Visit Heritage Blog

The country’s largest festival of history and culture returns this September with a packed programme of free events with the theme of Creativity Unwrapped. Brought to you by the National Trust, support by the People’s Postcode Lottery and run by thousands of organisations and volunteers, Heritage Open Days bring people together to celebrate history, heritage and community.

While it is probably best known for being the birthplace of The Beatles, there’s a lot more to Liverpool’s history. It has a wealth of maritime history, is a centre of world trade and has long been a hive of culture and heritage.

This quote from the Hindu text Bhagavad-Gita is now more likely to be associated with J Robert Oppenheimer than religious doctrine after Oppenheimer, the head of the now infamous Manhattan Project, spoke the words aloud following the testing of a nuclear bomb that would go on to change the world. His creations were dropped on Japan 78 years ago this month, causing mass destruction and officially ending WWII.

Throughout August, English Heritage are offering adults the opportunity to dress up at their properties across the nation as part of new research that suggests that our imaginations increase with age.

This year Houghton Lodge Gardens is celebrating its 230^th anniversary with special events.  Bridgerton Bliss: A Regency Afternoon of Tea, Tunes and Twirls will be held on 6 August from 12.30pm to 5pm and is a great opportunity to travel back in time and experience the magic of Regency England.    With dancing, promenading, music and afternoon tea or picnics this will be a unique event for the region, celebrating the anniversary and the Regency heritage of the historic house and grounds.

There have been many horrific tales through history, from gruesome medical practices to bizarre punishments and even some very questionable cleaning habits. Today we will be looking at the horrific history of mental health care in Britain through the ages and the history of Britain’s asylums. Though mental health care is still something to be desired in the UK, at least things have progressed since the days of leeches and cold showers!

A highlight of our guided tours at Thirlestane Castle is the incredible collection of portraits located in our State Dining Room. This is one of the most extensive family collections in Scotland dating back to 1590 and guests can discover almost the entire line of Maitlands from the 16th to the 20th century. Thirlestane has been home to the Maitland family for over 400 years, and it is a wonderful opportunity for our Clan Maitland visitors to have a glimpse of their ancestors. 

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet… This line from Shakespeare raises some interesting questions, what is in a name? Where do our names come from and why do we have them? Here is a brief history of British surnames.

Workers renovating a former hospital in South Wales have discovered a time capsule buried in the foundations more than 120 years ago. The capsule, which contained coils and newspapers from the time is now on display at the Blaenau Gwent town museum.

A prehistoric site has been discovered in Bedfordshire. Around 25 monumental puts dating back to the Mesolithic period, which was between 12,000 and 6,000 years ago have been uncovered in Linmere, much to the amazement of archaeologists.

After Glastonbury officially kicked off summer last month, we thought we would take a look at the history of music festivals. You might not think it, but music festivals are a key part of our heritage and some have been running for decades!

Dunvegan Castle and Gardens has made this year's shortlist for the Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award. Shortlisted entries are chosen from gardens, parks and grounds that offer free entry to members of Historic Houses.