From ancient grounds once worked on by monks to castles, palaces and grand homes that housed royalty, English Heritage cares for hundreds of historic sites across the country.
The charity’s aim is to conserve and share these precious spaces for generations to come, while sharing the stories of generations past with the public. With their unique power to move visitors – whether that’s thanks to each spot’s history, tranquillity or grandeur – those who have spent time at an English Heritage site often leave with stories of their own to tell.
Here, eight people who enjoyed an unforgettable visit explain what moved them most.
‘I love picnicking among 700-year-old ruins,’ says Linda Harrison, 53, from York
I grew up in rural North Yorkshire, about an hour from Whitby, and we used to go to Whitby Abbey for family day trips: my mum, dad, brother and I packed into the Austin Allegro with the cool box and flask. These days, I visit with my husband and my 12-year-old son, who loves scrambling around the ruins.
The abbey is pretty awe-inspiring. When you’re in the town, it dominates the skyline, and up at the abbey itself, think big skies, towering ruins and open green spaces. We mainly go for a blast of sea air, a wander around the majestic gothic remains and to take in the sweeping clifftop views. I love that you can take a picnic and sit on the 700-year-old ruins. It’s very relaxed, but you’re surrounded by centuries of history.
It’s also worth a stroll around the abbey museum to see its Anglo-Saxon crosses and medieval manuscripts. There’s a rare signed first-edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and they put on open-air performances of Dracula within the abbey ruins too, which is on my bucket list.
Last, in the shadow of the abbey is the church and graveyard, with surely one of the best views in the UK. If you walk there from the town, there are the famous 199 steps to climb, and with the wild North Sea crashing against the harbour below, it takes your breath away. It’s a pretty spooky churchyard, and it really fascinates me. My ancestors were master mariners who lived in Whitby, and generations of them are apparently buried there. It’s a very special place.
‘Our love of Osborne is being passed through the generations,’ says Georgina Slasor, 47, from Colchester
I’ve been visiting Osborne on the Isle of Wight since I was young, and I’ve continued the tradition with my own children. Now, my eldest daughter goes there herself with her fiance, and I am sure she’ll continue with her own family one day.
When we visit, we usually go for two reasons: first, we love exploring the house itself. I love being able to be in the same rooms that were lived in by Queen Victoria, Albert and the royal children, and seeing their belongings set up as they would have been when they were there. New rooms and exhibitions have also opened over the years – for example, when the film Victoria & Abdul was released, there was a display featuring items from the production.
Second, we always make time to walk down to the beach within the grounds. It’s quite stony, with driftwood and rocks, but that’s part of its charm. It’s peaceful and tranquil, and there’s a lovely cafe where you can get an ice-cream and sit in traditional deckchairs.
What I love most about Osborne House is the feeling you get when you’re there. The gardens are full of colour, always beautifully maintained. From there, you can see the path stretching all the way down to the sea with the grand house behind you. It just feels incredibly special.
‘Our family loves imagining what life was like there,’ says Abi Twomlow, 42, from Staffordshire
Without a doubt, my favourite English Heritage site is Croxden Abbey in Staffordshire, which was founded in 1179 for a group of Cistercian monks. It’s a really beautiful place: a hidden gem. It’s somewhere that has brought me peace, quiet reflection, joy and perspective.
I’ve been there many times, for many reasons and in many moods, but it’s had such a big impact that my husband and I actually got married there. We’ve since taken our children, who love exploring the nooks and crannies, and it’s somewhere that will always bring my emotions to the surface, whatever they might be at the time.
When we go as a family, we love imagining what life was like there. There’s lots of information about what certain parts of the abbey would have been used for, and artists’ imagery of what it would have looked like, and it really sparks my imagination. The layout is so clear and the parts of the ruins so dramatic, it’s not hard to picture.
I also like to go alone sometimes, because it’s in a beautiful part of the Staffordshire countryside, and a tranquil place for contemplation. I enjoy trying to picture how it would have been to live there, rather than it just being a place of worship. It’s always been a place I like to visit if I’ve felt down, as it just picks me up.
‘Despite its grandeur, it’s so welcoming,’ says Afsaneh Parvizi-Wayne, 61, from London
I love Kenwood in north London, and its house, gardens and dairy. I go every day with my dogs, Honey and Pumpkin, sometimes meeting friends in the morning for walks and going solo in the afternoons.
Despite its grandeur, Kenwood House is very welcoming, with its front lawn in the summer full of families picnicking and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. The changes of the seasons are highlighted here, with the trees changing colour and blossoming in the most dramatic way. The dairy also has the most beautiful plants, and views of Hampstead Heath.
In the summer, I love sitting in the evening sunshine over the garden reading my book – the cafe is great, especially for children, who can fill their own lunch bags. I took my three- and five-year-old nieces on the house tour, and the love and care of the volunteers was evident. The gardeners are always happy to talk about the plants, too.
It’s a great place for kids, because the English Heritage signage is so educational – I’m always learning something new.
I also love the house itself. Being able to see paintings by Rembrandt, Turner and Constable in the flesh, hanging in relatively small rooms, is wonderful. You can see them very close up, and even dress up as characters in the paintings, if you like – and it’s all for free. I would definitely say that Kenwood is my happy place.
‘It’s exhilarating and wild, historic and legendary,’ says Ellie Jackson, 46, from Cornwall
My family lived in Australia for 10 years, and I used to tell my four children stories of castles, grand old houses and all the exciting history there is to explore in the UK. When we visited for holidays the children loved going to English Heritage sites: we took them to Pendennis Castle, Stonehenge and Witley Court. Then, when we moved back to the UK, we chose to move to Cornwall, and our closest English Heritage site was Tintagel Castle.
On our first visit, we were so excited to explore the island and its ruins, see Merlin’s Cave and the waterfall. We played hide and seek, had a picnic lunch inside the ruins, had a look at an archaeological dig, learned about the legend of King Arthur, imagined living back in his time, spotted the wildlife and birds and enjoyed the stunning views from the clifftops. There’s just so much to see and do.
We’ve visited Tintagel every year since then – my daughter Lilia even dressed up in a historical dress she’d sewn herself for a visit on her 15th birthday. She spent the whole day wandering around the site in her incredible dress, immersing herself in history. It holds really special memories of the children’s excitement at seeing such ancient history first-hand, exploring together and taking in the wildness of the north Cornish coastline. It’s exhilarating and wild, historic and special, legendary and freeing, all at the same time.
‘It always gets a “yes” from the kids,’ says Andy Coley, 50, from London
We’re lucky enough to live just 20 minutes away from Eltham Palace, a lovely building with history running through it, from a medieval hall to an art deco refurbishment. It’s often used for filming, so when you visit you can see settings that have been in productions from Wonka to The Crown. In addition to the palace building itself, there are wonderful gardens, a moat and the oldest bridge in the UK that still takes car traffic.
Our younger children, aged six and eight, particularly love the playground, holiday trails and themed events they put on. These often feature actors and interactive elements such as archery, sword-fighting (which my six-year-old loved), and larger toys.
When it comes to the history of the place, the children particularly love the fact that the owners in the 1920s had a ring-tailed lemer called Mah-Jongg, which they bought from Harrods in the pet department, and who had the run of the house – you can still see his hutch inside the palace.
It’s a place that always gets a “yes” from the kids, and we’ve now been visitors for 12 years. I fondly associate it with my daughters growing up, from their first steps in the grassy moat, to dressing up in medieval costumes.
‘I love just soaking up the history,’ says James Davidson, 63, from Toronto
Although I live in Canada now, I’ve been visiting Norfolk’s Castle Acre: Castle Acre Priory regularly for more than 50 years. My love of the place started when I was five years old and visiting my great aunt, who lived within eyeshot of the castle. I’ve always considered it my spiritual home.
I lived in Middlesex for 20 years, so over the years I’ve visited the castle alone, with my wife, and then with our four children. It’s the place that sparked my lifelong interest in medieval history. No matter how often I visit, when I walk out of the visitor centre and the expanse of the site comes into view, it always takes my breath away.
The size of the ruins and their history never gets old. They’re so extensive, including a complete prior’s lodging – you can easily envisage the monks going about their daily activities, moving from room to room, almost 1,000 years ago. There’s also a nice display of artefacts from the priory, including a model showing it in its heyday, as well as a medieval herb garden showing what plants the monks would have used.
The highlight for me has to be walking to the very top level of the castle and looking out across the earthworks and fields beyond. I like to just sit for a few minutes and soak in the history, imagining the De Warenne family, which gained control of Castle Acre having come over with William the Conqueror, sitting at the top of the castle and gazing out over their lands.
‘I love learning about history’s unconventional women,’ says Anna Willatt, 39, from Kent
Lady Hester Stanhope, an adventurer at the centre of society, lived at Kent’s Walmer Castle with her uncle, William Pitt the younger. Later in life, she travelled extensively through the Middle East, and after a shipwreck in which she lost her clothes she opted to adopt men’s clothing. History can so often omit women – but I love an unconventional one!
I love the variety of wellness events on offer there too – I’ve already booked a Spring Sunday Spirit afternoon, which starts with lunar yoga and ends with wine – what’s not to love? Forest bathing is also a favourite, and is the perfect way to slow down and tune in.
The team at Walmer Castle have made their incredible space available to the wider community – particularly bringing in the feminine, creative energy. All accompanied by a classic English Heritage cheese scone! Thanks to this community, I feel very connected to the castle, and it feels very much like a living being.
As well as the community, the gardens are the standout at Walmer – I enjoy the Queen Mother’s Garden, which was designed for her majesty’s 95th birthday. The corgi sculpture, showcasing her love of the dogs, lends a playful and feminine energy to the castle.
