and a two-faced Edwa...

Loremen S6Ep27 - Banbury!

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

James takes Alasdair back to the Croydon of the Cotswolds™ - Banbury! - for a deep-dive into the origins, variations and possible meanings of the to...

Loremen S6Ep26 - The King Hare

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

James is joined by Dave Warneke of the podcasts Do Go On and Book Cheat to hear about one of the UK's breaking (and bounciest) cryptids. Check Dave...

Loremen S6Ep25 - The Cauldknockle Haunting

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Looking for a tale to warm your knockles? If so, you've come to the wrong place! Alasdair's North Country legend will make your knockles chillier than...

Loremen S6Ep24 - The Figure on the Stairs

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Sydenham, but be warned — this ain't your grandma's Sydenham. It's more likely to be your great-great grandma's Sydenham. James takes A...

Loremen S6Ep23 - Stone Watch 2025

03 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

James takes Alasdair on a whistle-stop tour of Britain's mobile stones, as catalogued in Janet and Colin Bord's The Secret Country. These standing sto...

Loremen S6Ep22 - The Ghosts of 50 Berkeley Square, London

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the midst of a heatwave, James brings the temperature down with the chilling tale of a ghost named Bloody Bones. The loreboys visit the most notori...

Loremen S6Ep21 - Prince Edward, Island

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you struggle to tell the difference between Prince Edward Island, the Canadian province, and Prince Edward the Duke of Edinburgh (15th in line to t...

Loremen S6Ep20 - Ada Freer and the Island Seers

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The remote islands of Scotland are known to be home to folk with the second sight. Alasdair tells James the story of three gifted seers, each of whom...

Loremen S6Ep19 - The Amazing Journey, 1607

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

James relates an unintentionally saucy tale about a man who took his pinnace to London. A pinnace is a kind of small boat and James didn't realise how...

Loremen S6Ep18 - The Legends of Lullingstone

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A walk in the park turns out to be no walk in the park. Alasdair introduces James to Lullingstone Castle, home to both an aristocratic orchid hunter a...

Loremen S6Ep17 - Spring Heeled Jack with Edy Hurst

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Forget everything you thought you knew about Spring-Heeled Jack! Because this marauding menace not only affrighted the women of London, but also the...

Loremen S6Ep16 - The Roman Robot of Cirencester

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode features not only the titular Roman Robot and a (potentially) BAFTA-winning sitcom idea — but James ALSO chucks in a selection of ghost...

Loremen S6Ep15 - Van Gogh in Streatham with Ed Night

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Comedian Ed Night joins the Loreboys to share legends of Streatham in South London. These stories range from contemporary urban legends to tales from ...

Loremen S6Ep14 - The Beckoning Spectre of Llanuwchllyn

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The wind whistles. The rain pours incessantly. It is also night time. Alasdair shelters in the only place he can in this bleak moor - under a big ston...

Loremen S6Ep13 - Albina or the Origin of Giants with Tales of Britain and Ireland

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Did you ever wonder where those great big giants all over Britain came from? Well, wonder no more because it is prequel time! This is the origin story...

Loremen S6Ep12 - The Ghouls of Greenwich

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We visit The Queen's House* in Greenwich, where a spiral staircase is haunted by a blurry ghost. And a stroll in Greenwich Park is no walk in the cake...

Loremen S6Ep11 - Bedfordshire Highwaymen with Weird in the Wade

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nat Doig of Weird in the Wade (BBC Sounds) joins the Loreboys to (stand and) deliver the tales of some Bedfordshire highwaymen with absolutely superb ...

Loremen S6Ep10 - Witches of Essex with Joel Morris

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Loremen welcome comedy writer and connoisseur of the supernatural Joel Morris (Philomena Cunk, A Touch of Cloth). Joel's hit podcast Broken Veil h...

Loremen S6Ep9 - Dodge vs The Demon

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

James spins another yarn from the moors of Devon. It's the tale of Reverend Dodge, a vicar so fearsome his name caused demons to turn and flee! Let's...

Loremen S6Ep8 - The Man They Hanged Thrice

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

James tells the true story of a man who escaped the hangman's noose, not once, not twice and not four times either. The life of John "Babbacombe" Lee...

Loremen S6Ep7 - The Witch That Wasn't with Willow Winsham

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Author Willow Winsham joins the Loreboys with a tale of a woman more witched against than witching! The infamous Ann Wagg simply could not move withou...

Loremen S6Ep6 - The Exorcist and The Idol

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Now this is a story all about how Donald Omand’s life got flipped turned upside down when he encountered a Chinese idol possessed by a murderous spi...

Loremen S6Ep5 - The Cursed Fortune, Cornwall

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Listener beware! Loremen is not a financial advice podcast, BUT if you are offered untold riches by an aged ghost who departs with a devilish laugh —...

Loremen S6Ep4 - Scareships and the Headless Cyclist - LIVE!

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The LoreBoys lived again! Returning to the Leicester Comedy Festival, we treated an audience to tales of beasts of the water, beasts of the air and a ...

Loremen S6Ep3 - Valentine's Special 2025 with Jenny Collier

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It is the Most Romantic Time of the Year™ and we have a tale steeped in romance... if your idea of romance is Arthurian toxic masculinity. Welsh Val...

Loremen S6Ep2 - The Curse of the Black Monk

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alasdair introduces James to the inverted ghost of Lady Elizabeth Hoby. Prepare your ears for the tragic tale of Lady Hoby's (imaginary) son William. ...

Loremen S6Ep1 - The Hellfire Club

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

(No, not that Hellfire Club.) The Loremen return for series 6 and it's a saucy start to the year. We travel to the county of Buckinghamshire to meet s...

'Tween Season Bonus!

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's still the 'tween times and the Loreboys are on their winter break. But fear not! Here is a wealth of bonus bits from the last year to keep your e...

Loremen S5Ep64 - 2024 Almanac Part 2

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The yuletide is over, Xmas Pig is a dim memory and it is already time to tear down the Plough Monday decorations. There's just time for a bit of senti...

Loremen S5Ep63 - 2024 Almanac Part 1

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's Almanac time! The Loreboys take a look back over the episodes of 2024 and re-listen to some of the best clips, as voted for by the Lorefolk. This...

Xmas Pig 2024 with The Quantum Mechanics!

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For the last Xmas Pig of 2024, The Quantum Mechanics join James for a final piggy tryptic of tales. With stories from the UK's "Cannock Chase" to Amer...

Xmas Pig 2024 with Bethan Briggs-Miller!

29 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To brighten these gloomy days between Xmas Pig and Plough Monday, we have another wonderful deputy loreperson! It's Bethan Briggs-Miller of Eerie Esse...

Xmas Pig 2024 with Mark Norman!

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Norman of The Folklore Podcast joins James to share a bit of porcine folklore that hits very close to home! Christmas is a time for reflection, a...

Xmas Pig 2024 with Jenny Collier!

25 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Would you have another slice of Xmas Pig? You would! Well, today's stocking filler features our Welsh correspondent Jenny Collier, so you are in luck!...

Xmas Pig 2024 with Sunil Patel!

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Xmas Pig keeps on rolling! Returning deputy Sunil Patel joins us for a chat about the festive customs of Sweden and Germany. But beware, you'd bet...

Xmas Pig 2024 with Maso!

21 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It is the second pig of Xmas Pig! We are joined by Maso of  @WeeklyPlanetPodcast  and @mrsundaymovies  for a very peculiar Jesus-based story. One o...

Xmas Pig 2024 with Icy Sedgwick!

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Xmas Pig, everyone! Icy Sedgwick brings us a creepy pig-themed tale, which the eagle-minded listener will recognise as being part of the Amityville Ho...

Loremen S5Ep62 - The Pig-faced Phantom of Chelsea

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A strait-laced reverend meets a surprisingly seductive ghost with the face of a pig. Who will win? The pig-faced phantom of Chelsea, of course! Christ...

Loremen S5Ep61 - The Stocksbridge Monk with Nick Mason

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nick "Maso" Mason of The Weekly Planet and Mr Sunday Movies drops in from Melbourne for a chilling tale of ghosts, ghouls and... town planning. From "...

Loremen S5Ep60 - The Littlemark Murder

28 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alasdair tells James the tale of a ghostly pedlar with no head... and no body! The Loremen journey to the lowlands of Scotland and encounter some Nith...

Loremen S5Ep59 - Oxfordshire Fairies

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bring a sandwich, grab an iron horseshoe and don't be a Greedy Jack because we are going fairy finding! James returns to Oxfordshire's Rollright Stone...

Loremen S5Ep58 - The Durweston Poltergeist

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

James tells Alasdair the spooky story of a poltergeist in Dorset*. All your polterguy classics are in play here: scratching sounds, flying objects and...

Loremen S5Ep57 - The Beasts of the North LIVE in Manchester

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Loremen travel to the North Country and meet the Trash Hounds of Lancashire. No, not the live lorefolk audience. We're talking tales of headless d...

Loremen S5Ep56 - The Tunnelling Duke LIVE in West Norwood Cemetery

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was recorded live (or at least undead) in West Norwood Cemetery, in front of a sold-out crowd. The brave lorefolk were chilled, literally...

Loremen S5Ep55 - Ghosts of the Road with Hayley Stevens

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Loremen were LIVE at the QED festival in Manchester and we were joined by Deputy Loreperson Hayley Stevens. Sceptical listeners might be familiar ...

Loremen S5Ep54 - The Crooker of Derwent River with Willow Winsham

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A country walk always brings to mind certain maxims. "Stop and smell the roses," for one. "If a tree falls..." is another. But now there's a new one -...

Loremen S5Ep53 - Graveyard Jacks with Icy Sedgwick

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Deputy Loreperson Icy Sedgwick (Fabulous Folklore with Icy) joins James and Alasdair, and she brings with her the stories of a Geordie graverobber and...

Loremen S5Ep52 - The Grey Hitchhiker

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The terrifying tale of the Grey Hitchhiker (or the Gray Hitcher, for Americans) comes from that spooky road, The Notorious A38. Over several decades, ...

Loremen S5Ep51 - Haunting Houses

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Loremen encounter what might be the biggest ghost in the history of the podcast. We're talking about a house that is a ghost. (Pretty big, right?)...

Loremen S5Ep50 - The Poltergeist of Moreton

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The boys are back, with yet more tales of Moreton lore! This time James visits South Moreton in Oxfordshire, for the outrageous story of a faux-polter...

Loremen S5Ep49 - The Great Chislehurst Cave Mystery

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Who's that, beckoning to you from the mouth of a weird looking cave? Why it's Alasdair Beckett-King of course! Join him and James Shakeshaft, and ente...

Loremen S5Ep48 - The Treasure in the Tower LIVE Part 2

07 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We return to the Tower of London and make a last ditch attempt to find John Barkstead's lost treasure. Meet Mr Quarrell (the treasure hunter) and Majo...

Loremen S5Ep47 - The Treasure in the Tower LIVE Part 1

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What connects a traitor, a Sandwich and a mushroom farmer from Kent? It's the lost treasure of 'Invisible' John Barkstead, which is buried somewhere u...

Loremen S5Ep46 - Gunter and The Witches

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

James talks Alasdair through the case of Anne Gunter's demonic possession... or was it all an elaborate hoax with lashings of wee wee? It's time for m...

Loremen S5Ep45 - Saints Alive with Amy Jeffs

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Saints alive! Amy Jeffs returns to the pod, and she's brought a bunch of kooky saints with her. We're talking adorable otters, vengeful ghosts and a g...

Loremen S5Ep44 - The Enfield Mysteries with Athena Kugblenu

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Athena Kugblenu returns to the pod, for a journey through Enfield: the Croydon of North London and home to one of the world's most famous polterguys. ...

Loremen Mid-August Holidays Bonus Bonanza!

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pssst! It's mid-August Holidays Bonus Episode Bonanza time! Enjoy this bundle of bonus material from our Xmas Pig episodes. Featuring: Sunil Patel B...

Loremen S5Ep43 - The Uffington White Horse

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join Alasdair and James in a hot air balloon of the mind and gently float over the actual rolling hills of the cotswolds / Vale of the White Horse are...

Loremen S5Ep42 - Eleanor Morton with Mary Kings Close

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Eleanor Morton returns, with the remarkable tale of an Edinburgh haunting - and a school trip to the site of the nightmare! These are the legends of M...

Loremen S5Ep41 - Ghosts of Gallipoli

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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