01
An invitation to pause & listenNo. 01 — A listening place
A little beauty.
A little history.
Much to ponder.
Gretel le Maître Ponders Beauty,
with Bede & other guests
Unscripted, ad-free explorations of the things that stay with us — old places, good books, art, and the pleasure of wondering aloud.
For the curious of heart, the lovers of stories, and anyone who has ever stopped to look twice at an old stone wall.
02 / The listening room
Settle in & listen.
Press play and let the conversation wander.
Selected episode
Rory Bremner shows Gretel his Trump Impression; Dratted Drones; a London Boat Trip; Gretel’s London; a Retreat; and Unsurpassable Shelley
Listen to this episode of Gretel le Maître Ponders Beauty.
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03 / Follow your curiosity
The art of wandering.
There is always another doorway to walk through.
04 / From the journal
All episodes on Buzzsprout Recent episodes.
Checking the official feed for new episodes…
02
Mary Bateson: The Story of the Nations • Monasteries and the Church in Medieval England
03
Meadow Meander; Tuesday Bells; and Trollopean Ecclesiastical Medieval Manoeuvrings
04
A Whisper of Wellness, while Pepys prepares for War, Robin Hood Wrong-Foots, and Mr Tupman Woos
05
A Book at Bedtime: Marie of Hesse and Barchester Towers
06
John Clare’s Schoolboys; Ullathorne’s Quintain; and Muggleton’s Cricket 🏏
07
A Pinch of Bernard Shaw; a Sprinkle of Samuel Pepys; and a Dollop of Waffle
08
Benedict Biscop: a Detailed Death; A Life in Boxes; Battersea Leaves; and Milton
Browse this selection from the official podcast feed. For the complete archive, visit Buzzsprout.
05 / A sense of place
Places to ponder.
Stone, story, and the landscapes that hold them.
01 / Dorset
Sherborne
Home ground for Gretel’s wondering, where old stones invite a closer look.
02 / The north
Durham & Northumbria
A landscape of early history, sacred spaces, and stories still unfolding.
06 / In good company
Voices at the table.
Wonderful minds, different perspectives, and room for the unexpected.
01 / Guest
Sir Richard Eyre
Theatre & film director
02 / Guest
Philip Mould
Art historian
03 / Guest
Angela Tilby
Writer & priest
04 / Honorary patron
Tom Holland
Historian
07 / A note from Gretel
Hello, I’m Gretel.
From Sherborne in Dorset, I follow the threads between history, literature, art, churches and architecture. This is a place for reflective, unscripted exploration — with a little humour, a little warmth, and no advertisements to interrupt the thought.
Come as you are. Stay as long as you like.
Listen to an episodeGretel’s gallery
Things seen.
Photographs and moving pictures, gathered along the way.
Opening the gallery…
From the listeners
Churches you love.
Photographs shared by followers of the podcast — kept separate from Gretel’s own pictures.
Bede · AI moderator. Bede, an artificial-intelligence moderator, looks at every photograph and caption before it appears. Anything doubtful waits privately for Gretel. Location and camera details are removed from every picture, and only your chosen name is shown.
Gathering photographs…
People who ponder
Pull up a chair.
A shared room for kindly conversation about old places, good books and beautiful things.
Bede · AI moderator. Every message is read by Bede, an artificial-intelligence moderator, before it appears, and again every quarter of an hour. Unkind, crude or spammy messages are kept back; if Bede is unsure or unavailable, a message waits for Gretel to look at it. Only your chosen name is shown — never your email.
Opening the room…
Elsewhere with Gretel
Further ponderings.
Old churches, evening light and wandering thoughts beyond the podcast.
YouTubeVisit Gretel on YouTube
There’s always more
to discover.
Bring your curiosity. I’ll bring the stories.