History

Child Health and Development

Tour

London

Bromley

English Heritage in partnership with the National Garden Scheme is delighted to be offering you the chance to experience the beautiful gardens of Down House in the early evening when the site is closed to the public.

Meet the Head Gardener and members of their team for a tour of the gardens. Get an insight into how the team develop and enhance these wonderful spaces, carefully managed to ensure how they are presented today reflects their rich history.

You will have the opportunity to ask questions of the team as you experience the gardens at this very special event.

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Proceeds from the event will go to fund nursing and health charities through the National Garden Scheme, which raises millions of pounds per year for organisations like Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, and Hospice UK. Find out more, and discover other special garden visits near you, on the National Garden Scheme website.

Exclusive Evening Garden Tour At Down House

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

Members' Week:

Join Blue Badge Guide John McFerran for a tour of the largest cathedral in the UK, then explore Rodney Street to hear stories of the famous figures who were born or lived along it, including four-time prime minister William Gladstone.

This tour is graded as moderate access as it is a walking tour with few places to stop and sit down.

BOOK NOW - 11AM

BOOK NOW - 2PM

Step back in time and uncover the rich tapestry of history woven into the very stones of Pevensey Castle. Spanning nearly two millennia, this remarkable site has witnessed the rise and fall of empires, from its origins as a Roman fort to its transformation by the Normans, its use by royalty, and its role as a Second World War training ground.

In 1216, amidst the turmoil of King John's war with the barons, Pevensey Castle faced destruction by royal decree. Join Dr. Richard Nevell on an immersive tour of the castle ruins, where he will piece together the dramatic events of that fateful year. Through meticulous evidence and captivating storytelling, you'll gain insight into the castle's impact on Pevensey and the broader implications for medieval royal power.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to explore the echoes of history and discover the secrets of Pevensey Castle.

This tour has been graded as moderate due to uneven surfaces.

BOOK NOW - 11AM

BOOK NOW - 2PM

Join our volunteer guide on a tour of Finchale Priory and learn all the answers to your questions about Benedictine monks and their life at Finchale. How did you become a Benedictine Monk? Were they allowed to talk? What did the monks wear? And many more.

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

BOOK NOW - 11AM

BOOK NOW - 2PM

Join us on an exclusive tour of Constable's Tower at Dover Castle. Our expert guide will take you through the doors of an area that usually doesn't allow access to visitors. Be one of the few to learn the secrets and history of this building up close!

This tour is graded as moderate access, as it includes climbing a large number of stairs.

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Join us at the picturesque Easby Abbey to hear about the incredible life and times of Robert Bampton, the abbey's last abbot.

This event is graded as moderate access, due to undulating ground with few places to stop and sit down.

BOOK NOW

Join our Garden Team for a walk and talk around some of the significant trees in the landscape at Audley End House and Gardens.

This tour is graded as easy access although it does involve some walking and potentially some stairs or uneven terrain.

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Join us for a literary tour of Byland Abbey! From Chaucer to Ken Follett, we'll explore 700 years of remarkable (and scandalous) monks, nuns and friars in print.

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

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Get a chance to meet one of the Audley End horses in this intimate session in our Victorian stable yard. This session will include an introduction to safety around our horses on-site, an opportunity to meet them, hear what they spend their days doing, and learn about the care they need. While you will be able to say hi, not everyone will get a chance to groom one of the horses.

The access grade for this tour is moderate. It takes place outside a historic building and has uneven flooring in places. Please take note that this event takes place at a working stable and that every child must be accompanied by at least one adult. Everyone joining the experience must book a ticket. The activity may also involve some moderate physical activity.

BOOK NOW – 10.30AM

BOOK NOW – 2.45PM

Join us at Deal Castle for a tour of the Captain of Deal Castle's Garden. Discover the history of how the garden came to be, how its purpose changed over the years, and what plans the gardeners have for the future.

This even is graded as moderate access as it requires navigating uneven terrain and some steps.

BOOK NOW

Join the Stables Team at Carisbrooke Castle to bring the donkeys out for their day greeting visitors.

Help give them their breakfast and see some of their morning routine.

This event is graded as easy access and is suitable for all ages except under-5s.

BOOK NOW

Join Thursday Cottage, producers of English Heritage's range of curds, jams and preserves, for a tour of their farm and factory. Get an insight into the process of picking, preserving, and packing our range of fruit preserves with their experts.

This tour is graded as moderate access, and there is restricted access for wheelchairs in the factory.

Join us for an exclusive members-only event to uncover the fascinating connections between history and nature. Led by arboriculturist Nick Johnson, this event will delve into the stories of the veteran trees that stand as silent witnesses to the Roman frontier. Perfect for history enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.

This event has been graded as moderate access.

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Join Keeper of the Wellington Collection, Dr Olivia Fryman, for a special tour of Wellington’s Dutch Masterpieces. This new display in the Piccadilly Drawing Room at Apsley House brings together 18 Dutch paintings purchased by the 1st Duke of Wellington not long after his famous victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. Featuring works by seventeenth century-masters, Nicolaes Maes’ (1634–1693), Pieter de Hooch (1629-1684) and Jan Steen (1626-1679), the paintings reveal an often-overlooked aspect of the Duke’s character and personality; that not only was he a brilliant military man, but also a discerning collector of fine art. Dr Fryman will discuss the 1st Duke’s purchases, the market for art during this period and the appreciation of these paintings for their technical mastery, symbolism and layered meanings.

This event has been graded as 'moderate' access due to needing to navigate staircases.

BOOK NOW

Join our expert guide to learn all about one of the country’s finest accessible examples of a Neolithic chambered tomb. Dating from about 3500 BC, it is 30 metres long and has multiple burial chambers open to view.

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

Join a member of the Carisbrooke gardens team to find out more about the links to Princess Beatrice and how the gardens are managed today.

This event is graded as easy access.

BOOK NOW

Discover the secrets of the wonderful gardens of Brodsworth Hall in this tour led by one of our gardeners.

Explore the grounds to learn about the varied themes and exotic plants of this award-winning garden. Discover how the team bring the gardens back to life in the spring and see what it used to look like with our historical photoboards.

This event is graded as moderate access as there are some stairs and uneven terrain to navigate.

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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

Meet the differing occupations that built the Castle of Chester in the late 13th century. Roam the castle grounds and see demonstrations from stonemasons, carpenters and window glazers to learn the techniques of the trade, medieval style.

This event has been graded as moderate access. There will be limited rest points in the grounds and may include some uneven terrain.

BOOK NOW

Step back in time on this exclusive tour of the early 20th-century gun battery of St Mawes Castle. Built between 1900 and 1904, the battery reflects major contemporary developments in armament technology to protect the shoreline from fast motor torpedo boats. Explore the remains of this fascinating coastal defence which has not been viewed by the public before.

Please note, this event is graded as moderate access as the tour involves walking on uneven terrain, narrow walkways, and steps. There will be limited places to rest throughout the tour.

BOOK NOW - 11AM

BOOK NOW - 2PM

With a varied and turbulent past, this quiet and idyllic ruined country house hides a host of tales of mystery and intrigue. From Wolfric Spott the Saxon to the Arkwrights, the walls of this stately residence are finally setting free their stories. The siege that took place during the Civil War left an indelible mark on its owner who never recovered from the death of his King. Is this site the setting for D H Lawrence's book Lady Chatterley's Lover? And was its 18th Century owner really the model for Hogarth's 'Rakes Progress'?

This event has been graded as moderate access due to uneven terrain, few places to stop and sit and may involve stairs.

Join one of our expert guides for a tour of Farleigh Hungerford, a late-14th-century quadrangular castle. During this tour you will explore the site's rich history and learn more about the Hungerford family who played significant roles in national events between 1400 to 1700.

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

This year marks the 450-year anniversary of Elizabeth I's famous visit to Kenilworth Castle in 1575. Join our guide for a tour around the castle and gardens designed to be fit for a queen. During this tour you will also learn more about the nature of the relationship between Elizabeth I and her favourite Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.

This event is graded as moderate access as it will involve a walking tour with limited places to rest, and some stairs and uneven terrain.

BOOK NOW - 11AM

BOOK NOW - 2PM

Explore the extensive remains of an Augustinian abbey on a guided tour. Together we will discover the architectural features of the abbey and how it transformed over the course of the 12th century into one of the finest medieval abbeys in Shropshire.

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

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. 

Exclusive Evening Garden Tour At Down House

English Heritage

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