Welcome to The History Alchemist! I'm Richard Clements, a writer dedicated to unearthing historical mysteries, chilling supernatural tales, and the unusual. Follow for my upcoming scripts, stories, and deep-dive content for podcasts & blogs. #HistoricalMystery #WeirdHistory

I have not written much about folklore or the paranormal for a while. These are usually the stories that appear at the edges of the record, when formal sources begin to thin out. They are not proof, but they are not nothing either. In many cases they reflect how people once

22 January 1879 This date always makes me pause. During the Anglo-Zulu War, two actions unfolded on the same day, only a few miles apart, yet they could not have ended more differently. At Isandlwana, a British camp stood out on the plain beneath the mountain. No real

Pleased to share that my staff writer contract with The Historians Magazine has been renewed for another year. I’ll be continuing to write feature-length pieces exploring social, military, and cultural history across a wide range of periods. Grateful for the continued trust and

Every so often, something small but encouraging happens behind the scenes. I was contacted recently by an educational publisher enquiring about an extract from a previously published article. It may lead nowhere, or it may lead somewhere unexpected, but either way it was a

There were winters when the Thames froze solid and Londoners walked, traded, and gathered on the ice itself. I’ve revisited the frost fairs, the eyewitness accounts behind them, and why they vanished. To view the article, click on the link below👇 https://t.co/iwh8RsqmDN

A change of plans this weekend led to a short, improvised field trip along the Essex coast. With a few hours free, I traced what remains of the county’s Martello Towers, driving between each surviving site from Point Clear, St Osyth, to Walton-on-the-Naze. Six towers still stand.

Now live on The History Network. Burning Seas and Silent Shores: The Shingle Street Invasion That Never Was examines how fear, secrecy, and experimental coastal defences in 1940 gave rise to one of Britain’s most persistent wartime legends. My first podcast script. Alongside

Hopefully, the weather will hold for the first field trip of the year.

A quiet Essex exterior that hides a stunning, hand-painted secret. Finally explored St Nicholas, Little Braxted, to see Ernest Geldart’s sustained vision in full. For those local to Witham, it’s well worth a visit and is usually open during the day. #HistoryAlchemist #Essex

I first saw this end screen from Quantum Leap a long time ago. At the time, I didn’t quite know what to do with it. It’s such a simple statement, but it stayed with me for years. Only recently have I felt able to look back at it properly and understand why it unsettled me so

An extraordinary maritime discovery from Denmark. Archaeologists have identified a 600-year-old cog, now the largest medieval trading ship ever found, complete with rare surviving castles and traces of daily life on board. A fascinating window into how advanced medieval seafaring

My new article for The Archive: London’s Forgotten River Wars Before it was a source of strength, the river was marked by instability. Uncover how it was before it became a source of strength. #LondonHistory #RiverThames #SocialHistory #HiddenHistories https://t.co/MlrEK5b5AB

In Newark, tucked inside the late medieval Governor’s House, this very basic long-drop toilet has become part of one of those quietly persistent historical stories. The building dates to the fifteenth century and served as the headquarters of Royalist governors during the Civil