A parent and child outside Stonehenge on a wintry day

Inspire Me

Winter is a wonderful time to visit our historic places. We've gathered some of our favourite features, events and things to do to inspire your next visit.

Discover our historic gardens, travel guides, historic walks, Victorian recipes and fun activities for all the family. All the inspiration you need is right here.

A family explores an indoor winter wonderland at Wrest Park

Top 5 Things To Do in December

Whether you need ideas for delightful days out or a cosy day in, here's all the inspiration you need for what to get up to this December. We've gathered our favourite things to do, including festive events, Christmas crafts and our top winter walks.

Find out more
Image supporting the Million and More appeal - shows a conservator examining a collection object

Million and More Appeal

More than 85% of our collections are protected within stores across the country, that's more than a million historic objects. Every piece in our collections tells a story about England's past and helps us to understand our present. We care for these objects to safeguard the stories that define who we are and to ensure they last for future generations. 

We urgently need your help to protect these stories and stop them being lost forever. 

Donate today

Culture

A busy high street scene

A brief history of the high street

Dr. Annie Gray, food historian, broadcaster, and author of The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street, invites you to step back in time and explore the shops of the past. Discover the fascinating history of the English high street and how it has evolved over the years.

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A display depicting the Angevin crown jewels

Consorts and their connections to English Heritage sites

Many English Heritage sites have royal connections. In this new article, Steven Brindle explores the sites with links to royal consorts: the women and men who married kings and queens of England.

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Artists rendition of ritual taking place at neolithic Stonehenge

Midwinter and Christmas celebrations through the ages

For thousands of years, the midwinter period has been marked by special ceremonies and merrymaking. Senior Properties Historian Dr Michael Carter explores the essential components of a happy Christmas (or a merry midwinter) from ages past.

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Close up of a Roman military diploma displayed at Chesters Roman fort.

Tracing the languages that built England

English may be the world’s global language today, but before its rise to dominance, both English and the linguistic landscape of what would become England were vastly different.

 

In our new article, Sophia Smith Galer explores the linguistic evolution of the English language, tracing its path through castles, abbeys, and island retreats.

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How to Make Tapioca Pudding — The Victorian Way

Mrs Crocombe is preparing a light, delicate pudding that's suitable for the nursary or sick room. A staple that every good cook should know how to make, tapioca pudding can be flavoured to suit a child or patient's tastes.

Relax your mind with videos from our sites

Put on your headphones and relax to the ambient sights and sounds from a selection of our historic sites across the country.

  • BRODSWORTH HALL AND GARDENS

  • PENDENNIS CASTLE

  • WITLEY COURT AND GARDENS

History for Kids

Image: Illustration of character with dragon and horse

Are you ready to go back - way back - in time to learn all about England’s history? Read our magazines and discover our online pages where you can explore each of the key periods, from the Stone Age right through to the Second World War.

Find out what life was like at the time through fun facts, illustrated stories, games and more. 

Explore our history for Kids

More to Explore