History

Exhibition

Arts & Crafts

Halloween

Shropshire

Spiders, Spooks and Ratssss

Join us at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings to make you very own haunted decorations for Halloween. Get yourself ready for the scary season by making a spiral spook, a super spider, or a splendid rat to take home with you.

You can also participate all week in a special Rat Trail in the exhibition. Follow the knitted rats in the exhibition to learn about Dorothy Clayden, the lady rat killer at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings in World War Two. These unique rats will also be for sale in the shop while stocks last.

Free craft activities - 

Join us from Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 October from 10am - 2pm

for free drop in craft sessions. The activities are sutiable for children aged 2 to 12. Older Siblings welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. You do not need to purchase admission to take part in these activities.

The activities are funded by a donation from the Friends of Flaxmill Maltings via the Historic England Foundation.

Dorothy Clayden Rat Trail

Join us from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November from 10am - 4pm and follow the rat trail within the exhibition. Usual exhibition prices apply. Book your tickets below. Members go free.

Halloween Half-Term At Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings

The BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair returns to Audley End House and Gardens from Friday 11 - Sunday 13 September.

Look forward to a day out packed with seasonal garden inspiration, expertise from a line-up including Gardeners’ World presenters Adam Frost, Frances Tophill, Ashley Edwards and Sue Kent. There will be plants to buy, hands-on workshops, shopping and entertainment. It's all included in your Autumn Fair ticket.

Tickets include entry to Audley End House and Gardens, and well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome to join the fun in the outside areas. Children under 5 can come for free with great value family tickets available.

BOOK TICKETS TO BBC GARDENERS' WORLD FAIR

English Heritage member? Please click the link above and select the English Heritage members option to book your tickets. You will need to input your membership number when asked, and must be able to show your valid membership card on the day.

Members can enjoy the Autumn Fair at Audley End with special ticket prices and extra benefits too:

• Members tickets valid for entry at any time from 10am – 5pm

• Discounted Member rates, from £16 for adults to £10.50 for children (aged 5-17)

• FREE Member Parking (usually £5 in advance or £7 on the day)

• FREE BBC Magazine with Adult/Over 65s Member tickets

Not a member? Please click the button above and select general admission to book tickets

Make your day out at the Autumn Fair extra special

When booking tickets, be sure to browse the added extras including Autumn Bouquet Making, tasting sessions on the Autumn Table, plus, hugely popular Plant Expert Tours of Audley End’s famous organic kitchen gardens.

Bbc Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair At Audley End

Spend a Sunday at Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden 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%

September Music At Kenilworth Castle

Step back in time at Reculver Towers and Roman Fort and discover a fascinating story spanning centuries. Explore the remains of the Roman fort, learn about the medieval church, and admire the iconic twin towers that have stood sentry over the Kent coast for hundreds of years. It's the perfect opportunity to take a look inside and climb to the top of the north tower for an amazing view.

Throughout Heritage Open Days at Reculver Towers and Roman Fort, enjoy short history talks bringing to life Reculver's remarkable past, with plenty of opportunities to ask questions and discover more about this unique place.

On Fri 11 - Sun 13 Sept don’t miss the Conservation in Action van, where you can get hands-on and learn how English Heritage cares for historic places, preserving them for future generations.

Heritage Open Days At Reculver

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%

September Music At Brodsworth Hall

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

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:

Join AJ in the beautiful grounds of Audley End House & Gardens, Saffron Walden, for authentic, inclusive yoga in a truly unique setting. This is a third-party event, independently hosted by AJ and taking place at Audley.

On dry days, classes take place on the lawns beneath the shade of magnificent oak trees. If the weather isn't on our side, we'll move indoors to the elegant Cipriani Room within the stately home, ensuring a welcoming space whatever the forecast.

Classes run at 11:00am and 12:00pm, with each session lasting 50 minutes.

Please enter through the main gate and let the team know you're attending yoga. Then make your way to the North Lobby, where AJ will meet you five minutes before the start of your class.

Bring a yoga mat, towel or blanket to practise on, along with any props that help you feel comfortable. Cushions, scarves and jumpers can all make excellent supports.

AJ's classes are rooted in traditional yogic teachings, creating a welcoming environment to explore movement, breath and mindfulness. Open to all levels, each session encourages you to connect with your body in a way that feels supportive, accessible and authentic.

Book your tickets here.

Yoga At Audley End

As part of Heritage Open Day, Ranger’s House is running a series of free talks and tours under this year’s theme of ‘Everyday Histories'. Running Ranger's House is a walking tour on the history of servants and ladies of the house, talking about both Ranger's House and its (now lost) neighbours.

This event has been graded as moderate access due to some areas of uneven ground and steps within the venue.

While the tours are free, pre-booking is essential.

BOOK TICKETS FOR RUNNING RANGER'S HOUSE

Heritage Open Day:

Celebrate the changing season and spend an afternoon at Kenilworth Castle listening to live music in the beautiful grounds, every Sunday in September.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café and enjoy the wonderful music. The perfect relaxing Sunday.

Performances will take place at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

Join us on:

Sun 6 Sep – Akiharu Kitagawa - Discover the beautiful sound of the koto, Japan's traditional 13-string instrument. Akiharu Kitagawa brings traditional Japanese and contemporary music together.

Sun 13 Sep – Caribbean Harmony - Experience the vibrant sounds by the Caribbean Harmony trio, featuring calypso, reggae, pop, jazz, and Latin music played on authentic steel pans.

Sun 20 Sep at 11am and 1pm – Dhol Blasters - Enjoy the vibrant energy of Bhangra, blending traditional rhythms with Western influences.

Sun 20 Sep at 3pm – Stringbeats

Immerse yourself in the vibrant blend of Indian classical music and contemporary Bollywood melody, performed on sitar, tabla and sarangi.

Sun 27 Sep – Chalemie - Experience the enchanting sounds of medieval and early music to life with a captivating mix of voice, lute, hurdy-gurdy and more.

Book early and save 15%

Sunday Music At Kenilworth Castle

Celebrate the changing season and spend an afternoon at Brodsworth Hall listening to live music in the beautiful grounds, every Sunday in September.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café and enjoy the wonderful music. The perfect relaxing Sunday.

The set times will be at 11.30am, 1pm and 3pm throughout the days.

Join us on:

Sun 6 Sep – Generation Groove - Enjoy a day of uplifting swing, jazz, and pop music with this talented community band.

Sun 13 Sep – The Honeybirds Jazz Quartet - Delight in the stunning harmonies and beautiful vintage wardrobe of this unforgettable jazz quartet.

Sun 20 Sep – Catherine Rannus Trio - Discover the effortless vocals of this accomplished trio, performing a range of music on piano, bass, sax and flute.

Sun 27 Sep – Room21 Big Band - Experience a day of feel-good swing music and uplifting vocal harmony from this fabulous big band.

Book early and save 15%

Sunday Music At Brodsworth Hall

Step into the fascinating story of Audley End and discover the people and events that helped shape this wonderful house.

To mark the 400th anniversary of the death of Thomas Howard, an exhibition of five paintings tells the story of three generations of a family who played a significant part in the development of Audley End. Two of the paintings have never previously been displayed at Audley End.

Alongside the exhibition, our volunteers invite you to enjoy a special performance, ‘Monasteries, Mansions, Marriage and Mayhem’. Hear the stories of the characters behind the house and discover how each played their part over the years.

Performance dates:

9 September at 11.30am

14 October at 11.30am and 1.30pm

21 October at 11.30am and 1.30pm

22 October at 11.30am and 1.30pm

Sign up at the Visitor Information Centre on the day of your visit. You will need admission to Audley End House and Gardens which you can purchase here. Members go free.

Monasteries, Mansions, Marriage And Mayhem

I Like The Sound of That present an evening of Trad and Swing Jazz in the relaxing atmosphere of the Café Garden at Kenwood. A talented band of musicians will play two eclectic sets with a soundtrack of great Jazz recordings before, between and after the live music.

There will be a bar for refreshing drinks throughout the evening with light eats provided by the Brew House Café. The Garden Shop and Secondhand Bookshop will also be open and be selling gifts and memorable items to catch your eye.

Doors will open at 6pm. The Soundtrack will start at 7pm and the live music will begin at 7.30pm.

The live music is made up of 2 45 minute sets, the first is from 7.30 - 8.15pm, the second is at 8.45 - 9.30pm. The Soundtrack will be played from 9.30pm til the event finishes at 10pm.

Jazz Night At Kenwood

Join us on a walking tour around Dunstanburgh, one of Britain's most spectacular castles built in 1313. Research by English Heritage suggests that despite its proximity to the Scottish border, its builder, Thomas of Lancaster - who was the richest man in England after the king - was not really interested in its military value.

Instead, he was harnessing Arthurian mythology to signal his opposition to the king and building himself a refuge of last resort in case that opposition backfired (and it did!). Join English Heritage landscape historian Dr Al Oswald on a walk along Northumberland's beautiful coastal path, spanning prehistory to the Cold War.

Note that there is a long walk (about 45 minutes) along the level coast path to reach the Castle from the village of Craster, with no shelter or facilities along the way. The castle itself sits on a low hill and we will be following rough, narrow footpaths around it. Possibly suitable for off-road pushchairs but not for wheelchairs. Under 16s are welcome but the tour content is aimed at adults.

Bookings will open on Wednesday 15 July at 9am.

Members' Event:

Start your weekend feeling refreshed with a session of Community Yoga set against the backdrop of Marble Hill and its beautiful surroundings. A community-based event - just bring a mat and join in!

This event is sutiable for adults and over 12s only.

Visit the Lotus and Laurely Yoga website for more details on how to book in for a session and more information about Community Yoga at Marble Hill.

Community Yoga At Marble Hill

Explore our medieval Great Hall, where local artisans and makers will showcase their works, including jewelery, pottery, artwork and more. More stalls including plants will be found on the Turning Circle.

Plus, join us on the South Lawn, where visitors can enjoy a relaxed afternoon with music, join in with self-led children's lawn games and have a wander in our award wining gardens.

There will be free garden tours running throughout the day at selected times.

This event is included with your admission. Book in advance and save 15%. Members get free entry.

Autumn Fair At Eltham Palace And Gardens

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. 

Halloween Half-Term At Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings

English Heritage

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