Forget prim bonnets and polite parlours – Cunny Corner is here to tell you what really went on in the back alleys, taverns, and courtrooms of Victorian Barnstaple.
Hosted by local historian Sue Pengelly and writer Stef Fox, this brand-new podcast dives into the scandal, hardships, and gallows humour of the town’s 19th-century prostitutes.
Not so much about genteel ladies ... more about gin, gossip and grit.
Each episode revives the voices of individuals – such as Sarah Hammett, Eliza Boastfield, Mary Heard, and others – who faced poverty, prejudice and pompous magistrates with wit, resilience, and an unshakeable sisterhood.
Sue has pieced together their stories using court records, newspaper clippings, historical documentation and the town’s oral history and, in conversation with Stef, reveals how these women made their own rules in a world that tried to break them.
“They weren’t just names in police reports – they were mothers, rebels, and entrepreneurs, trying to feed themselves and their children,” says Sue. “As well as very real and incredibly brave … with, quite frankly, some cracking stories.”
Packed with meticulous research, laugh-out-loud moments, and just enough filth to mean you’ll have to listen through headphones if kids are around, Cunny Corner is history with its corset unlaced.
Expect:
- True tales from Barnstaple’s underbelly – raw, witty, and 100% real
- Women who fought back, looked out for each other, and gave Victorian respectability the side eye
- A great mix of historical fact and bawdy banter
- Stories that will make you gasp, grin, and maybe Google a few old slang words!
CUNNY CORNER – THE PODCAST LIFTING THE SKIRTS OF VICTORIAN BARNSTAPLE
Barnstaple, North Devon, UK.
Cunny Corner is available now on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Amazon, Spotify
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Website: cunnycorner.co.uk
Instagram @cunnycorner
Facebook @cunnycorner
TikTok @cunnycorner
