Isle of Wight

Experience an exhilarating spectacle of speed and skill as four legendary knights compete in the grand medieval joust. See lances shatter, feel the thunder of hooves and hear the roar of the crowd as reputations are won and lost.

Our fearless fighters and their magnificent horses will charge at each other at full speed in an unforgettable display of chivalry and sheer courage. Each knight represents a character from myth or legend – The Wyvern, The Wildman, Sir Lancelot and Jason of the Argonauts. Who will be your champion?

As spectators cheer their knight and merry music fills the air, immerse yourself in the medieval encampment and meet characters from the past. Watch falcons soar in the skies above, or gasp and giggle at our castle Jester.

Don’t miss one of history’s most spectacular sporting contests - Book online and save 15%.

BOOK TICKETS

Parking for this event is a 5-minute walk from the castle. We encourage visitors with mobility concerns to use the drop-off point by the castle entrance. Disabled parking on site is limited and is on a first-come-first-served basis. Last entry is an hour before closing.

Legendary Joust At Carisbrooke Castle

Chatty Café

First Friday of every month from Friday 4th April - 10am-11.30am.

Join us on the first Friday every month from 10.00-11.30am for a chat and a cuppa. There will always be a volunteer on hand so a chat is guaranteed and there is a free cup of tea as well.

Gainsborough Old Hall has been at the heart of the town’s community for hundreds of years and is the perfect meeting place for locals and visitors alike.

Sometimes the best connections are made over a cup of tea and our Chatty Café days are the perfect way to bring people together.

Memory Café

The first Friday of April and May will be extra special Chatty Café days. We’d love to hear your stories about Gainsborough Old Hall and by sharing them you’ll help us keep history alive for future generations.

Our oral history volunteers will be in the café to hear your memories and share your experience of our wonderful building. Whether it’s how you relatives worked or even lived in the hall or how you attended classes there in the 1980s, were looking to find out more and document memories for future generations.

We’ll have some pictures from the hall’s history in display to help us recollect. Your memories matter and we want to hear them!

Chatty Café At Gainsborough Old Hall

Join our collections team in the Archaeological Collections Store and discover a treasure trove of unique and special objects spanning 2,000 years of England's history. These are objects not normally on display, and form around a third of our total stored collection.

This year the tours will focus on objects from Roman Wroxeter, Hill Hall and Thetford Priory.

Tours are free and can be booked when you arrive at Wrest Park.

Tours will run at 11am and 1pm on the following dates:

7 April

19 May

2 June

16 June

7 July

21 July

4 August

18 August

8 September

22 September

6 October

20 October

Archaeological Collections Store Tours

Join us for a behind the scenes tour of Helmsley Archaeology store!

Tours will be held: 

Friday 4th April – 11:30 & 13:30

Friday 2nd May – 11:30 & 13:30

Friday 6th June - 11:30 & 13:30

Friday 4th July - 11:30 & 13:30

Friday 1st August - 11:30 & 13:30

Friday 19th September - 11:30 & 13:30 – Heritage Open day specials

Saturday 20th September – 10:00 & 11:30 – Heritage Open day specials

Friday 3rd October - 11:30 & 13:30

Guided by members of the collections team, these tours will explore how we look after and care for our collections, our current projects and highlight some of our favourite finds from across the North territory.

To book your place, please email the collections team on Helmsley.Stores@english-heritage.org.uk.

Please specify a date and include a list of all attendees in your email. Tours are free but contributions welcomed. Bookings will be made on a first come, first serve basis.

While tours are free, a £5 per person donation is suggested.

Helmsley Archaeology Store Tours

Enjoy a landscape walk, led by our knowledgeable volunteer! Learn more about Marble Hill's historic landscape and changes made through time. Please meet outside front of house at 1pm.

  Free Tour, just come along!

Landscape Walk

Start the weekend energised with a spot of Community Yoga amongst the backdrop of Marble Hill and it's surroundings! Community based event, meet on the Oval Lawn (Behind House towards River) at 8am.

Community Yoga

Join us at Wrest Park to try your hand at oriental art. Draw inspiration from Wrest Park's chinese wallpaper rooms as you follow the tutelage of artist Alasdair Peebles to practice this delicate art

All materials will be supplied and lunch is provided. No experience is needed, and attendees can take their creative efforts home with them.

This event is graded as easy access although it does involve navigating some flights of stairs.

BOOK NOW - 10AM

BOOK NOW - 1.30PM

Members' Week:

Join us for an unforgettable weekend of fun and festivities at Richmond MayFest 2025, taking place from 3rd to 5th May! This annual celebration has something for everyone, with a vibrant mix of music, dance, drama, and hands-on activities.

Join us at the Castle to step back in time at our Living History Camp: Try on medieval armour, and enjoy daily archery and combat displays. Plus, unleash your inner performer at a circus skills workshop!

Highlights include:

Traditional Maypole Dancing

Uplifting choirs and lively folk music

Energizing samba and Morris dancing

Engaging storytelling sessions

The much-loved MayFest Comedy Play

Check out the full event schedule and plan your visit on the official MayFest website: richmondmayfest.org

Mayfest 2025

A medieval abbot faced two ways. He was in charge of the monastery and 'father' of all the monks. But he was also involved in the secular world of land, patrons and politics. Join our volunteer guide for this interactive talk and tour that describes a day in the life of an Abbot of Byland Abbey.

This tour has been graded as moderate access due to uneven terrain and few places to stop and sit.

BOOK NOW

Step into the paws, hooves and wings of history! Join us for an exciting family friendly event exploring the animals depicted in the Roman artefacts. Discover the wild animals and mythical creatures carved into the ancient stone, perfect for budding archaeologists and animal lovers alike.

Please note that children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Everyone attending the tour requires a ticket.

This event has been graded as easy access.

BOOK NOW

Join our volunteer team at the Beeston Castle Roundhouse to get hands on with objects of the castle's past in a family-friendly handling session. You will be able to see objects from the Neolithic and Bronze Age through to the Victorian period whilst being surrounded by the replica Bronze Age Roundhouse. Please note, children are to be accompanied by an adult at all times.

This event is graded as challenging access as the site has steeps paths and uneven terrain. To access the Roundhouse, it is necessary to walk up a hill and steep steps. Please wear suitable footwear for the terrain.

BOOK NOW – 11AM

BOOK NOW – 1PM

Dust off your magnifying glasses and get ready for sleuthing! On this family friendly tour, you will learn how to find clues around Kenilworth Castle which tell us about the history and function of its historic buildings.

This tour has been designed especially for children but is engaging for all members of the family. Please note, all children must be accompanied by an adult, and everyone attending the tour requires a ticket.

This event has been graded as moderate access. There will be limited places to stop and rest during the walk and may include some uneven terrain and steps.

BOOK NOW - 11AM

BOOK NOW - 1PM

BOOK NOW - 3PM

Join our resident guides for a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at Belsay Hall. Find out what life was like for the soldiers based here during the Second World War and see some of the graffiti they left behind.

This tour is graded as moderate access as there are stairs to navigate and uneven surfaces. This tour is not suitable for mobility-aid users.

BOOK NOW – 11AM

BOOK NOW – 1.30PM

Join our expert guide for a family friendly tour around Farleigh Hungerford Castle this Members' Week. Enjoy this interactive tour packed with story-telling and props, as you learn all about the history of the Hungerford family at Farleigh and uncover their secrets!

Please note, all children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Everyone attending the tour will need a ticket.

This event has been graded as moderate access. There will be limited places to stop and rest during the walk and may include some uneven terrain and steps.

BOOK NOW

Step into the past and explore nearly two millennia of history at Pevensey Castle. In 1216, amidst his war with the barons, King John ordered the destruction of Pevensey Castle. But what really happened during this dramatic period? Join Dr Richard Nevell for an immersive tour around the castle ruins, where he will piece together the evidence to reconstruct the events of 1216. Discover the impact this had on Pevensey and delve into what it reveals about medieval royal power.

This tour has been grade as moderate. This is due to long periods standing and uneven surfaces across the site.

BOOK NOW - 11AM

BOOK NOW - 2PM

Follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin to see where the scientist undertook his experiments to test his theory of evolution.

In the beautiful surroundings of his country house, Down House, explore Darwin's 'Living Landscape Laboratory.' View Emma Darwin's beautiful ornamental gardens and walled garden from which came much of the produce that fed the Darwins and their staff. Hear about the many plants in the glasshouse that were used by Darwin in his botantical research into natural selection.

This tour has been graded as moderate access due to uneven surfaces through the garden and few places to sit down.

BOOK NOW

Join our experienced Deaf guide and historian, John Wilson for a British Sign Language (BSL) tour of Stonehenge.

Discover the incredible story of one of the world’s most famous places in BSL. The tour will cover the history of this unique monument, including theories as to how the stones were brought to Salisbury Plain, where the stones originated from, and the latest research.

Email Stonehenge-Marketing@english-heritage.org.uk to book your free place on the tour.

British Sign Language Guided Tour Of Stonehenge

How were Romans educated? What did they think was the most important part of education? In this session you will discover what a Roman classroom looked liked like, find out how young Romans were taught to read and write and have a go at calculating with Roman numerals. Meet the Roman teacher Quintilian and find out how children never really change!

The access grade for this session is moderate. It involves stairs to reach the education room. We'll be inside for the session in an area that can be cold, so please wear suitable footwear and dress for the weather.

BOOK NOW - 1PM

BOOK NOW - 3PM

English Heritage

English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites - from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edges of the empire to a Cold War bunker. 

Through these, we bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year. 

Legendary Joust At Carisbrooke Castle

English Heritage

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