The Conclave is over and a new Pope chosen, but the English never stood a chance. There has not, in fact, been an English Pope since Adrian IV in 1155.

The University of Sheffield’s Humanities Research Institute has created Manuscripts Online which "brings to life early printed primary sources of medieval Britain, giving online access to written materials from the year 1000 to 1500 and allowing users to contribute to the collective body of knowledge on the subject for the first time."

Experts have long speculated that a Norse Solarsteinn, or sunstone, was used to help Viking mariners find their way west through cloudy weather, and the discovery of such an artifact on a sunken, 16th century English warship may prove it.

Finding treasure with a metal detector is a hobby for all ages. Just ask three-year-old James Hyatt who, along with Dad and Grandpa, discovered an engraved gold reliquary locket from the early 16th century 8 inches beneath the Essex soil. (photo)

The "quiet, bucolic setting, the lack of crowds and the ability to wander freely" has won Avebury's stone circle in Wiltshire, England a second place among best world heritage sites by Which? travel magazine.

Shakespeare wrote that Richard III plotted the deaths of his young nephews in the Tower of London, a theory touted by the Tudors but never confirmed. In the 17th century, the bones of two young children were found in the Tower and were reburied in Westminster Abbey as the princes, Edward V and Richard Duke of York.

"Just about everything that would have been important to the citizens of Norwich during the Middle Ages" has been found scrawled on the walls of Norwich Cathedral report volunteers from the Norfolk Medieval Graffiti Survey, who are cataloging the grafitti. (photos)

William of Kensham was a resistance fighter in Kent, England who fought the French forces of Prince Louis in 1216, and he might, according to historian Sean McGlynn, be the basis for the Robin Hood myth.

Officials from English Heritage have cancelled the 2013 re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings set for the weekend of 12 and 13 October. The reason given was that the weather damage to the field from last year's torrential rains, and continuing bad weather have left the field in need of being re-seeded.

Depicting the murder of Thomas Becket, this medieval wall painting is on the verge of disappearing.

A manuscript chronicling the history of Reading Abbey is on display for the first time at the Berkshire Records Office in Reading, England. The manuscript, consisting of parchment folios bound into a book, was created in the 1340s, and was purchased from a private owner for UK£36,000.

In gratitude for the loan of the Lewis Chessmen for the Manx National Heritage's Forgotten Kingdom exhibition, MNH director Edmond Southworth presented the British Museum's Naomi Speakman with a set of stamps featuring the medieval chess set. The stamps were issued to the public on January 11, 2013. (photos)

A tiny scrap of wool fleece, found in a grave, has helped to date an early Christian church in Maryport, Cumbria, England. The wool, which dated to the 3rd or 4th century CE, showed that a structure, accompanied by Christian burials, was probably a Christian church from the late Roman period.

The owner of an automobile in Ludlow, Shropshire, England has an unusual claim after 33 ft (10m) of the town's medieval wall collapsed, showering the car with debris. "Luckily no-one was injured when the wall collapsed," said Rosanna Taylor-Smith, councillor for Ludlow North.

Hadrian's Wall faces a new challenge: waterlogged trails that are causing grass and soil erosion along the trail. Natural England has awarded the Hadrian’s Wall Trust UK£50,000 for drain repair, but visitors can also help.

Divisive arguments, including death threats, mar the decision on where to bury the remains of Richard III.

The recent discovery of the Macclesfield Alphabet Book brought smiles to the lips of experts at the British Library. The 16th century 'model' or 'pattern' book was designed to display the skills of the illuminator for potential clients. (photos)

Digging for a new rail line in london, England has revelaed a mass grave with 13 skeletons in it. Dates based on pottery indicate that the graves date to the mid 1300s.

The body seach continues. This time the target is Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who died in 1530, and was Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII. Wolsey died and was buried at Leicester Abbey. Now city councillor Ross Willmott wants to search for Wolsey's remains.

An enameled bronze Roman cockeral has been restored after being found in a child's grave.

A recent Wikipedia feature showcases Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire, England, a 16th century house which is, according to the national Trust,  "lifted straight from a fairy story, a gingerbread house."

A copy of a doctorial dissertation by Canadian scholar Emily Frances Winerock has been placed in the University of Toronto Research Repository. An abstract of the paper, Reformation and Revelry: The Practices and Politics of Dancing in Early Modern England, c.1550-c.1640, is available online.

A grad student visiting Fort Vancouver, Washington (USA) in 1982 noticed some bricks at the fort that didn't look like the others. Analysis later revealed that these bricks were made in Roman England.

16th century Wymering Manor, in Portsmouth, England, has had a varied history, from a family home to a residence for a Catholic religious order, but few dispute that it is now home to as many as 20 ghosts. The ghosts, however, may be the saving grace for the battered building which requires nearly UK£2m.

Forensic analysis of the heart of Richard I of England, the Lionheart, have revelaed traces mint, myrtle, and frankincense, indicating the heart was embalmed. The heart was probably wrapped in linen.

Early in the 5th century, the Romans departed from Britain, leaving behind roads, artifacts, walls, and something else. A new DNA study shows that up to 4 million British men carry Italian genetics, and of that, one million probably originate with the Romans.

A minor automobile accident has damaged the entrance and corner post of Curson Lodge, Ipswich's "finest" Tudor house. The building dates to 1480 and was a guesthouse of the Curson House estate owned by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.

Have questions about how to dress your hair or wear a headdress English-style? Tufts University can help with its website entitled Jewels, Hair and Accessories of the Middle Ages.

The Richard III Society has submitted a proposed tomb to hold the recently-identified remains of King Richard III. While no site was specified for it, the "limestone monument would blend modern and medieval style decorations to reflect the king's life." (photo)

A stash of "street toys", dated from 1570-1630, was unearthed in an old stairwell of the Market Harborough parish church, England.