Introduction

Welcome

There’s no better way for your groups to experience England’s story than to visit the places where it really happened. The places where Romans guarded their northern frontier, where kingdoms were conquered and where soldiers guarded the home front. Where aristocrats lived in luxury and where ordinary people went about their daily lives.

From medieval castles to country houses, and from stone circles to Roman forts, your 2019-21 edition of the Group Visits Guide will give you inspirational ideas for unforgettable days out – and all the key information you need to make them happen.

Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions. Weʼre here to help to make your visits run as smoothly and successfully as they possibly can.

We look forward to welcoming you and your groups soon.

Luke Whitcomb Marketing Director

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

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TRANSFORMATIONS

We’re always striving to provide your groups with a modern visitor experience – even at our most ancient sites. Head to these three gems to see the results of our latest and most exciting transformation projects.

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1 Whitby Abbey, 2 Artist impression of new exhibition at Whitby Abbey, 3 Artist impression of new bridge at Tintagel Castle, 4 Walmer Castle.

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MAJOR MAKEOVER AT WHITBY ABBEY

Youʼll notice a difference from the moment your group arrives at Whitbyʼs dramatic ruined abbey, famed for its literary links with Count Dracula. At key points around the atmospheric site weʼve created more space and added better facilities, access and interpretation. Thereʼs a new café, a revamped admissions point and improved landscaping around the visitor centre – we’ve added trees, plants, access routes and seating to the cobbled courtyard. Inside the visitor centre your groups will find a more spacious shop and a new museum exploring thousands of years of history.

BRIDGING THE GAP AT TINTAGEL CASTLE

Opening Summer 2019, the new bridge at Tintagel links the mainland and island in spectacular fashion. It provides a useful new way to access the two sides of the site, but adds a wow factor of its own – two cantilevers reach out across the divide and almost touch, leaving a 40mm gap in the middle. Itʼs a chance for visitors to reflect on the journey between past and present and to take in stunning new views over the Cornish coast.

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PAST PLEASURES REVIVED AT WALMER CASTLE AND GARDENS

This year, visitors to Walmer Castle are invited to adventure further and discover the recently restored 19th-century Pleasure Grounds. Go beyond the castleʼs formal gardens and grand herbaceous borders to explore the circling woodland walk, the wild flower meadow (known as the Paddock) and the recently restored sunken glen garden. Thereʼs also a new Glasshouse Café in the Kitchen Garden, where you can sample the seasonal produce grown just outside the caféʼs windows.

EVENTFUL DAYS OUT Take advantage of great group discounts at hundreds of events every year. Highlights include the St Georgeʼs Day Festival at Wrest Park in April, our summer season of medieval jousts and combat at castles countrywide and our annual weekend re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings held in October. Check our website for details.

PLANNING A VISIT

ITINERARY IDEAS

Look out for itinerary ideas in the regional section of this guide. These highlight sites that are close to each other and they’re also often linked to the same era, event or historical figure. They also identify nearby places of interest to help you plan the perfect day out.

Finding a Property Properties are listed by region on pages 18-87. You can also see them sited on regional maps on pages 90-94. Use the index on page 96 to search for a specific property. Opening Times and Admission Prices Full details of opening times and admission prices for 2019-2020, including discounted prices for groups of 11 or more, are published in a separate leaflet. Please contact us if you don’t have a copy, or download it from www.english-heritage.org.uk/traveltrade If you’re already on our mailing list, we’ll send you opening times and prices for 2020-2021 as soon as they’re available in autumn 2019. If you aren’t on our list, you can sign up online at www.english-heritage.org.uk/traveltrade Advance Booking Pre-booking your group visit gives you guaranteed entry and peace of mind. It’s essential at some sites, and always advisable. Some sites offer exclusive guided tours or out-of-hours visits, and these may incur an extra cost. Tours are always subject to availability and should be booked well in advance with the site - you can find contact details on the individual property listings (pages 18-87). Cancellations Please advise the property as soon as possible if you need to cancel a visit. If special arrangements have been made (e.g. a guided tour or catering has been booked) a cancellation fee may be charged if insufficient notice has been given. Access Making all our properties accessible to all visitors is very important to us. w This symbol indicates that at least some areas of the site are easily accessible to wheelchair users. F This symbol indicates that the property has toilet facilities suitable for wheelchair users. For a thorough guide to accessibility and the special facilities at many of our properties please refer to our website. We would also encourage you to contact the property to discuss your requirements. Facilities Many of our properties offer excellent catering facilities, serving fresh, local food – look out for this symbol r. This symbol s indicates the property also has a shop where group members can browse for gifts and souvenirs. Guidebooks are on sale at almost all our properties. Our audio and multimedia guides V are often included in the price, subject to availability. Parking and Public Transport This symbol U indicates there is coach parking on site. Where there is none, we provide details of drop-off locations and/or coach parking nearby. If you plan to visit using public transport, please go to the site’s web pages at www.english-heritage.org.uk for details of bus, train and underground routes. GUIDE TO SYMBOLS

g Guided tours or introductory talks r Refreshments/tearoom C Hospitality w Suitable for people with disabilities V Audio or multimedia guide U Coach parking s Shop 4 Events F Toilets with wheelchair access B Toilets

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HORTICULTURAL HISTORY

The landscapes and gardens in our care tell the story of centuries of gardening and design. From grand landscapes to kitchen gardens, and from pleasure grounds to parterres, we care for some of England's finest, and they are a highlight of a visit to one of our sites.

The best way to unearth a garden’s past and pick up a tip or two is to pre-book your group onto a guided tour. Most of our garden sites offer them.

SIX OF THE BEST

GARDENS FOR GROUPS

Audley End House and Gardens | 48 Capability Brown-designed landscaped parkland, organic Kitchen Garden with traditional plant varieties, serpentine lake and 19th-century parterre.

Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens | 84 20 acres of outstanding gardens with year-round interest. Spectacular rhododendrons, unique quarry gardens and a NCCPG National Collection of irises.

Brodsworth Hall and Gardens | 65 Award-winning restored Victorian gardens with statue walks, fern dell with grotto, delightful displays of spring flowers and formal summer bedding.

Osborne | 32 Grounds that sweep down to the sea feature historic woods, flower-filled terraces, a walled kitchen garden and miniature fruit and vegetable plots once tended to by Victoria and Albert’s children.

Walmer Castle and Gardens | 33 This Kentish gem includes a restored early 19th-century woodland walk and sunken glen garden, kitchen garden, yew lined broadwalk, wildflower meadow, and a contemporary garden designed for the Queen Mother.

Wrest Park | 50 A vast and varied estate showcasing 300 years of horticultural design with individual garden areas, unique follies, water features and woodland glades.

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HISTORY OF DEFENCE

England’s castles stand as enduring symbols of our island's past. Their mighty walls once withstood sieges, threatened rebels and sheltered kings. Today we welcome visitors to 66 of the most magnificent castles in the country, and many of them feature all the group-friendly facilities you'd expect from a modern-day visitor attraction.

SIX OF THE BEST

CASTLES FOR GROUPS

Bolsover Castle | 54 Everything a picture-book castle should be, with turrets, towers and spiral staircases.

Carisbrooke Castle | 29 Once the prison of King Charles I and now home to a gang of cheeky donkeys. Enjoy stunning views across the Isle of Wight and a pretty Edwardian-inspired walled garden.

Carlisle Castle | 74 For centuries this mighty stronghold was a flashpoint for frontier warfare and a notorious prison – Mary Queen of Scots was incarcerated here in 1586.

Dover Castle | 30 Situated on top of the iconic white cliffs, take a guided ‘early-bird’ tour of the Secret Wartime Tunnels, where the miraculous Dunkirk evacuation was masterminded.

Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden | 58 Kenilworth’s stunning red ruins were once the site of a lavish 19-day party thrown to impress Queen Elizabeth I. Robert Dudley created a miniature palace and garden just for her.

Pendennis Castle | 41 Pendennis defended the Cornish coast from Tudor times and saw action in the Second World War.

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MONASTIC HISTORY

Ravaged by King Henry VIII in the 16th century, many of England’s monasteries and priories survive only as evocative ruins. But they still bear testament to a time when they were home to vibrant communities at the heart of medieval life.

A visit to one of our monastic sites will give your group vivid insights into religious life in medieval England. They'll discover more about how monks and nuns lived, prayed and worked, and about how they interacted with wider society.

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ABBEYS FOR GROUPS

1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield | 28 Built by William the Conqueror, the abbey ruins are part of this must-see battlefield site. An exhibition in the still-complete abbey gatehouse explores monastic life in the centuries following England’s most famous battle.

Hailes Abbey | 44 Visit the museum to discover the treasures of Hailes, uncovering stories of the monks who lived and worshipped at the abbey.

Lindisfarne Priory | 85 Standing serenely on remote Holy Island, the priory was one of the most important centres of early Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England.

Mount Grace Priory, House and Gardens | 67 Your group can explore newly redesigned gardens, an arts and crafts mansion and the reconstructed monk’s cell and herb garden before stopping by the new café.

Rievaulx Abbey | 68 Visit the most extensive monastic remains in Britain in a picturesque and peaceful setting, with fine views from the contemporary café.

Whitby Abbey | 64 Explore hauntingly beautiful ruins, famous for its fictional links with Count Dracula and as the place where the future of the English church was decided in 664.

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HISTORIC HOUSES

Discover both sides of England’s aristocratic past at grand houses across the country, where the wealthy elite lived in luxury and the working classes endured long days of labour.

Groups can experience life upstairs and downstairs and find out what led to the rise and fall of the age of the country house. Many of these places contain original furnishings and stunning artworks, and visitors can also often see some of the humbler spaces occupied by servants and staff.

SIX OF THE BEST

HOUSES FOR GROUPS

Apsley House | 21 The 1st Duke of Wellington hosted lavish banquets to celebrate his victory over Napoleon at his London home. This elegant house at Hyde Park Corner contains the treasures and artworks from his collection.

Audley End House and Gardens | 48 From the State Rooms to the Service Wing, immerse yourself in this vast mansion to discover what it took to run a great house.

Brodsworth Hall and Gardens | 65 Step back in time with a visit to this Victorian mansion which has been preserved as the last owner left it in 1988, complete with 'family clutter'.

The Home of Charles Darwin, Down House | 31 Darwin’s charming home for 40 years, still furnished as it was when he lived here – complete with his study and an exhibition on his life.

Osborne | 32 The seaside retreat of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert still bears witness to their lavish tastes, with original furnishings throughout the house and many of the couple’s personal treasures on display.

Witley Court and Gardens | 60 The remains of a decadent mansion where the Prince of Wales was on the guest list and real diamonds sparkled on the Christmas tree.

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UNIQUE COLLECTIONS

From ancient artefacts to Roman remains and from amazing artworks to priceless jewellery, we have some enthralling collections on display to wow your groups.

SIX OF THE BEST

COLLECTIONS FOR GROUPS

Birdoswald Roman Fort | 78 The fascinating Roman artefacts on display include female burial remains, challenging the view that Hadrian’s Wall was the preserve of military men.

Chesters Roman Fort and Museum | 80 Hundreds of fascinating finds from the central section of Hadrian’s Wall unearthed by Victorian antiquarian John Clayton.

Kenwood | 23 The world-famous art collection at Kenwood includes paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Dyck, Turner, Reynolds, Gainsborough and Constable.

Osborne | 32 Part of the Royal Collection, Osborne’s artworks, furniture, furnishings and personal mementos provide an intimate glimpse into the family life of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their nine children.

Ranger’s House –The Wernher Collection | 24 Featuring more than 700 works of fine and decorative art, from medieval sculptures and glittering enamels to Renaissance paintings, Dutch Old Masters and French tapestries.

Stonehenge | 38 Amazing archaeological treasures found at Stonehenge and nearby prehistoric sites include tools used for the monument’s construction and precious jewellery from burial mounds.

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FASCINATING TOURS

When you book a guided tour with one of our experts or knowledgeable volunteers your group will discover the fascinating facts and deepest secrets behind some of England’s finest historic attractions. Many of our sites host pre-booked tours, and some can even tailor them into something very special just for you.

SIX OF THE BEST

TOURS FOR GROUPS

Dartmouth Castle | 44 Arrive by boat for an after-hours tour with the castle exclusively yours, with the option to enjoy refreshments and historic entertainment.

Eltham Palace and Gardens | 20 Book the Millionaire Package for a personalised tour of this Art Deco mansion when the house is closed to other visitors over winter, with refreshments included.

Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden | 58 Learn about historic fashion by watching Queen Elizabeth I get dressed or enjoy your own falconry day on selected dates.

Stonehenge | 38 Book well in advance and give your group the once-in-a-lifetime experience of standing inside the Stone Circle outside normal opening hours.

Whitby Abbey | 64 Sample a mead-tasting session after one of our free 20 minute highlight tours for groups, covering the site’s history from dinosaurs to Dracula.

Wrest Park | 50 Take your pick of our guided tours and show your group the stunning grounds, archaeological treasures in our stores or original hand-painted oriental wallpaper in rooms not normally open to the public.