Sir Thomas Ingilby explores Ripley Castle's links to the Gunpowder Plot in a three-part BBC Radio York podcast hosted by Matthew Lewis, out now on BBC Sounds.

Ripley Castle’s owner, Sir Thomas Ingilby, looks into his family’s historic links to the Gunpowder Plot in a new three-part BBC podcast presented by the Leeds-born actor Matthew Lewis, which went up on BBC Sounds this week.

Gunpowder and Treason: The Real Guy Fawkes is made by BBC Radio York for BBC Local and sits in the Secret North Yorkshire menu on BBC Sounds. The BBC says it asks whether Fawkes was really the mastermind of the 1605 plot, or whether he was used by the other plotters for his military skills and then became the face of a conspiracy that involved many others.

Black and white portrait of actor Matthew Lewis smiling, wearing a white T-shirt
Matthew Lewis, who presents the series. Photo: Matthew Lewis

Yorkshire at the centre of the story

The series is built around places across the county. Fawkes was born in York, and the BBC says Ripley Castle has connections to the conspiracy, which Sir Thomas investigates on air.

Elsewhere in the series:

  • Tony Beacock, a descendant of the plotters John and Christopher Wright, explores the brothers’ part in the conspiracy.
  • The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds is the setting for a look at Fawkes’s military experience.
  • The Bar Convent in York turns up what the BBC calls a grisly tale that gives a glimpse of the religious persecution of the time.

The BBC says the programme brings together historians, descendants of the conspirators and the places at the heart of the story, and that “more than 400 years after the failed plot, new developments have reignited interest in the case.”

“More than a few surprises”

Lewis, best known for playing Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films, said he thought he already knew the story well before he started.

“I’ve always been fascinated by history and felt that I already knew as much as there was to know about the Gunpowder Plot,” he said. “Working on this series I discovered so many new elements, particularly with regard to the Yorkshire roots of the conspiracy. Much of which is still visible in the county today, if you know where to look.

“For those unaware of the story, this should be a rollercoaster of a ride, and for those that think themselves familiar with it, I’m sure there’ll be more than a few surprises. From desperate and audacious adventure to macabre and gruesome reality. As they say, it’s a story we should remember.”

Chris Burns, the BBC’s head of local audio commissioning, said: “This is exactly what BBC Local does best, uncovering remarkable stories hidden within our communities and bringing them to life through the voices of the people most closely connected to them. This podcast offers a fresh perspective on one of the most famous events in British history.”

Podcast artwork: a silhouetted figure in a tall hat against a red moon, York Minster and old handwriting, with the words Gunpowder and Treason: The Real Guy Fawkes and the BBC logo
The artwork for Gunpowder and Treason: The Real Guy Fawkes. Image: supplied by BBC Local

The three episodes

All three episodes were listed on BBC Sounds when we checked on 30 October:

  1. The Boy From York (22 minutes): why Guy Fawkes became the face of a traitor.
  2. The Soldier and the Shadow Network (21 minutes): how Fawkes became entangled in the plot.
  3. The Fall Guy (23 minutes): how one man became the face of the Gunpowder Plot.

The series is produced by Hannah Sackville-Bryant and Gemma Maull of BBC Radio York. It is on BBC Sounds, under Secret North Yorkshire.

Looking for a bonfire to go with it? Our What’s On in Harrogate guide lists the district’s displays.