History

Gloucestershire

Forest of Dean

Join us on Saturday 11 July as we commemorate the 380th anniversary of the 1646 Siege of Goodrich Castle and step back into one of the most dramatic episodes in the castle's history.

Encounter historical reenactors, discover the story of the siege, and explore the castle through our interactive 'Would You Survive the Siege? Trail'. Will you join the Royalist defenders or the Parliamentarian attackers? As you make your way through the castle, you'll face a series of choices inspired by real events from 1646, with each decision determining your fate.

From dwindling supplies and daring raids to the fearsome Roaring Meg mortar, uncover the challenges faced by those caught up in the siege and discover whether you have what it takes to survive.

A fascinating day of history and adventure for visitors of all ages. Choose your side. Shape your story. Survive the siege.

380th Anniversary Of The Siege Celebration At Goodrich Castle

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer at Carisbrooke Castle, inspired by timeless holiday traditions and a fun day out for the whole family.

Enjoy the fairground activities, pick up new tricks at the circus skills station and dive in to some puppet antics. Kick back in a deck chair with a delicious ice cream and soak up the summer.

Plus, kids can grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete their summer adventure.

Great British Summer At Carisbrooke Castle

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer at Dover Castle, inspired by timeless holiday traditions and a fun day out for the whole family.

Enjoy the fairground activities, pick up new tricks at the circus skills station and dive in to some puppet antics. Kick back in a deck chair with a delicious ice cream and soak up the summer.

Plus, kids can grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete their summer adventure.

Great British Summer At Dover Castle

Join us at Goodrich Castle in the summer holidays for The Three Trials of Knighthood. Young squires will test their balance, aim and creativity through a series of exciting knight challenges.

From carrying the Dragon’s Egg to mastering the Ring of Precision and building a mighty Watchtower.

Complete all three trials and earn the honour of knighthood in this unforgettable family-friendly experience.

The Three Trials Of Knighthood At Goodrich Castle

Spend a Sunday at Eltham Palace and Gardens listening to live music.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café and enjoy a wonderful day of music.

Book early and save 15%

Sunday Music At Eltham Palace And Gardens

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer at Beeston Castle, inspired by timeless holiday traditions and a fun day out for the whole family.

Enjoy the fairground activities, pick up new tricks at the circus skills station and dive in to some puppet antics. Kick back in a deck chair with a delicious ice cream and soak up the summer.

Plus, kids can grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete their summer adventure.

Great British Summer At Beeston Castle

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer at Framlingham Castle, inspired by timeless holiday traditions and a fun day out for the whole family.

Enjoy the fairground activities, pick up new tricks at the circus skills station and dive in to some puppet antics. Kick back in a deck chair with a delicious ice cream and soak up the summer.

Plus, kids can grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete their summer adventure.

Great British Summer At Framlingham Castle

Spend a Sunday at Down House listening to live music.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café and enjoy a wonderful day of music.

Book early and save 15%

Sunday Music At Down House

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer at Scarborough Castle, inspired by timeless holiday traditions and a fun day out for the whole family.

Enjoy the fairground activities, pick up new tricks at the circus skills station and dive in to some puppet antics. Kick back in a deck chair with a delicious ice cream and soak up the summer.

Plus, kids can grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete their summer adventure.

Great British Summer At Scarborough Castle

Spend a Sunday at Walmer Castle and Gardens listening to live music.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café and enjoy a wonderful day of music.

Book early and save 15%

Sunday Music At Walmer Castle And Gardens

Spend a Sunday at Brodsworth Hall and Gardens listening to live music.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café and enjoy a wonderful day of music.

Book early and save 15%

Sunday Music At Brodsworth Hall

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer at Stonehenge, inspired by timeless holiday traditions and a fun day out for the whole family.

Enjoy the fairground activities, pick up new tricks at the circus skills station and dive in to some puppet antics. Kick back in a deck chair with a delicious ice cream and soak up the summer.

Plus, kids can grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete their summer adventure.

Great British Summer At Stonehenge

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer at Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden, inspired by timeless holiday traditions and a fun day out for the whole family.

Enjoy the fairground activities, pick up new tricks at the circus skills station and dive in to some puppet antics. Kick back in a deck chair with a delicious ice cream and soak up the summer.

Plus, kids can grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete their summer adventure.

Great British Summer At Kenilworth Castle

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer at Pendennis Castle, inspired by timeless holiday traditions and a fun day out for the whole family.

Enjoy the fairground activities, pick up new tricks at the circus skills station and dive in to some puppet antics. Kick back in a deck chair with a delicious ice cream and soak up the summer.

Plus, kids can grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete their summer adventure.

Great British Summer At Pendennis Castle

This summer, Belsay Hall hosts a new exhibition in partnership with Northumbria University.

Make and Mend brings together around 20 artists, inviting their creative responses to Belsay’s rich heritage through a range of disciplines, including textiles, furniture, photography, and architectural studies.

The exhibition blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary techniques, celebrating both the history of making and the ongoing art of preservation.

This event is included with your general admission to Belsay Hall. Book early and save 15%. Members go free.

Make And Mend At Belsay Hall

Join us for a weekend of digging, building and creating as we explore how we find out about the past through the things people left behind.

There will be the chance to handle real archaeological finds from Cleeve Abbey, take part in a simulated mini-dig, dress up as Cistercian monks for a photo or for TikTok and design your own tile floor.

Bring a picnic to enjoy in the beautiful abbey grounds.

This event is included with admission to Cleeve Abbey which you can book in advance below to save 15%. Members go free.

Archaeology Fun Days At Cleeve Abbey

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer at Osborne, inspired by timeless holiday traditions and a fun day out for the whole family.

Enjoy the fairground activities, pick up new tricks at the circus skills station and dive in to some puppet antics. Kick back in a deck chair with a delicious ice cream and soak up the summer.

Plus, kids can grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete their summer adventure.

Great British Summer At Osborne

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer at Whitby Abbey, inspired by timeless holiday traditions and a fun day out for the whole family.

Enjoy the fairground activities, pick up new tricks at the circus skills station and dive in to some puppet antics. Kick back in a deck chair with a delicious ice cream and soak up the summer.

Plus, kids can grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete their summer adventure.

Great British Summer At Whitby Abbey

Spend a Sunday at Wrest Park listening to live music.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café and enjoy a wonderful day of music.

Book early and save 15%

Sunday Music At Wrest Park

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer at Audley End House and Gardens, inspired by timeless holiday traditions and a fun day out for the whole family.

Enjoy the fairground activities, pick up new tricks at the circus skills station and dive in to some puppet antics. Kick back in a deck chair with a delicious ice cream and soak up the summer.

Plus, kids can grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete their summer adventure.

Great British Summer At Audley End House And Gardens

Spend a Sunday at Battle Abbey listening to live music.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café and enjoy a wonderful day of music.

Book early and save 15%

Sunday Music At Battle Abbey

Audley End is celebrated for its magnificence: beautifully furnished rooms and fine objects, carefully arranged and presented for visitors. Yet above these showpiece interiors lies another, lesser-known world.

Running from May to November 2026, Behind Closed Doors is a new exhibition that offers a rare glimpse into the hidden second-floor rooms, long closed to the public. Once guest bedrooms and servants’ quarters, they now function as store rooms, revealing a quieter side of life within the house.

Through the photographs of Lachlan French and Clive Downes, these interiors evoke a faded splendour, carefully preserved as if a moment frozen in time.

In contrast to the rooms below, they offer a more subtle beauty, shaped by memory, atmosphere, and the traces of lives once lived behind closed doors.

This event is included with general admission. Book in advance to save 15%. Members go free.

Behind Closed Doors:

BACONSTHORPE CASTLE, NORTH NORFOLK

North Nofolk is home to landscapes steeped in memory, and few places hold presence quite like Baconsthorpe Castle. 

Set within the tranquil valley near to the village of Baconsthorpe, the castle ruins date back to the 15th century and were once the seat of the powerful Heydon family. Surrounded by earthworks, water meadows, and ancient stone, the site carries a deep sense of continuity where history, land and silence still speak.

This year we are honoured to bring a ReAlign Alchemy sound bath to the ruins of Baconsthorpe Castle, offering a rare opportunity to experience therapeutic sound within  a site shaped by centuries of Norfolk heritage energy.

  SUNDAY 26TH JULY 2026

Within the castle grounds, surrounded by the moat we will hold a one hour ReAlign sound journey, working with live acoustic instruments attuned to support the nervous system, energetic healing and astral travel.

Featuring:

Grotta Sonora Gongs

Crystal Tones Alchemy Singing Bowls

Tibetan Healing Bowls

Japanese Koshi Chimes

Planetary Tuned Chimes

Quartz Crystal Sacred Geometries

Ritual sounds designed to awaken, clear, and align

ALL MATS, BLANKETS, AND CUSHIONS ARE PROVIDED FOR YOU.

SCHEDULE:

Park in the carpark at the entrance to the site at 12:45 pm.

Sound Bath: 1– 2:00pm

Following the event, you are welcome to stay and explore/reflect within the grounds.

PLEASE BRING:

Layers of warm, comfortable clothing (this is an open-air event)

Water/suncream if required

ACCESSIBILITY:

Parking spaces are available just a few minutes walk from the aoundbath location.

Ground is natural and uneven in places; sturdy footwear is recommended.

In the event of poor weather on the day, this event will be rescheduled.

This is a rare opportunity invited exclusively by English Heritage, it would be a pleasure to share this with you. Let the land, history, and frequency meet you where you are and carry you into a deeper place within. Spaces are genuinely limited, and so if you’d like to join us, please book quickly.

Realign™ Special Sites Sound Bath At Baconsthorpe Castle

Spend a Sunday at Brodsworth Hall and Gardens listening to live music.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café and enjoy a wonderful day of music.

Join us on:

Sunday 5 July – Harworth Brass Band

Sunday 12 July – Deepcar Brass Band

Sunday 19 July – Dinnington Brass Band

Sunday 26 July – Leeds Community Concert Band

Sunday 2 August – Thurcroft Welfare Band

Sunday 9 August – Lofthouse Brass Band

Sunday 16 August – Maltby Miners Welfare Band

Sunday 23 August – Barnsley Brass Band

Sunday 30 August – Oughtibridge Brass Band

Book early and save 15%

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. 

380th Anniversary Of The Siege Celebration At Goodrich Castle

English Heritage

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