Somerset

Bath and North East Somerset

Join us for an exclusive look at our Archaeology Collections Store at Temple Cloud and find out more about the behind-the-scenes work our curators and conservators do to care for the sites and collections not on display.

There will also be an opportunity for hands-on sessions, giving you the chance to see some of our collection objects up close.

This event has been graded as moderate access due to some areas of uneven ground and steps at the venue. Please be aware that the event takes place on the first floor of the building and access is via a set of interior stairs.

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Members' Event:

Join our team to discover more about this rare survival of an early Norman enclosure castle. Rather than having a keep or motte, like most Norman castles, Eynsford was instead protected by an extensive curtain wall. Today, parts of the wall survive to their impressive full height alongside the remains of the hall building, where the inhabitants would have lived. Learn about why the castle was built, whose lands it was protecting and what was discovered during excavations of the site.

The access grade for this tour is moderate. It involves walking over uneven terrain with few places to stop and rest. We'll be outside for the tour, so please wear suitable footwear and dress for the weather.

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Members' Week:

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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In AD 43, a Roman army landed at Richborough to begin a war of conquest. A hundred years ago, archaeologists discovered the remains of their beachhead defences, including a fortified gateway.

in 2023 English Heritage unveiled a reconstruction of that gateway, on the site of the original. Join Dr Andrew Roberts (Properties Historian) and Matt Town (Craftsman Carpenter) to hear the story behind it, and how history, archaeology, theory and practice came together in construction.

This event is graded as moderate access due to navigating uneven terrain and steps

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Join us on an immersive tour of Framlingham Castle dating from its Saxon origins all the way to its present day influence on music. Discover the tales of barons and dukes who once called this castle home, and learn about the visit of Queen Mary I, adding a royal touch to its storied past. See the workhouse and its impact on the social history of the site all the way to the influence on one very famous song.

This tour will explore all areas of the castle and has the added option to go to Framlingham Church afterwards.

It has been graded as moderate due to uneven surfaces and stairs.

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Join us in a captivating journey through time as we celebrate three centuries of garden design at Marble Hill.

Discover the hidden tales woven into Marble Hill’s greenery as Emily Parker, Curator of Gardens & Landscape History, unveils the secrets behind the meticulously designed landscape. From the influence of Alexander Pope and Charles Bridgeman to the gardeners and workmen that bought their vision to life, explore the artistry that shaped these grounds. Emily will lead you on a captivating tour, sharing anecdotes about the plants, layout, and people who sculpted this 18th-century masterpiece.

This event is graded as easy access.

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Join our expert guide to learn all about the third largest complex of standing stones in England. Discover all that is currently known about this impressive prehistoric site, from the folklore to the geophysical survey that transformed the view of the site.

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

BOOK NOW - 11AM

BOOK NOW - 1PM

Join our site volunteers for a tour of the newly acquired northern henge at Thornborough.

Our guides will take you on a journey through the history of this fascinating site.

This event is graded as moderate access, as it is a walking tour covering uneven ground with limited places to stop and sit down.

BOOK NOW - 11AM

BOOK NOW - 1.30PM

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 Curator, Dr Peter Moore and Conservator, Sally Johnson for a behind the scenes tour of the attics at Audley End House. This will include seeing many artefacts that are not currently on show to the public. Hear about how English Heritage care for these objects and about their fascinating history.

This event has been graded as moderate access due the climbing of numerous staircases in the building.

BOOK NOW – 11AM

BOOK NOW – 1.30PM

Join our team of volunteers on a tour of the world's first iron bridge and discover the secrets of Britain's industrial past.

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

Join Tony Powell, lecturer on English social history, who has researched and studied the Cistercian community of Rievaulx for the last 25 years. Explore Rievaulx's remarkable early architectural style and developments.

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

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Learn about the process of making our English Heritage branded wines and meads with expert winemakers at Lyme Bay Winery. Try a delicious range of unique and award winning wines and meads whilst exploring the Cellar Door Shop.

This tour is graded as easy access, and is restricted to adults over 18 years of age.

BOOK NOW - 11AM

BOOK NOW - 1PM

BOOK NOW - 3PM

Join us for a unique opportunity to create your very own book-folded item, all for free, within the historic walls of Cinque Ports Prison.

This hands-on activity is complemented by an insightful talk about the recently opened building, offering a fascinating glimpse into its history and significance.

Don't miss this chance to unleash your creativity while exploring one of the area's newest historical attractions!

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Join us for a talk exploring the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Learn how the demise of England’s abbeys and priories affected, not just the religious communities, but everyone in Tudor society. The talk is set amongst the evocative remains of Battle Abbey, bringing to life its final days as the abbey’s monks and servants prepared to close its doors on over 450 years of religious worship.

This tour has been graded as easy access with step-free access to the discovery room.

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Experience a guided tour of Rotherwas, the cherished chapel of the Roman Catholic Bodenham family. Explore its fascinating architectural history including Elizabethan timber roof, 18th-century tower and Victorian interior updated by Edward Welby Pugin (the son of AWN Pugin, architect of the Houses of Parliament). Find out how Rotherwas Chapel was an integral part of a sizeable manor house for over six centuries.

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 - 2PM

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 us for a tour of the Service Wing of Audley End House, discover how the service wing functions have evolved over the centuries, and get an insight of the jobs and the people who worked there.

This event is graded as easy access and is wheelchair accessible, though visitors should be aware that the service wing has uneven flooring in places.

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Join our guide for a tour around the Wall Roman Site and find out more about the lives and work of the Roman officials, soldiers and imperial messengers who might have passed through this key staging post on Watling Street, the Roman military road to north Wales.

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.

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Come to Marble Hill and learn about our trees and the work we've done in regard to trees across the park! Our wonderful guides will lead you around Marble Hill Park, showing you our wonderful collection of trees!

   Meet at the cafe at 1pm.

  This event runs every 2nd Friday of the Month.

Tree Tour At Marble Hill

Founded in the late 12th century by the Earl of Lincoln, Cleeve Abbey remains home to an exceptionally preserved 13th-century tile pavement. On this tour, led by one of the English Heritage Assistant Curators, you'll learn about the fascinating history of the medieval tile and how we care for it.

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

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Dover Castle, known as 'the key to England', has a long and eventful history in defending the realm for over nine centuries. This tour will unlock more of the castle's history and take you behind doors that are closed to the general public.

This event is graded as moderate access as you will be on your feet and going up and down steps and stairs with little time to rest throughout the duration of the tour.

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. 

Members' Event:

English Heritage

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