About Membership

• What will my welcome pack contain?

  Your membership pack will contain your annual membership cards. If you've joined online, your pack will also contain the latest handbook which has listings of all our properties, as well as a car sticker and a bookmark. Family members will also receive a children's activity pack.

  The Members' Magazine is published three times a year - spring, summer and autumn - and will be mailed to you separately (to UK addresses only).

  Previous editions, plus exclusive enhanced content, can also be viewed in your Members' Area.

• When will I receive my welcome pack?

  If you joined online, we aim to send your pack and membership cards within 10 working days.

  If you'd like to visit one of English Heritage's 400 historic places before then, simply show our staff your email confirmation of membership plus a valid form of identification.

  If you joined at one of our properties, our staff will give you your welcome pack as well as temporary membership cards so that you can start enjoying access straightaway. Your permanent membership card will arrive within 28 days, but you can continue using your temporary membership card until it arrives.

• Are all events free for members?

  Where possible we have kept events free of charge for our members. We are continually investing in our event programme and this has led to putting on more events as well as larger ones.

  As large events can be costly to run, we do have to charge members on some occasions, however this is always at a reduced rate.

  Where we do charge members, this is clearly listed on the Event pages on our website.

• Can I include my children in my membership?

  English Heritage membership allows every member to take up to six children under 18 within the family group into any of our properties at no extra charge.

  If you have a family membership, you will also receive additional items within your membership pack and Members' Magazine.

• What will I receive if I live overseas?

  Discover your latest Members' Magazine in our Members' Area – as well as reading the most recent magazine, you can also look back through previous editions and enjoy exclusive online content. 

  If you're visiting the UK for a shorter time, you may be interested in our Overseas Visitor Pass which provides access for overseas residents to over 100 historic places on a 9 or 16 consecutive day pass.

• What is the benefit of paying by direct debit?

  Your membership can be paid for by Direct Debit, either annually in one payment or spread across the year in monthly payments.

  Offering additional security for you with protection from the Direct Debit Guarantee, when it comes time to renew your membership you won't need to do anything, unless you want to make any changes. We will write to you one month before your membership expires to let you know that it is due for renewal. It doesn't cost any extra to pay by Direct Debit.

  It benefits us too. It helps us keep our administration costs low so that we can re-invest money back into our conservation work, helping keep the story of England alive for future generations.

• What is gift aid and how does it work?

  Gift Aid means charities can claim an extra 25p for every £1 they receive from a UK taxpayer. If you're a UK taxpayer we can claim 25p for every £1 you pay on membership subscriptions, at no extra cost to you.

  If you join online, you can select to add Gift Aid to your membership. Otherwise registering is easy - and it only takes a few minutes. You can fill in the Gift Aid Declaration Form or call us on 0370 333 1181.

  To find out more, please see our Gift Aid FAQs.

• What will you do with my personal information?

  We are committed to protecting the privacy of our supporters. We take your privacy seriously and treat all the information you give us with great care.

  Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, store and use the personal information you give to us. If you have any questions concerning your personal data and how we look after it then please contact us at customers@english-heritage.org.uk.

• What will happen when my membership expires at the end of the year?

  We will write to you one month before your membership expires to let you know that it is due for renewal.

  You will be able to renew your membership online in the Member's Area, by post or by phone. If you pay by Direct Debit, you will not need to do anything unless you would like to change or cancel your membership.

• What happens if I want to leave English Heritage?

  We'd be sorry to see you go! Whatever the reason for wanting to cancel, you can call us on 0370 333 1181. If we can't change your mind, we will put your cancellation in place for your next annual renewal.

• How does Membership help English Heritage?

  Since becoming a charity in April 2015, we are more reliant than ever on your support to look after the historic places in our care: from palaces and castles, to abbeys and Roman forts.

  As a member of English Heritage, you'll make a vital contribution to our work as a charity. Plus, you'll also have access to fascinating days out and the opportunity to experience history first-hand in the places it happened.

Using your membership

• Can I take a carer for free when I visit properties?

  We take equality very seriously, and provide free site access for assisting companions of a disabled member or visitor. We recognise these companions are key to making access possible, as well as creating an enriched and memorable experience.

  We don't ask for any proof of disability, and the companion doesn't have to be a registered carer, nor do they have to be the same person each time you visit.

  If you'd like a letter of authority giving your assisting companions free access, please contact us on 0370 333 1181.

  To help plan your visits to our sites, please refer to the facilities and access arrangements under each property.

• Which English Heritage sites are dog friendly?

  Dogs on leads are welcome at most of our properties, but please check the individual property page for details before you visit.

  You can also find more details about dog-friendly properties on our website.

  There are no restrictions at any of our properties for assistance dogs.

Other Membership Types

• Interested in gift of membership?

  You can choose to have the Gift of Membership delivered to yourself, or directly to the gift recipient with your own personal message (don't forget to include your name!). The Gift of Membership letter will include the type of membership purchased and details of how to activate their membership, either online or by phone. Their year of membership will start from the day they activate it, which can be any date in the next 12 months.

  Delivery is usually within 10 working days. If the gift is needed earlier for a special occasion, a gift certificate is available to download and print once you've made the purchase.

• Interested in life membership?

  If you join as a life member, in addition to annual membership benefits you can enjoy:

  • Free entry for you and an adult guest, plus up to six children each (under 18 years) within the family group for English Heritage, Historic Scotland, Cadw, and OPW Heritage Ireland.
  • Free entry to all English Heritage daytime events for you and an adult guest or two children (under 18 years). Standard Members' rates apply to our exclusive Members' Events, evening events, and those run by other organisations (such as our Associated Attractions).
  • 10% discount on bookings for our Holiday Cottages.

  You can upgrade an existing membership from annual to lifetime by calling our Customer Services team on 0370 333 1181.

  Unfortunately we are not able to claim Gift Aid on Life Memberships due to the greater level of benefits over time.

New Members' Area FAQs

• What is new about the Members’ Area?

  Whilst it may look very similar, the upgraded Members’ Area allows you to login and manage your membership much more easily.

  Once you've registered, you can then sign in to access exclusive content, renew or update your membership details, discover personalised recommendations for exciting days out, enjoy Members’ Rewards, find Associated Attractions near you, and much more.

• Why do I need to register if I used the previous Members’ Area?

  Our new system requires you to re-register using the email address that used when you signed up to your membership. This is to aid in verifying ownership of both your email address via a two-factor verification process and ownership of your membership account via your unique membership number.

• I want to update my e-mail address. How can I do this?

  Our new system works on using the email address associated with your membership when you signed up. If you need to change your email on your membership account and register for the Members’ Area, you will need to call us on 0370 333 1181.

• Why can’t I log in using my previous log in credentials?

  The upgraded Members’ Area utilises new technology to provide an optimal experience. Your registration for our new Members’ Area will need to use the email address you used when you signed up to your membership as it is linked with your membership account. You will need to select a new password.

• My email address is not being recognised, what do I need to do?

  For registration to our new Members’ Area you will need to use the email address linked with your membership account. If you need to update your membership account details, please call us on 0370 333 1181.

• Why is my email address being used by someone else?

  If you have a joint or family membership, it is possible that your email address is linked to both membership accounts. Each member will need to have a unique email address, to update your membership account details, please call us on 0370 333 1181.

• I have a joint or family membership. Why can’t I create one account for both of us?

  Each Member can register their own Members’ Area account. This allows each Member to manage their own account independently and enjoy their own personalised experience. Please be aware, some requests made through the Members’ Area such as membership type changes will affect both Members under the membership.

• Once I have registered, the verification email doesn’t look like the emails I usually receive from English Heritage. Is it legitimate?

  The email you will receive after registering will securely verify your email address as genuine. This email is sent via our secure system and will be from sender “Microsoft on behalf of English Heritage”, msonlineservicesteam@microsoftonline.com.