Matthew Lewis investigates the real story behind the gunpowder plot in new BBC Local podcast

Gunpowder and Treason: The Real Guy Fawkes questions how well we really know the famous story of bonfire night. Featuring the Bar Convent’s very own – Dr Hannah Thomas, Special Collections Manager

This autumn a new three-part BBC Local and BBC Radio York podcast comes to BBC Sounds with a bang, challenging one of the most iconic events in British history.

From Secret North Yorkshire, Gunpowder and Treason: The Real Guy Fawkes – available on BBC Sounds from Friday 30 October – explores the events of 1605 from a fresh perspective, examining new evidence, hidden family histories and the lasting legacy of one of Britain’s most infamous conspiracies.

The podcast questions how well we really know the famous story of bonfire night, asking was Guy Fawkes really the mastermind behind the it all, or was he, in fact, set up all along?

Presented by actor Matthew Lewis, who is from Leeds, and best known for playing Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films, the podcast invites listeners to look beyond the traditional account of a lone religious fanatic and reconsider the role Fawkes played in the plot.

Matthew Lewis says: “I’ve always been fascinated by history and felt that I already knew as much as there was to know about the Gunpowder Plot. 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.”

The three-part podcast – which can be found in the Secret North Yorkshire menu on BBC Sounds – investigates the theory that Fawkes was used by the plotters for his military skills, before becoming the face of a conspiracy that involved many others. While history remembers only one name, the series explores the powerful figures operating behind the scenes and the stories that may have been buried for centuries. More than 400 years after the failed plot, new developments have reignited interest in the case.

At the heart of the story is Yorkshire itself and the series visits several historic locations across the county. Guy Fawkes was born in York, and nearby Ripley Castle has connections to the conspiracy. Its owner, Sir Thomas Ingilby, investigates his family’s historic links to the plot, while Tony Beacock, a descendant of Gunpowder Plotters John and Christopher Wright, explores the brothers’ role in the conspiracy. At the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, the series examines Fawkes’ military experience whilst a visit to York’s Bar Convent uncovers a grizzly tail that gives a glimpse into the religious persecution of the time.

Bringing together historians, descendants of the conspirators and the places at the heart of the story, the series offers a rare opportunity to revisit the Gunpowder Plot through the voices of those with a personal connection to its history.

Gunpowder and Treason: The Real Guy Fawkes asks us to look beyond the effigies and fireworks to reconsider the man behind the mask as well as the people whose roles in one of Britain’s most enduring conspiracies.

Chris Burns, 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.”

Gunpowder and Treason: The Real Guy Fawkes will be available on the Secret North Yorkshire stand on BBC Sounds from Friday 30 October. It is produced by Hannah Sackville-Bryant and Gemma Maull from BBC Radio York for BBC Sounds.

Remember, remember you can visit our The Gunpowder Plot: York’s Untold Story exhibition until 05 December.