English Heritage Members' Magazine, Autumn/Winter 2023

S TOR I E S FO R T H E AG E S STORIES FOR THE AGES

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Dr Dominique Bouchard

Head of interpretation and learning

On page 17 Dominique explains how our education programme is engaging a new generation

Support our appeal to share England’s history with the next generation

As the temperature drops and the nights start to close in, it’s the perfect time to wrap up warm, step out of the house and discover something new with your membership.

From exploring the collections in our new and refreshed museums (see page 20) to enjoying our Halloween and Christmas events (see page 57), there’s something for visitors of all interests and ages.

To ensure young people, in particular, are able to discover

the stories of our sites and nuture a lifelong love of history, we’ve launched a new appeal. Turn to page 18 to read more and see how you can support our ambitious education programme.

If you’re looking for a new challenge in the new year, it’s also a great time to consider volunteering at your local site.

To discover some of the latest opportunities, turn to page 36. Thank you for your support.

Gerard Lemos CMG Chair

For Our Media

Group editor Matt Havercroft

Managing editor Oliver Hurley

Senior art editor Steve Gotobed

Senior account director Esther Procee

Dr Wendy Monkhouse

Senior curator

Turn to page 32, where Wendy shares the story of a curious object at the Jewel Tower

Get in touch

W www.english-heritage.org.uk/members

E membersmagazine@ourmedia.co.uk

(for magazine queries only) or members@english-heritage.org.uk (for membership queries and changes of address)

T 0370 333 1181

PO Box 569, Swindon, SN2 2YP

For English Heritage

Louise Dando, Johanna Lovesey, Tom Dennis, Tony Dike, Daniel Di Paolo, Tersia Boorer, Tom Moriarty, Richard Leatherdale

Account manager Joanne Robinson

Account executive Kajal Grant-Hindocha

Director Julie Williams

Editorial director Dan Linstead

Design director Will Slater

Consultant editor Dave Musgrove

Advertising manager Jamie Bolton

E jamie.bolton@ourmedia.co.uk

Contributors

Andrew Roberts, Samantha Stones, Dominique Bouchard, Harriet Cooper, Sarah Newman, Wendy Monkhouse, Clare Gogerty, Jo Caird, Kevin Booth

English Heritage Members’ Magazine is published three times a year, in March, July and October, on behalf of English Heritage by Our Media, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST

T 0117 927 9009 W www.ourmedia.co.uk

Support us

English Heritage is a charity. Without the support of our Members and donors, our work would not be possible. To nd out more about how you can help by making a donation or leaving a gift in your will, please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us or call the fundraising team on 020 7973 3797.

English Heritage cares for more than 400 historic monuments, buildings and places –from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, and from Roman forts on

Kevin Booth

Senior curator

Kevin reveals the story of Second World War soldier

Arthur Roberts – see page 66

the edges of the empire to Cold War bunkers. Through these we bring the Story of England to life for more than 10 million visitors each year.

Registered charity no. 1140351 (England)

Registered company no. 07447221 (England)

Product code: 200823

January to December 2022: 488,638

‘Half the objects on display at Wroxeter Roman City’s new museum have never been seen before’

20

New this season

Inside our museums

Head inside this winter to explore our new and improved museums across the country

27 Great days out

10 ways to get more out of a visit

We reveal our top tips to discover more during a visit to your favourite local sites

36

Behind the scenes

Meet our volunteers

With more opportunities than ever, there’s never been a better time to volunteer

46 Stories of England Haunted histories

Our Halloween Ghost Tales guides reveal the spookiest stories at our sites

50

Expert care

Hurst Castle conservation

How we’re protecting this vulnerable coastal fort following last year’s appeal

66

Past lives

Private Arthur Roberts

Discover the story of this First World War soldier and his diaries of life in the trenches

instagram.com/englishheritage facebook.com/englishheritage threads.net/@englishheritage Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST membersmagazine@ourmedia.co.uk

Start planning your unforgettable days out with our events programme. Turn to page 57

06 Big picture

Let your children go wild at Belsay Hall, Castle and Garden’s new playground

08 Update

Our latest news, including a record donation and our 1,000th blue plaque

17

In my view

Our head of learning on why engaging young people is critical to our sites

24

Meet the expert Dancer Simmy Gupta on celebrating Diwali at Marble Hill

32 Close up

The story of a green cat’s skull discovered at the Jewel Tower in London

65

20 questions

Put your knowledge of our collection of paintings to the test with our latest quiz

13 Your say

Your thoughts on days out at our sites, the magazine and much more

14 Ask the experts

Our panel of experts tackles your questions

63 My experience

How a visit to Boscobel House inspired a novel

Go wild at Belsay Hall

Younger visitors will love exploring the new Wild Man playground at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens. It’s inspired by the story of the Q]XLMGEPKYVI XLEX JSVQW XLI GVIWX SJ XLI Middleton family, who have lived on the Belsay estate for more than 700 years. Intrepid adventurers can cross platforms, contend with wobbly bridges and climb RIXW YRXMP XLI]REPP] VIEGL XLI ;MPH 1ER´W lookout – a seven metre-high vantage point offering amazing views of the surrounding Northumberland landscape. www.english-heritage.org.uk/ belsay

EVENTS

Enjoy the magic of Christmas at our sites

There’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by heading to one of our festive events. With options for great days out across the country, there’s something for the whole family to experience. You’ll be able to enjoy a host of brand new sights and sounds with the enchanting Christmas light trails at the ‘Christmas at…’ events, in partnership with Kilimanjaro Live, at: Kenwood in Hampstead

Eltham Palace in Greenwich

Wrest Park in Bedfordshire

Walmer Castle and Gardens in Kent Members can take advantage of an exclusive 33% discount on tickets. Younger Members have the chance to meet Father Christmas and hear festive stories at our ‘Father Christmas at…’ events throughout December. Plus, keep an eye out for our WreathMaking Workshop at Brodsworth Hall and Gardens in South Yorkshire, and Carols at the Castle at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire. For further details, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/events

MEMBERS GET MORE

Many events are free or discounted for Members. See our full listings at www.english-heritage. org.uk/events

Above Father Christmas will visit a number of our sites

Left Learn how to make your own Christmas wreath

Right Christmas at Kenwood lights up the festive season

‘There’s something for the whole family to experience at our Christmas events’

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Have you visited one of our sites recently? Whether you attended a Kids Rule! event or explored a fort on Hadrian’s Wall, we want to hear about your experience. Contact us on our social channels.

instagram.com/englishheritage facebook.com/englishheritage threads.net/@englishheritage Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST membersmagazine@ourmedia.co.uk

More than 30 sites to benefit from record donation

Aground-breaking new heritage apprenticeship programme has been made possible following a donation of £11.2m from the Hamish Ogston Foundation – the largest ever received by English Heritage. Designed to pass the endangered skill of flint-working on to a younger generation, the

scheme will see the establishment of a new heritage skills training centre and the creation of an in-house heritage crafts team. It will also

oer hands-on experience for student trainees and create more than fifty new apprenticeship roles. More than thirty properties across East Anglia will benefit, including Audley End House and Gardens in Essex, and Framlingham Castle in Suolk. www.english-heritage. org.uk/endangeredheritage-skills

MEMBERS’ REWARDS

Find our latest offers to make big savings at www.englishheritage.org.uk/ rewards

EXHIBITION

Can you solve a Roman mystery?

Visitors to Corbridge Roman Town in Northumberland between now and April will have the chance to unravel an ancient mystery. An enigmatic Roman object, known as the Corbridge dodecahedron, is the focal point of a new exhibition, where it will be joined by two other similar objects. Fewer than 120 such items have

been found within the whole Roman Empire and their purpose remains unknown. Visitors will be able to take part in activities demonstrating how the objects may have been used – proposals have ranged from knitting to crop planting – and submit their own suggestions.

www.english-heritage.org.uk/ corbridge

NEW HOME DECOR RANGE

Designers Guild’s range of fabrics and wallpapers inspired by the English Heritage archive is now joined by a new range of cushions, combining classic patterns with an understated palette. designersguild.com

Visitors to Dover Castle in Kent now have ]IX

rare sheep. In partnership with the Kent Wildlife Trust, the unusual Whitefaced Woodland breed was recently introduced to aid chalk grassland restoration at the site. www.english-heritage.org.uk/dover

learning manager Kate Armstrong on the Festival of Neolithic Ideas at Stonehenge

What is the Festival of Neolithic Ideas?

It’s a chance to delve into the world of our Neolithic ancestors and discover the techniques archaeologists use to understand the New Stone Age. It’s taking place on 11–12 November. Admission is free for Members.

How did the event come about?

The cutting-edge science we use to understand Stonehenge is incredible. We wanted to give visitors an opportunity to engage directly with it.

Who is involved in the festival?

It’s being run to tie in with the Being Human Festival, the national festival of the humanities. Visitors can learn about astronomy, radiocarbon dating, DNA and more.

www.english-heritage. org.uk/festival-ofneolithic-ideas

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Rare sheep introduced at Dover Castle

Senior

1,000th blue plaque honours the Women’s Freedom League

English Heritage’s London blue plaques scheme reached a historic landmark this September when its 1,000th plaque was installed. It honours the Women’s Freedom League (WFL) and is situated at the organisation’s former HQ on Robert Street, Strand. The WFL was formed in 1907 with the aim of securing total equality for women, starting with the

THINGS TO DO AT OUR SITES ON A RAINY DAY…

vote. Members took part in mass demonstrations, marches and protests, as well as other forms of direct action, based around the principles of passive resistance and non-violence. Some of the WFL’s activities included touring England in a caravan to spread their message, hiring an airship to distribute pamphlets and boycotting the 1911 census. ‘The winning of the vote for women was a collective endeavour, and it is very appropriate that the the thousandth plaque commemorates the eort of many thousands,’ says curatorial director Anna Eavis. www.english-heritage.org.uk/ blue-plaques

ALL THANKS TO YOU…

The essential conservation work taking place with your support as Members

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PORTRAIT MINIATURE CONSERVED

A watercolour-on-ivory portrait miniature dating from the 1820s–30s has returned from specialist conservation and is SR HMWTPE] JSV XLIVWX XMQI EX Brodsworth Hall and Gardens in South Yorkshire. New research has MHIRXMIH XLI WMXXIV XS FI ;MPPMEQ 8LISFEPH XLI JEXLIV MR PE[ SJ 'LEVPIW 8LIPPYWWSR

[LS FYMPX XLI TVIWIRX LEPP www.english-heritage.org.uk/ brodsworth-hall

Inspiration for things to see and do at our historic properties – whatever the weather

STONEHENGE RAIN OR SHINE

Escape showers in Stonehenge’s state-of-theart visitor centre, including a 360-degree experience. www.english-heritage.org. uk/stonehenge

EXPLORE CHARLES DARWIN’S HOME

Discover the very rooms in which Darwin developed his groundbreaking theories. www.english-heritage.org. uk/downhouse

TREAT YOURSELF TO TEA AND CAKE

Relax in the magnificent surroundings of the stables tea room at Boscobel House in Shropshire. www.english-heritage.org. uk/boscobel

IMAGINE LIFE IN A STATELY HOME

Explore the Great Hall, the library and the natural history collection at Audley End House in Essex. www.english-heritage.org. uk/audley

TRAVEL TO THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Birdoswald Roman Fort in Cumbria has lots of handson activities – you can even play a Roman board game. www.english-heritage.org. uk/birdoswald

15% discount in-store and online for English Heritage members.

Code: AF-EH-N9 Expires 31.03.2024. T&Cs online.

We believe everyone’s happier outside, which is why protecting England’s historic landscapes is so important.

Together with English Heritage, we’re helping you find the right kit for your outdoor adventures and with every purchase made, we’ll donate 3% to protecting our great outdoors for generations.

Plus, when you shop in-store, make the most of our expert services. Whether that’s a custom boot fitting, extending the life of your kit with expert repairs, or giving kit a new life using our Recycle My Gear scheme.

Make the right choice with people who love the outdoors as much as you

Lily and Andrew INSTORE EXPERTS

Share your thoughts, experiences, tips and photos

Your say

House, Bristol, BS1 4ST membersmagazine@ourmedia.co.uk

Nobody’s fool

Let’s dance

STAR LETTER

I wanted to write in after reading the Tom Fool article in the Summer issue. We saw Tom Fermor performing a couple of years ago when he re-enacted the Battle of Hastings using volunteer children from the audience. Tom’s energy and enthusiasm made it impossible not to get swept along with the story and he soon had a large crowd of children wanting to be part of the act. He explained this piece of history in great detail and described exactly what happened, all with a level of humour and ‘foolery’ that kept

Family days out

We have had the most amazing first year as Members with endless opportunities to see the wonderful historical sites near us. We loved visiting Belsay Hall and found the garden inside the quarry beautiful and were awestruck by the ingenuity of it. We loved our trip to Birdsoswald Roman Fort and we found the stories about Hadrian’s Wall really interesting. The indoor area was really fun and we loved building the towers from Lego. It was the perfect day out for all the family. Most recently we visited Cliord’s Tower in York for my 12th birthday (pictured). The views were spectacular from the rooftop and you could see the entirety of York, which was

the children engaged and wanting to learn more. Thank you, Tom, for bringing these teachings to life and educating people (young and old) in a way that not only entertains but also embeds the learning from these pivotal moments in history.

Verity Bagshaw

beautiful. I have loved every second of our membership so far and am really hoping my family renew it!

Beth Brittain

Our star letter writer receives a prize from Craghoppers – this issue it’s a CO2RENU IIGI ERH E [EXIV bottle, together worth £109. For a chance to win, simply send us an email for publication.

Football focus

I support Exeter City Football Club and travel to watch some of their away matches. When possible, my wife and I incorporate visits to English Heritage sites into these trips. This season that’s included Helmsley Castle and Rievaulx Abbey (Barnsley), Bolsover Castle (Derby County) and Landguard Fort, Framlingham Castle, and Kenilworth Castle (Ipswich Town). It’s always a pleasure seeing the beauty and discovering the history of the sites you care for, and enjoying finding places in various parts of the country we wouldn’t necessarily normally visit. The excellent audio guides – which are free for Members – make our experience even better.

Steve Manuel

What a wonderful article about Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle (Spring 2023). I belong to an English country dance group, performing dances from The Dancing Master by John Playford (pictured). It is nice to tell our audiences something about the dances and we now have more to add to our story for the dance ‘Newcastle’, which appeared in Playford’s collections from 1651 to 1690. We can only surmise that the dance might have been dedicated to Margaret’s husband, William, an ardent Royalist and patron of the arts, and that its subsequent popularity was due to his famous wife –but it makes a good story!

Maureen Hil

Ascend the throne

I just wanted to say a big thank you for the installation of the smart composting toilets at Dunstanburgh Castle. Given that the only way to reach the castle is a one-and-a-half mile walk from either Embleton or Craster, they are a muchneeded convenience.

Stef Round

Eagle

Romantic ruins

I was initially dubious about joining English Heritage as I had formed the impression that you only managed ruins. I now know this to be far from the truth, having visited forts, houses, barracks, monasteries and castles, not all of which were damaged or empty. The strange thing is that much to my surprise I have actually acquired a taste for empty atmospheric buildings where I can allow my imagination to run wild. I was recently captivated by the view from the front terrace of Witley Court. I think those Romantics knew a thing or two – although I fear that I might start writing poetry soon.

Erica Stott

Send

Ask the experts

Elisabeth Sturt asks…

Do you have any records of the spaces between the ceilings and floors in your properties being filled with shells?

Samantha Stones, senior properties curator (South) replies…

The technique in question is known as shell pugging and is primarily thought to have been done to dampen sound. There is pugging at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, although this doesn’t contain shells – it is what appears to be a crumbly lime mix. However, the ceiling/floor voids of Osborne on the Isle of Wight are full of cockle shells (pictured). Anecdotally this is considered to be fire-proofing (and Prince Albert certainly would have been interested in

US A QUESTION

To have your questions answered, email us at membersmagazine@ ourmedia.co.uk

this) but we’re not aware of documentary information to support this and are not convinced it would work.

Tim Drabble asks…

What sort of events would have been staged in amphitheatres in Roman Britain, such as the one in Chester? Would the type of gladiatorial combat of the popular imagination have taken place?

Andrew Roberts, properties historian replies…

Top dog

Having read that the Tintagel Castle bridge was going to be welcoming its millionth visitor this year, we were hoping that this would coincide with Daisy’s first English Heritage visit. Sadly, this was not the case but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the site and exploring Merlin’s Cave and the coastal paths in the area. Daisy is already looking forward to her next English Heritage visit.

Tracey Underwood

The Romans built amphitheatres at legionary fortresses, such as Chester, and at towns, such as Richborough or Silchester. As well as facilities for military drill, they provided a popular Roman experience for the people of the province of Roman Britain – a day at the games. While they probably could not match the cost and scale of great spectacles at places such as the Colosseum in Rome, the basic format of Roman games was similar across the empire: animal fights in the morning, followed by public executions at lunchtime. Then, in the afternoon, came the gladiatorial contests. Pictures of gladiators have been found on objects in Britain, as has evidence of their burials.

MEMBERS’ AREA

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See our digital magazines to read previous issues. www.english-heritage.org. uk/magazine

Save on your next ferry-inclusive holiday

Plan your next no-fly holiday with Brittany Ferries and enjoy an exclusive discount

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of knowing that you’ve got your next holiday organised. So, whether you’re just after a few days away or your next family adventure, why not start planning your next getaway with Brittany Ferries?

English Heritage has teamed up with Brittany Ferries to oer Members an exclusive seven per cent discount, and you can now book either over the phone or online. With hundreds of

ferry-inclusive holidays to choose from, there’s something to suit all interests and budgets. And you don’t have to drive far to escape from it all.

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For those with a love of the great outdoors, there’s Port de Plaisance in Bénodet, Brittany – a friendly campsite set in 30 acres of shady, wooded grounds. Or, for a coastal camping trip, look no further than Les Mouettes in Carantec, just a mile from some of

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Discover the highlights of Ontario with the award-winning tour operator Canadian Sky. Enjoy time in vibrant Toronto and marvel at the spectacle of Niagara Falls, taking a cruise to the thundering waters. Board a VIA Rail train for the journey to Canada’s capital city Ottawa and discover why this is one of our favourite cities, with impressive parliament buildings, lively downtown and lovely riverside parks. Then it’s onto historic Kingston located on Lake Ontario at the mouth of the St. Lawrence river, where you will take a lunch cruise through the beautiful Thousand Islands. We’ll take GEVI SJ EPP ]SYV LSXIPMKLXXVEMR EVVERKIQIRXWTPYW I\GYVWMSRW activities. Explore Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa and the Thousand Islands by Rail holiday is £1,649 per person departing in October.

English Heritage Members receive an additional free excursion worth up to £150 per booking. Choose from a range of great activities, such as a foodie tour or river cruise. Call

DR DOMINIQUE BOUCHARD

Head of learning and interpretation

We’re engaging young people through links to the past

Education and work with young people are at the heart of what we do at English Heritage. We want to inspire children and young people to value and enjoy the sites in our care – the National Heritage Collection – and to become stewards and supporters of heritage in the future. By finding links between their own story and the stories we tell at our sites, young people can forge a sense of belonging that bridges past and present.

Since English Heritage became a charity in 2015, we’ve welcomed more than a million schoolchildren, and we hold 11 Sandford Awards for heritage education. When students come to our properties, we want them to feel connected to the individuals for whom those sites were part of their daily lives. When students encounter something that was made and used by another person hundreds of years ago, they build a personal connection to the past. They find links to the people who helped to build that site, and who lived, worked or worshipped there. Sites from Stonehenge to Hadrian’s Wall were built and rebuilt over hundreds or even thousands of years. We want students at our sites to be the latest in a long line of generations to make these sites their own.

For young people to connect deeply with our sites, they need to be able to explore what heritage means to them. Shout Out Loud, English Heritage’s national youth engagement programme, aims to transform the way young people think about heritage. Young people from Cornwall to Carlisle have explored stories at more than forty dierent sites. They have produced books, poetry, plays, films, exhibitions,

8SRH SYX QSVI about our Shout Out Loud national youth engagement programme and how to get involved, go to www.englishheritage.org.uk/ shout-out-loud

research papers and a youth summit, where they brought together over one hundred young people from around the country to discuss the future of heritage. It’s been exhilarating and inspiring.

Shout Out Loud is about helping young people to find their voices. For England’s New Lenses, we commissioned young photographers to create a body of work capturing their perspectives on our sites. At Portchester Castle, young creatives developed The Ancestors, a play following the sweeping saga of Black prisoners-of-war held there through slavery and revolution. We don’t hide from the complex and contested elements of our history. Should Out Loud asks young people what English Heritage means to them and invites them to speak up about heritage – to shout out loud about it.

We believe that the stories of our sites belong to the future, not just the past. We want heritage to give young people a space where they can find a sense of history and meaning, and to give them the tools not just to look back but also the confidence and inspiration to face the future.

‘The National Heritage Collection belongs to the future, not just the past’

2023 LEARNING APPEAL YOUR SUPPORT IS VITAL

When we experience history in the places it happened, it can spark an interest that lasts a lifetime.

To protect our historic sites for generations to come, we need today’s children and young people to become advocates of our heritage.

&YX EWRERGMEP TVIWWYVIW QSYRXJI[IV ERH fewer schools and colleges have resources left for hands-on history.

Please donate towards our learning activities and projects. The future of our sites could depend on it.

We’re one of the largest providers of learning opportunities in the heritage sector, offering a chance to connect with history as part of curricular learning and beyond. This work is so important. But to reach every child and young

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A donation from you today could:

• Help us offer more free, teacher-led school visits, encouraging students to become stewards and supporters of heritage in the future.

• Expand our expert-led Discovery Visit programme, which offers exciting, hands-on learning – everything from constructing a Neolithic wall to exploring underground tunnels used in the Second Wold War.

• Create more opportunities for young people to join our award-winning national youth engagement programme, inspiring young people to enjoy, understand, value, and care for our heritage.

HELP KEEP TODAY’S CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE CONNECTED TO OUR HERITAGE

In total, it costs our education department around £1.3 million to provide all of these amazing visits and experiences each year. Now more funds are desperately needed to keep up with demand.

Our schools programme is oversubscribed, and we can’t grow and develop any of our learning opportunities further without more funding.

LEARNING APPEAL DONATE TODAY SCAN THIS CODE TO

As a Member, your support is already helping us do so much as a charity – thank you –but an additional donation from you today could help us reach more children and young people from all communities.

Please donate today. You’ll be helping to empower, equip and inspire a generation to keep England’s story alive.

£35 COULD BRING HISTORY TO LIFE

Your gift could fund a school visit to Dover Castle, where students can crack codes and understand Britain’s role in the Second World War.

£50 COULD ENGAGE CHILDREN IN NEW WAYS

You could give more young people the chance to get involved in performance and art, giving them a fresh perspective on the events of the past.

£80 COULD INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION

=SYV HSREXMSR GSYPH LIPT ]SYRK TISTPIRH innovative ways to explore and understand the value of Stonehenge and our other important historic places.

PLEASE HELP KEEP HISTORY ALIVE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Scan the QR code opposite or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/learning-appeal

You can also send a cheque payable to The English Heritage Trust (please write your membership number and the code MAGLEARN23 on the reverse of your cheque) to Learning Appeal 2023, English Heritage, The Engine House, *MVI] %ZIRYI 7[MRHSR 72), Your donation will go towards our education and youth engagement programmes.

‘We want young people to be able to marvel at these historic sites as well as to expand their understanding, make memories and have fun. When they visit these places they are connecting to an essential part of their story.’

DR DOMINIQUE BOUCHARD, HEAD OF LEARNING AND INTERPRETATION

C A B I N E T S O F C U R I O S I T I E S

CABINETS OF CURIOSITIES

Fe aturing innovative stor y telling , inter ac tive exhibit s and hundreds of objects that haven’t been seen before, new and improved museums provide a fresh opportunity to explore our collections

Featuring objects and stories that paint a vivid portrait of life through the ages, the museums at English Heritage sites provide the perfect opportunity to take a deeper dive into their history. And with interactive exhibits and immersive storytelling, there is something for visitors of all ages. If you’ve yet to venture inside to discover their treasures, the new and refreshed museums at Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre in Kent, Wroxeter Roman City in Shropsire, and Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island in Northumberland are the perfect places to start.

The Gateway to Britannia project at Richborough Roman Fort not only saw Richborough’s museum revitalised but the interpretation reinvigorated, the amphitheatre excavated and a replica Roman gateway constructed. Richborough is where the Romans first arrived in Britain in AD 43 and was still occupied in the early part of the 5th century. Over those 360 or so years, it served as a fort, a town and a thriving port. You can get some marker of its importance by the fact that at its centre lie the foundations of a triumphal arch – one of the biggest in the Roman Empire.

‘Richborough was a gateway to Roman Britain for people coming from across the empire,’ says properties historian Dr Andrew Roberts. ‘But we also conceive it as a metaphorical gateway – it is one of the best places to get an introduction to Roman Britain.’ The first thing you see when you arrive are the stone shore fort

walls, built after AD 275. A path leads to the visitor centre, which was once the custodian’s cottage. The building has been redesigned, with the museum now occupying a bright and airy space, alongside an education room and shop.

It’s not just the museum’s configuration that’s changed – its contents have too. They now give a broader understanding of the location, its people and its varied history. While the first half of the space is themed around ‘connections’, looking at Richborough’s

role within Roman Britain, the second half focuses on ‘identity’ and the people who lived in the fort, port and town. On entering, a short film details the chronology, while characterful illustrations of the inhabitants of Richborough, as well as of those working on recent excavations, adorn the walls. On display is a wealth of artefacts, ranging from a limestone statue of a goddess to a soldier’s brooch.

‘If you’d visited the former museum, you’d be justified in thinking the Richborough collection was ceramics, building materials and not a lot else,’ says collections curator Dr Kathryn Bedford. ‘You wouldn’t have seen the metals – brooches, weights, the post-Roman sword – mainly because the display cases didn’t have the right environmental controls that the new ones do.’

Particularly fascinating are the objects that likely belonged to women: hairpins, armlets, ligulae for mixing cosmetics and phials for perfumes. ‘We’d like visitors to be able to appreciate the great richness and variety at Richborough in terms of the people who lived there – and the people travelling through,’ says Bedford.

The interactive additions include a digital game that allows you to trade various goods across the Roman Empire and an opportunity to recreate a miniature version of Richborough’s huge arch in a race against an opponent. ‘The exhibition has many layers,’ says Roberts. ‘If you want to get the big picture, you can watch the film and have a bit of a browse. But there’s a lot of detail if you really want to dive into the collection.’

Other changes across the site include the replica Roman gateway, reconstructed on the exact spot of an original fortification built in AD 43,

‘Richborough is one of the best places to get an introduction to Roman Britain’

Above Visitors explore Richborough Roman Fort in the shadow of the new replica Roman gateway

Left A wide range of artefacts helps to tell the site’s story

Above The museum reveals Richborough’s role in Roman Britain

Gateway to Brittania project supported by

which stands eight metres high. ‘There was little to show the significance of Richborough as the beginning of the Roman invasion and we wanted to mark this out,’ says senior properties historian Paul Pattison, who masterminded the project. ‘We also wanted to give people an elevated view so they can better see how the site changed during the Roman era.’

Within the walls and defensive ditches, the ruins of the chapel and bathhouse are brought to life by refreshed interpretation and an audio tour. It features Dr Andrew Roberts in conversation with historian Dr Tessa Dunlop, with guest appearances to help make connections between past and present, including boxer Chev Clarke, who gives a dierent perspective on the amphitheatre.

‘Gateway to Britannia is a holistic revamp of the whole site,’ says Pattison.

More to explore

Above Visitors can discover artefacts from what was one of the largest cities in Britannia

‘We hope there’s something for everyone. We’d like the visitor to better understand what Richborough was in Roman times, as well as who the Romans were beyond the stereotype of a bloke in uniform with a crested helmet and a sword.’

Were you to leave Richborough and follow Watling Street – one of Roman Britain’s greatest roads – it would eventually bring you to Wroxeter, or Viriconium Cornoviorum as it was known two millennia ago, when it was one of the largest cities in Britannia.

This Shropshire site is still impressive today, home to some of the largest upstanding remains in the country, not least a seven-metre-high basilica wall. Visitors can wander the ruins of the bathhouse and market hall, while a reconstructed town house is next to the site of the forum. ‘What is special

Four more amazing museums to visit across the country

about Wroxeter is that it gives this snapshot of urban life,’ says Roberts.

The museum here has also been revitalised. ‘The arrangement is completely new with an individual display case for each of the buildings,’ says curator of collections Cameron Moett. ‘It’s unusual to approach it this way rather than chronologically, but we have focused on the 2nd and 3rd centuries, the city’s heyday.’ Half of the objects now on display are never-beforeseen, chosen by Moett to help the visitor realise that ‘these are people who have

Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire

This splendid abbey was a source of inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. There’s plenty to sink your teeth into at the museum – even a signed copy of Stoker’s novel. www.english-heritage.org.uk/ whitby-abbey

Stonehenge, Wiltshire

The visitor centre brings the story of the stone circle to life with a display of over 250 archaeological treasures, combined with cuttingedge audio-visual experiences.

www.english-heritage.org.uk/ stonehenge

Birdoswald Roman Fort, Cumbria

The museum offers a masterclass on what it was like to be a soldier of the empire, with artefacts and hands-on interactives for all ages. www.english-heritage.org.uk/ birdoswald

Apsley House, London

See the 1st Duke of Wellington’s JEQSYW TEMRXMRKW ERH QEKRMGIRX art collection, and discover a wealth of fascinating memorabilia including medals and shields. www.english-heritage.org.uk/ apsley

Above Wroxeter Roman City provides a compelling snapshot of urban life in Roman Britain

tastes like me, who maybe wear jewellery like me, who play games like me.’

Standout objects include a lapis lazuli bead that would have been mined in Afghanistan, traded through ports in India, eventually making its way to Rome and finally on to Britain.

To help visualise Wroxeter’s townsfolk, various Roman characters have been woven into the interpretation across the site including a wealthy family, traders, slaves and even a witch. Interactive games, a projection and an audio guide all add to the experience. ‘The museum is absolutely essential in telling the story of Wroxeter,’ says Moett.

The Romans aren’t the only ones being given a fresh spin. At Lindisfarne Priory, the Anglo-Saxons are getting a look-in too. Wildly beautiful, it was once the home of a 7th-century monastery and later a 12th-century priory, the remains of

which you can see today. The site played a pivotal role in early Christianity, and many of its monks became saints, including Aidan and Cuthbert. To this day, people make the pilgrimage to the site of St Cuthbert’s original resting place.

Visitors will find plenty to see in its refreshed museum. New artefacts on display include those from a recent excavation, such as a salmon bone necklace and a blue glass Tafl gaming counter, both from the 9th century. There are also now 21 engraved name stones

(unique to Lindisfarne), while a Viking Raider Stone, thought to depict the first Viking raid on the monastery in AD 793, is displayed in a new case.

A series of recently commissioned pieces is a particular highlight. The first is an audio poem, ‘The Refuge Box’ by Katrina Porteous, which visitors can download or sit and listen to. In addition, the artist Olivia Lomenech Gill, who illustrated JK Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts, has created a mixedmedia work, Shifting Sands, which takes inspiration from the island’s history as a place of pilgrimage. Lomenech Gill has also created six illustrations of birds and beasts based on the priory’s illuminated manuscript, The Lindisfarne Gospels, which are part of a family trail. Outside, sculptor Russ Coleman has created a memorial to Cuthbert that sits within the presbytery ruins.

‘It’s a huge transformation of the space – it now has the look and feel of a bright, modern museum,’ says collections curator Susan Harrison. ‘The objects are beautifully displayed and lit, enabling visitors to really appreciate the history of Lindisfarne and to better understand the significance of Holy Island, and the part Lindisfarne monastery and priory played in Christianity.’

Plan your visit

For more information, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/richborough www.english-heritage.org.uk/wroxeter www.english-heritage.org.uk/lindisfarne

The museum at Lindisfarne Priory tells the story of the site’s role in early Christianity

Half of the objects in Wroxeter’s museum have never before been on display

‘To this day, people make the pilgrimage to St Cuthbert’s original resting place’

Above A new monument at Lindisfarne marks the site of St Cuthbert’s original burial place

Above Head to Lindisfarne’s museum to discover rare Christian and Anglo-Saxon artefacts

Simmy Gupta

I am the founder and co-artistic director of Nutkhut. We create stories by weaving together art, heritage and technology. From large-scale festivals to dance productions, we work across circus, film, technology and heritage. I’m passionate about universal stories of the past and how communities can learn about each other through the lens of culture and creativity.

Diwali is a Hindu festival that is celebrated in October or November with the lighting of lamps in homes and temples. We discussed the idea of a Festival of Lights, a Diwali event that brought together people and communities, engaged young people and celebrated light over darkness, with English Heritage. We were invited to visit Marble Hill and learn more about the property.

2XU YHU\ UVW 'LZDOL HYHQW DW 0DUEOH +LOO WRRN place in 2021 as a craft and lantern workshop. Last year, the event expanded so that it also included a parade and a finale in front of the house. The event was designed as a trial, so we would have been happy with a couple of hundred people attending, but on the day 2,000 people joined us on the parade! There is clearly a thirst for this type of work in the area, where entertainment meets education.

:H GHFLGHG WR KRVW WKH 'LZDOL HYHQW DW 0DUEOH Hill as it’s simply a magical setting, thanks to the beautiful landscape, the property’s proximity to the Thames, the aesthetic and art of the house, and of course the flora and fauna of its grounds. The history of both the landscape and the house itself conjured up images of guests of Henrietta Howard, who built Marble Hill in the 1720s, arriving by river to attend parties and events. Marble Hill’s interiors, wallpaper and design also play into the themes that run through our lantern workshops. We have pioneered lantern-making that uses sustainable materials – another first for the property.

Above Simmy with Marble Hill site manager Maureen Coyle Facing page Simmy performs with dancers and Dhol drummers Below The Diwali event includes a parade with giant puppets

'LZDOL

Performer at Diwali at Marble Hill Join

broad, intergenerational audience. At this year’s event you will be able to enjoy a wonderful autumn afternoon in which you can take part in a craft workshop, listen to a story, participate in the parade, enjoy tasty street food and dance away at our finale. This year’s theme is joy and we invest the theme into all aspects of the show.

We hope that what people take away from the event is the opportunity to come together at a special time of year. We want visitors to enjoy a technicolour festival in which families and communities come together, creating an understanding of Diwali as a universal festival of light over darkness. My favourite moment from last year’s event was seeing the awestruck face of a three-year-old, looking into the eyes of a giant puppet. It’s these moments of universal connection, of wonder and awe that capture the imagination and transport our audiences to another place.

INTERVIEW MATT HAVERCROFT PHOTOGRAPHS JOSEPH BRANSTON

DW 0DUEOH +LOO ZRUNV RQ PDQ\ OHYHOV WR D

‘We decided to host the Diwali event at Marble Hill as it’s simply a magical setting’

Reasons to return

Think you’ve seen everything your local English Heritage properties have to oer? Think again! Here are 10 ways to discover something new during a family day out this autumn

PUT YOUR CHILDREN IN THE PAST

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being immersed in the past at the places where history really happened. You could try starting thousands of years ago at the reconstructed Neolithic houses at Stonehenge in Wiltshire or the Bronze Age roundhouse at Beeston Castle and Woodland Park in Cheshire, which provide a compelling window into life in prehistoric Britain.

In the visitor centre at 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield

in East Sussex, there are interactive displays – and even the chance to find out if you’re strong enough to carry a Norman shield into battle.

Events are another great way to get kids engaged with the past. Special Halloween trails take place at sites across the country in late October and early November. Further ahead, our Half-Term History Makers activities in February give younger visitors the chance to explore sites that range from Kenilworth Castle to Stonehenge.

WORDS SARAH NEWMAN

GLORIOUS GARDENS

SPEAK TO A VOLUNTEER

Volunteers are always keen to share their passion for the past – and you might even find them in character. For example, on select days costumed volunteer storytellers can be found sharing the story of Charles II’s escape from Parliamentarian soldiers at Boscobel House in Shropshire, while storytellers are also on hand at the extraordinary 17th-century aristocratic retreat of Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire. You can also join volunteerled tours at Kenwood in London, where they’ll tell you all about the amazing art (which includes works by Rembrandt and Vermeer), or at Housesteads Roman Fort in Northumberland, where you’ll find out what life was like for soldiers on Hadrian’s Wall.

‘Costumed storytellers also share the tale of Charles II’s escape’

FIND A SECRET GARDEN

From intricate parterres and walled kitchen gardens to alpine rockeries and herbaceous borders, our gardens come in all shapes and sizes – and they’re well worth exploring at any time of year. When restored to their original design and planting there’s the added thrill of seeing

INVESTIGATE A COLLECTION

Once you’ve finished soaking up the atmosphere at your favourite site, don’t forget to head inside our museums and visitor centres to discover the stories of the objects former inhabitants used and cherished. Many of our sites have new or refreshed exhibits to explore, including Wroxeter Roman City in Shropshire (see page 20), where lots of objects are on display for the first time. Even more ancient objects

Find out more about our wide range of gardens at www.englishheritage.org.uk/ gardens

(and smelling) a garden as it was intended. At Brodsworth Hall and Gardens in South Yorkshire, a tunnel beneath the grotto leads to the Target Garden, originally used for archery practice before being requisitioned as a rifle range during the Second World War. At Eltham Palace and Gardens in London there’s a quirky mix of medieval and modern, with the dry moat now home to a series of ‘garden rooms’.

Above See jewellery, amulets and more at Wroxeter Roman City

our collection stores with guided tours at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire and Helmsley Castle in North Yorkshire. 03 04

Above Storytellers bring to life the tale of Charles II at Boscobel

Left The historic gardens surrounding Eltham Palace in London cover 19 acres

The Queen Mother’s Garden at Walmer Castle and Gardens in Kent features a pond surrounded by shady paths and flower-filled borders. You can also walk in the footsteps of royalty at Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, where a 16th-century pleasure garden designed to impress Elizabeth I has been reconstructed in all its glory.

EXPLORE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

From high towers and castle keeps oering panoramic views to underground tunnels and dingy dungeons, we’ve got a number of castles you can explore, quite literally, from top to bottom. At Dover Castle in Kent, it’s possible to scale the heights of Henry II’s Great Tower, passing a recreation of the medieval king’s chambers,

before heading deep underground into the castle’s secret wartime tunnels. At Portchester Castle in Hampshire you can explore its tall Norman keep before heading underground to

GET INTERACTIVE

see the lower chambers used to house prisoners during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. And at Ashby de la Zouch Castle in Leicestershire you can’t miss the impressive Hastings Tower, before heading into the kitchen via an underground passage.

REVISIT A GARDEN EVERY SEASON

It’s well worth revisiting our historic gardens throughout the year to see how they change with the seasons. Among the most spectacular are those at Audley End House in Essex. In the spring, you can enjoy stunning peach, apple and pear blossoms in the kitchen garden, while the pond garden and parterre should be alive with colour for visitors in the autumn.

The gardens at Brodsworth Hall in South Yorkshire, with its 15 acres of pleasure grounds, have been designed for year-round interest, from the exotic summer parterre to its Christmas rose, which comes into flower during the festive season.

Head to Osborne on the Isle of Wight in the warmer months to

enjoy rich summer bedding before wandering down to Queen Victoria’s private beach, or go later in the year to revel in the trees’ autumnal hues. Charles Darwin’s much-loved garden at Down House in Kent also comes into its own in the autumn, thanks in part to the eye-catching coloured fungi that can be seen in the lawns.

Taking part in hands-on activities helps history come alive for younger visitors, ensuring a fun day out for all ages. One of our interactive exhibits can be found at Boscobel House and The Royal Oak in Shropshire, where you can take an electronic candle-lit tour of the house before heading out on an interactive hideand-seek themed trail. At 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield in East Sussex, young visitors can explore the story of 1066 in an interactive exhibition before taking a trail to the battlefield. Elsewhere, one of our more unusual experiences can be found at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, where donkeys continue to work the 16thcentury tread wheel to raise water from its well.

Above Explore the history of Boscobel House by candlelight

‘At Portchester Castle you can explore its tall Norman keep before heading underground’

‘Visitors are taken back to 1066 in an interactive exhibition’

Above See the kitchen gardens at Audley )RHSYVMWL [MXL FSYRXMJYP TVSHYGI

Above The king’s chambers in Henry II’s Great Tower

08

TAKE AN AUDIO TOUR

Audio tours are a fantastic way to surround yourself with the sounds and stories of our sites. Packed with expert commentary, they provide vivid insights into what life would have been like. Great examples include the new audio tour at Warkworth Castle in Northumberland, where you can discover how the powerful Dukes of Northumberland lived at this medieval fortress. At Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre in Kent, you’ll find yourself transported back to the beginnings of the Roman conquest of Britain. And at Cli ord’s Tower, built by William the Conqueror in the heart of historic York, you can take a seat at one of the ‘listening benches’ to learn about its rich and turbulent past.

PLAY A FAMILY GAME

Look out for chances to stay and play on your next visit to a site. At Audley End House in Essex there are board games in the library, and nothing is out of bounds at the restored 1830s nursery wing. You can explore the indoor family play area, then let your

FAMILY FUN

Discover more ideas for family days out at our sites across the country www.english-heritage.org. uk/family-days-out

children dress up as Victorian children. Other examples include Down House in Kent, where you can play lawn games in Darwin’s former garden in the spring and summer, along with Marble Hill in London, where you can have a go at battledore and shuttlecock, or nine-pin bowling in the alley.

For some unique sporting heritage, don’t miss the opportunity to explore the bowling green created for Charles I in the grounds of Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight while the king was imprisoned there.

EXPLORE A WILD SPACE

There’s no better way to capture children’s imaginations than by mixing history with adventure. One of the best places to do this can be found at the newly restored Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens in Northumberland, where you can explore its craggy Quarry Garden, with secret doors and high stone archways leading past Jurassic-looking ferns and exotic plants. The site is also home to a

new family trail and fantastical children’s play area (see page 6). Legends abound at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall. The footbridge reconnecting the two halves of the ruined castle helps

you experience it as its medieval inhabitants did, before exploring its links with the tales of King Arthur. Adventurous children will also love exploring the woods and the wilderness-themed play area at Witley Court and Gardens in Worcestershire.

Left The nursery wing at Audley End House is the perfect place to play in the past

‘Secret doors and high stone archways lead past Jurassiclooking ferns and exotic plants’

‘Find yourself transported to the beginnings of the Roman conquest’

Don’t miss the audio tour during a visit to Richborough Roman Fort

Above Tintagel’s legends and scenery capture children’s imaginations

Green cat skull at the Jewel Tower, London

WORDS DR WENDY MONKHOUSE

Among the objects on display in the Jewel Tower – Edward III’s most secret and secure building, which was once part of the original medieval Palace of Westminster – is an unusual emerald treasure. However, it is not made from precious stone but is instead the skull of a cat. The strange green colour is highly unusual and may have been caused by painting the skull with a copper alloy solution prior to deposition (the colour is not present on the internal surfaces). It was found among a large amount of material excavated from the moat surrounding the tower between 1948 and 1959. While we know the age of the Jewel Tower (it was built c.1365), we can be less sure of the age of the cat. However, we think that it dates from the 17th century and that it was over seven months old when it died. Working mouser, witch’s

JEQMPMEV SV EVGLEISPSKMGEPYOI we may never know.

See it for yourself

For more information or to plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/jeweltower

Discover the hidden British Isles

Enjoy cruises to some of the British Isles’ most enchanting locations, from the Isles of Scilly to Shetland

Experience all the British Isles have to oer on your next holiday by booking a captivating cruise with Ambassador. Sailing from eight UK ports – including London, Bristol, Falmouth, Belfast and Liverpool – Ambassador’s line-up of holidays for 2024 will give you the full flavour of everything the British Isles have to oer.

A range of cruises, departing between March and September, take in some of the British Isles’ most spectacular coastal regions, including the Orkney Islands, the Isle of Lewis, the Isle of Mull, the Shetland Isles, Bantry and Cobh in Ireland, and the Isles of Scilly. Some cruises also take in parts of mainland

SAVE 10% WITH YOUR ENGLISH HERITAGE MEMBERSHIP

Europe, from Antwerp in Belgium to Honfleur in Normandy, France. Whatever itinerary you select, travelling with Ambassador is all part of your holiday. Onboard, there is a host of a entertainment options to explore, including plays, cabaret performances, live music, West End-style shows, informative guest speakers, comedy, arts and craft workshops, book clubs and more. There’s plenty to keep you occupied during the day too, with quizzes, dance classes and deck games, along with full use of the onboard leisure facilities, including a gym, swimming pool and hot tubs, along with a range of fitness, dance and wellness classes.

You’ll also enjoy full-board cuisine – breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner – and, on holidays of six nights or more, you will be invited to the captain’s cocktail party and captain’s gala dinner.

For a supplementary charge, you can explore the ships’ more intimate, speciality restaurants, including Saron, which specialises in Indian cuisine, and the ultimate onboard culinary experience, the Chef’s Table – a VIP multi-course meal that includes a tour

‘The cruises take in some of our most spectacular coastal regions’

of the galley. And with a range of drinks packages on oer, you can select the option that’s right for you.

Aboard both of Ambassador’s ships, Ambience and Ambition, your cabin will be your home-from-home. There are options to suit a wide range of preferences and prices ranges but, whichever you choose, all cabins are en suite and have a range of amenities and personal touches –tea and coee-making facilities, a personal safe, sockets and USB ports, and a TV that includes movies and a ship information channel, so you can chart your progress.

If you really want to splash out while at sea, a range of suites are also available, all with their own balconies and with a range of additional benefits such as priority embarkation and luggage delivery, a welcome bottle of wine, canapes, bathrobes and slippers, and an espresso coee maker. It’s the ultimate way to explore the British Isles in style.

CHOOSE YOUR CRUISE DESTINATIONS

BRITISH ISLES DISCOVERY

Starting and ending in Liverpool (pictured), this sailing will take you to some of the most beautiful locations in the British Isles and beyond. After a day in Belfast, you’ll head to the tranquil town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, before reaching the Shetland Isles. You’ll then go to Kirkwall in Orkney followed by Antwerp in Belgium, the Channel Islands and the Isles of Scilly.

D-DAY 80TH ANNIVERSARY VOYAGE

Commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day with a shor t sail around Britain’s south coast and France . Begin your voyage with a stop in Guernsey’s St Peter Por t (pictured) before sailing to the UNESCOlisted Le Havre. Your ship will then anchor off the Normandy Beaches before venturing to St Mary’s off the coast of Cornwall.

ROUND BRITAIN & FRANCE DISCOVERY

Sailing from Bristol, you’ll head towards 2SVQERH] ERH EVVMZI MR XLI FIEYXMJYPWLMRK

ZMPPEKI SJ ,SRIYV =SY´PP XLIR XEOI E XSYV SJ the British Isles, where you’ll take in visits to Newcastle and Aberdeen. Your voyage will culminate with stops at Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis and the colourful harbour of the Isle of Mull’s Tobermory (pictured).

IRELAND DISCOVERY

English Heritage Members can save 10% on new bookings. To book, call 0808 102 8030 or go to www.ambassadorcruiseline.com and use the code EH10

Sailing to West Cork, you will arrive at the coastal town of Bantry, which boasts a picturesque harbour and attractions such as Carriganass Castle and the stone circle at Kealkill. A stop in Ireland’s Cobh is a delightful experience, with its colourful waterfront houses. You’ll then arrive in Belfast, where the museum Titanic Belfast is testament to the city’s shipbuilding heritage.

Volunteering is a great way to support us, find new interests and meet new people. We met five volunteers at sites across the country to discover their stories

CLARE GOGERTY

Volunteer at an English Heritage site and you never know who you might meet or where it might lead. The variety of roles on oer means there is something for everyone and, with hundreds of new volunteer positions being created across the country, there are endless possibilities and opportunities. There’s also the satisfaction of knowing you are helping to support your local site and English Heritage more broadly – creating enjoyable experiences for visitors.

‘The most important thing about volunteers is that they add value,’ says volunteering and participation manager Annie Bethell. ‘Having a volunteer programme means that we can oer more to our visitors, have great conversations with them and do more storytelling. We wouldn’t be able to open our free sites as often without volunteers. They are part of the team.’

Traditionally, volunteers have tended to be retirees from professional backgrounds who want to give something back to their community, be active or to increase their social circle. This trend is shifting, however, with a growing number of people in full or part-time employment, or those with childcare responsibilities during the week, volunteering at weekends.

There’s also an increasing number of young people volunteering to learn new skills and gain experience for their future

careers. Flexible rotas mean they can choose a time and a day that suits them, which can vary according to their availability. ‘You can give as much or as little time as you can manage,’ says Annie.

All volunteers are fully supported by a manager or team leader, with an induction for new joiners and any training necessary to perform the role. They also get a uniform, travel expenses and access to Fuse, an online learning platform.

So, what qualities make a good volunteer? Well, that depends on the role. Explainer volunteers and greeters need to enjoy talking to everybody. ‘You’ve got to like people and have a passion for what it is you’re sharing,’ says Annie.

You can even volunteer from home. ‘There is a lot you can do in the background. I don’t think people realise the breadth of opportunity out there.’

All volunteer roles and application forms are on the English Heritage website. When you’ve applied, we’ll invite you to meet us and learn more about the role and, assuming it’s a good fit, the induction process begins.

Williams Garden volunteer, Stonehenge, Wiltshire

One of the pleasures Clare Williams gets from maintaining the grounds around the stones at Stonehenge is that she is free to roam around them. ‘We are there at 7.30 in the morning, a beautiful time of day. The atmosphere is different when you are in the middle of the circle, rather than looking in from outside.’ Clare works three days a week as a mortgage administrator, which she combines with looking after her children and her sessions at Stonehenge. ‘I work from home, so it’s a nice contrast to get outdoors and do something different.’ When she isn’t keeping the stones free of weeds, she volunteers in the Neolithic houses, explaining the archaeology and artefacts to visitors, and works with children in the educational workshops.Volunteers at Stonehenge are trained in different skills so that they have a better understanding of what is there. So far, Clare has been SR GSYVWIW SRMRX RETTMRK bronze casting and pottery, and has learned how to thatch the Neolithic houses. Volunteering also eased her transition back into work after having children. ‘Having that experience helped me get back into the workplace,’ she says.

‘Having a volunteer programme means we can offer more to our visitors’

An increasing number of young people are volunteering

Clare

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Photographer, Corbridge archaeological store, Northumberland

When the call went out for volunteer photographers in the North East, Brian Morris didn’t hesitate to get in touch. Brian, who had previously worked as a technician in the NHS, was assigned the role of roving photographer, taking images of events, people and collections, including artefacts that needed to be digitally recorded for the archive at Corbridge and Helmsley archaeological stores. ‘Although I had dabbled in photography, I’d never taken any pictures professionally, so I knew I had to up my game,’ says Brian, who also travels to free sites and to events, photographing people and activities. ‘My role is to show people something that makes them interested and want to visit. If you

GER KIX OMHWVIH YT [MXL XLI LMWXSV] of the Romans, for example, it’s

fantastic.’ Brian gets added satisfaction from seeing his work on the English Heritage website and used as publicity shots. ‘Volunteering with English Heritage has given me opportunities I wouldn’t have had anywhere else.’

‘When I am dressed as a 13thcentury surgeon, I can get visitors to do all sorts,’ says Mike Graham. ‘I get men to bend over and “have an enema” or children to remove E ±KERKVIRSYWRKIVVIEPP] E GEVVSX with a digit chisel. It can be hilarious.’ Mike has a full-time job as a production planner for a beer company but in his spare time he is a re-enactor. When English Heritage reopened Chester Castle after years of closure, he jumped at the chance to get involved and worked with colleagues to develop his character to bring its history alive. The castle is a free-to-enter

site that depends on its volunteers to enable it to open one day every weekend for most of the year. Explainer volunteers take people through different aspects of the site, which has a history of occupation during the medieval and Tudor periods, the 18th century and two world wars. ‘I love being part of the Chester Castle family,’ says Mike. ‘Other costumed volunteers take on roles of cooks, musicians, soldiers… Being a volunteer is good for team building and dealing with the public. You want to give visitors a good experience, to entertain them.’

Mike Graham

Explainer volunteer (costume) and maintenance volunteer, Chester Castle, Cheshire

Brian Morris

‘

-J ]SY GER KIX OMHWVIH YT [MXL XLI LMWXSV] of the Romans, for example, it’s fantastic’

Above Brian photographing artefacts at Corbridge archaeological store

Above Mike in his 13th-century surgeon guise at Buildwas Abbey

Right A young visitor helps to remove a KERKVIRSYWRKIV

Duncan Myers Beekeeper, Brodsworth Hall and Gardens, South Yorkshire

Duncan Myers’ interest in beekeeping began when he took early retirement in 2016. ‘It had been on the back of my mind for many years, so I joined a beekeeping association, purchased a couple of hives and put them in the garden.’ Volunteering was also on his mind, so he approached the team at Brodsworth Hall. ‘I explained that I was a beekeeper and they asked if I would like to put some hives into the garden.’ After meeting up with the head gardener,

JOIN THE TEAM

and sign up at www.english-heritage.org.

uk/volunteer

he found the perfect site for the hives and a successful collaboration was born. Four years on, Duncan now cares for 11 hives at the property, which he visits at least once a week for a couple of hours. ‘Visitors are very inquisitive when I’m there,’ he says. ‘I’m always answering questions about beekeeping, honey and the lifespan of bees. It’s lovely to engage with the public.’ Seeing bees in the gardens is another enjoyable FIRIX3R E WYRR] HE] ]SY GER see them buzzing about, it’s a lovely sight and sound.’ Modestly, he doesn’t take credit for this. ‘I’m just the manager. The bees do all the work.’

Xenia Sustituya Young Producer, Shout Out Loud

Being involved with English Heritage’s youth engagement programme, Shout Out Loud, has been life-changing for Xenia. As a ‘young producer’, she has made animations, learned video editing, created content and gained a lot SJ GSRHIRGI EPP SJ [LMGL LEW helped her with the next stage in her career. ‘Volunteering played a big part in giving me the GSRHIRGI XS KS FEGO XS university. I’m more motivated and better equipped to tackle my own future now and to keep growing and learning.’ Shout Out Loud aims to demystify the heritage sector for young people by looking at buried stories and past lives. ‘One of the most exciting parts of history and heritage is writing about people’s stories and stories of places,’ says Xenia. ‘I didn’t have much connection with heritage before becoming a young producer.’ Alongside studying maths at university, Xenia is currently undertaking mentor training to help other young people make the most of being a young producer on the Shout Out Loud programme. ‘I’d like to guide them towards being able to achieve what they want to achieve.’

Take a look at the roles on offer

Above Duncan cares for 11 hives at Brodsworth Hall and Gardens

‘I’m always answering questions about beekeeping. It’s lovely to engage with the public’

Duncan visits the beehives at least once a week

SEASON’S GREETINGS

Share the Christmas spirit with our special festive collection are h spir t wi h i l ti e c le ion

Spread some f esti ve cheer this year with the special Christmas range of Eng lish Heritage gifts and goodies. As well as charming greetings cards created exclusively for English Heritage, there are handmade chocolate bars, classic Christmas socks, tree decorations, calendars, books and more. You can see a small selection of our Christmas range here – head to our online store to view the full festive collection.

Chocolate, £3.75 or 3 for £10

A WEEK IN THE ADRIATIC

A voyage between Zadar & Dubrovnik aboard the Queen Eleganza 13th to 20th May & 25th September to 2nd October 2024*

We are delighted to have chartered the 36-passenger Queen Eleganza for these seven night cruises exploring the attractive coastline between Zadar and Dubrovnik Having operated in the region for many years this itinerary has been designed to explore the breathtaking natural beauty, intriguing history and stunning architecture of the spectacular coast and islands and we will visit some marvellous places which do not cater for the big ships

Sibenik

As we journey through the intense blue sea of the Adriatic the many highlights will include the historic cities of Zadar and Dubrovnik, with their history dating back through the Middle Ages to the Roman Era, and the delightful islands of Trogir, Hvar and Korcula where we will spend time walking through the beautiful old towns exploring the historic wonders We will also visit areas of great natural beauty including Mljet where we will tour the National Park including its beautiful lakes. Each night we will remain moored in the picturesque harbours affording Ìi ««ÀÌÕÌ Ì `i >ÃÀi Ãi iÛi}Ã Ì i Ìi y`Ì Ã«i`ÕÀ >` Ûi V>vj ÃViÌ ÜV à à >ÌëiÀV

Trogir

This heady mix of islands and ports represents a fascinating itinerary combining as it does some ‘must see ’ sites together with little known and rarely visited places that are perfectly suited for our vessel Whether it be the towering cliffs and rich vegetation, scenic waterways and indentations or the wealth of historic buildings, this unique area has so much to offer and our itinerary will be appreciated by those who enjoy an eclectic mix of places, the company of a small group of like-minded travellers and an informal style of cruising

QUEEN ELEGANZA is the perfect ship to escape the for malities of larger vessels and enjoy the casual nature of small ship cruising along the ÃÌ Li>ÕÌvÕ v V>ÃÌià >ÕVi` Óä£n >` >VV`>Ì} ÕÃÌ ÎÈ «>ÃÃi}iÀÃ] Ãi à i v Ìi wiÃÌ À>Ì> y>}}i` ÛiÃÃià v iÀ ` /i £n V>Là >Ài wÃi` Ì Ìi }iÃÌ ÃÌ>`>À` >` >Ài iµÕ««i` ÜÌ > i ÃÕÌi L>ÌÀ ÜÌ ÃÜiÀ] Ã>vi] >À V`Ì}Éi>Ì}] >À`ÀiÀ >` y>Ì ÃVÀii TV The vessel has been designed with spacious outside public areas including a large Sun Deck with an excellent shaded area Whether you choose to spend your time indoors in the lounge or bar area, or in a comfortable lounger on the Sun Deck, the ship has many perfect spots from which to relax and watch the passing scenery Meals served on board feature wholesome and fresh Mediterranean cuisine and, when dining ashore independently, your knowledgeable ÀÕÃi ÀiVÌÀ Ü ÀiVi` ««Õ>À V> ÀiÃÌ>ÕÀ>ÌÃ

£300 PER PERSON

THE ITINERARY IN BRIEF

Day 1 London to Zadar, Croatia Fly by scheduled y}Ì Ì -«Ì " >ÀÀÛ> ÌÀ>ÃviÀ Ì Ìi +Õii Eleganza in Zadar Enjoy our welcome dinner on board this evening as we moor over night (D)

Day 2 Zadar & Sibenik "Vi > `>Ì VÌ Ìi `À>ÌV >ÃÌ ÀÛ>} 6iVi] <>`>À à Ì`> > treasured city that has preserved its historical core Enjoy an afternoon walking tour strolling around the old town with its Roman columns and portals, Romanesque churches and Renaissance and >ÀµÕi «>>Vià "v «>ÀÌVÕ>À ÌiÀiÃÌ >Ài Ìi Ì ViÌÕÀ VÀVÕ>À ÕÀV v -Ì >Ì >` Ìi £ÎÌ century Romanesque cathedral Sail in the late morning and spend the afternoon relaxing on board as we make our way to Sibenik Here we enjoy an early evening walking tour through the historic town Ãii} Ìi >Ìi`À> v -Ì >iÃ] Ìi ` VÌ Ü>Ã] and the theatre before returning to the ship for dinner (B, L, D)

Day 3 Sibenik & Trogir. This morning visit the majestic waterfalls of Krka Enjoy a guided walk along wooden walkways and across bridges through this unique fjord like landscape with its multiple Ü>ÌiÀv>Ã >` ÌiÀiÃÌ} yÀ> >` v>Õ> ,iÌÕÀ Ì

Sibenik and spend the afternoon at sea as we sail to Trogir. Set within Medieval walls on a tiny island, linked by bridges to both the mainland and to the v>À >À}iÀ Û Ã>`] Üi Ü i > Ü>} ÌÕÀ of this delightful port The old town has retained many intact and beautiful buildings from its age of }À LiÌÜii Ìi £ÎÌ >` £xÌ ViÌÕÀià £Ç its profuse collection of Romanesque and Renaissance buildings earned it World Heritage status We will moor overnight and have the opportunity to dine ashore this evening (B, L)

Day 4 Hvar -> >vÌiÀ LÀi>v>ÃÌ Ì -Ì>À À>` where, upon arrival after lunch, we take a short V>V À`i >VÀÃÃ Ìi Ã>` Ì Ìi >ÌÌÀ>VÌÛi "` Town of Hvar for a guided walk We will begin in the main square which is the largest piazza in Dalmatia and see the cathedral, the Franciscan Monastery, and the Benedictine Nunnery where we hear about the aloe lace still produced today by the nuns. Retur n to the ship and enjoy dinner ashore in one of the char ming local restaurants (B, L)

Day 5 Korcula. Set sail during breakfast and over lunch we arrive in Korcula, the reputed birthplace of the explorer Marco Polo Here we will drive to the interior of the island to a winery where we will lear n more about the mainly white wines, which have been cultivated on the island for centuries, before enjoying a tasting Retur ning to the town we will enjoy some time to walk along the crooked Medieval streets to the elegant squares which are y>i` ÜÌ «>>Vià v Ìi ` LÌ 7i Ü Li moored over night in Korcula and you will be able Ì `i >ÃÀi `i«i`iÌ Ìi "` /Ü Ìà evening (B, L)

Day 6 Mljet. This mor ning we will continue our ÕÀ i Ì iÌ "i v Ìi viÜ >>Ì> Ã>`Ã that was never ruled by Venice, this is apparent in the architecture and the absence of any sizeable historic town What it lacks in great architecture it more than makes up for in natural beauty and there will be a tour to the National Park including its beautiful lakes, before we retur n to the ship for dinner (B, L, D)

Day 7 Dubrovnik. Arrive this after noon in Dubrovnik, the “Pearl of the Adriatic” After a short `ÀÛi Ì *i >Ìi] Üi Ü Li} ÕÀ }Õ`i` Ü> ÌÀÕ} Ìi ÕµÕi i`iÛ> "` /Ü v

ÕLÀÛ] ÜV Ü>Ã >``i` Ì Ìi 1 -" 7À`

iÀÌ>}i ÃÌ £Ç -ii Ìi >À >ÌÌÀ>VÌà such as the Rector’s Palace, the RomanesqueÌV V> >` À>VÃV> >ÃÌiÀiÃ] >` the Sponza Palace Retur n to the vessel and enjoy our farewell dinner on board (B, L, D)

Day 8 Dubrovnik to London Disembark and transfer to Dubrovnik Airport for our scheduled y}Ì Ì ` (B)

*Please note: the 25th September departure operates in the reverse direction to that shown. Full details can be viewed online

PRICES & INCLUSIONS

Special offer prices per person based on double occupancy start from £ 2 8 9 5 for a >Ìi}À £ V>L

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

Economy class scheduled air travel • Seven nights aboard the Queen Eleganza • Meals as indicated (B -Breakfast, L - Lunch, D - Dinner)

• W ine, beer & soft drinks with included lunches and dinners • Shore excursions • Noble >i`> ÀÕÃi ÀiVÌÀ U À>ÌÕÌiÃ

• Transfers • Port taxes • Airport taxes

NB Ports and itinerary are subject to change All special offers are subject to availability Travel insurance is not included in the price Our current booking conditions apply to all reservations

EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU

Watch our latest Members’ Lectures

Discover surprising stories from our properties and learn from our experts with our latest series of virtual Members’ Lectures that can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home. This new round of live lectures will provide a chronological look at the sites and events that shaped English history, with the opportunity to put your questions to the expert at the end of each session. If you can’t make the live lecture, don’t worry as recordings of all the lectures will also be available to watch at your leisure at a later date on the English Heritage website. And best of all, they’re completely free for Members.

To sign up or watch our previous Members’ Lectures, go to www.english-heritage.org. uk/members-lectures

The 2023/24 Members’ Lecture programme:

Tuesday, 31 October, 6pm

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Presented by properties historian (prehistory) Dr Jennifer Wexler

Tuesday, 28 November, 6pm

The discovery of Hadrian’s Wall. Presented by collections curator of Hadrian’s Wall and the north east Dr Frances McIntosh

Tuesday, 12 December, 6pm

The Iron Bridge and the heart of industry. Presented by head collections curator Dr Matt Thompson

Tuesday, 30 January, 6pm

0SVH 1ERW IPH EX /IR[SSH ERH XLI Somerset Case. Presented by head of learning and interpretation Dr Dominique Bouchard

Tuesday, 27 February, 6pm Three generations of J.W. Evans in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. Presented by senior collections conservator Beth Stanley

Tuesday, 26 March, 6pm The Cold War and the York Bunker.

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Below The remains of a stretch of

Above, clockwise from left Kenwood in London; learn from our expert team; J.W. Evans Silver Factory in Birmingham

Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland

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to enjoy. Here are just a few ideas to help you save money and start planning an extraordinary year ahead

Save the date

Don’t miss our next Members’ Week, which is taking place from 6–14 April. This is your chance to enjoy a wide range of free events, both on-site and virtual, that are exclusive to Members. There’s something for all interests and ages – our way of thanking you for your support. Look out for the next issue of your Members’ Magazine for full details. In the meantime, you can catch up with the online events that took place as part of this year’s Members’ Week at www.english-heritage.org.uk/ membersweek

Members’ loyalty scheme

If you have been an English Heritage Member for more than a year, you automatically qualify for an exclusive 10% discount in our cafés, shops and online store. This means you can save even more money on your days out this winter and it’s a great way to save money on your Christmas shopping. Simply show

your membership card or quote your membership number online to redeem your discount. What’s more, whether you’re buying a cup of tea or a replica sword, you’ll be making a vital contribution to our work. For more details, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/loyalty

Look out for our regular newsletters

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I\GPYWMZI IZIRXW discounts and content (online, video and podcast), along with inspiration for great days out at our sites. If you don’t currently receive the Members’ e-newsletters, you can change your preferences to do so in the Members’ Area of our website at www.english-heritage.org.uk/members

Free or discounted events

As a Member you qualify for free or discounted entry to the special events that take place at our sites all year round. These include tickets for our annual Battle of Hastings re-enactment at 1066 Battle SJ ,EWXMRKW %FFI] ERH &EXXPI IPH MR )EWX Sussex in October, our Halloween and Ghost Tales events, and this year’s magical 'LVMWXQEW EX©´ IZIRXW XEOMRK TPEGI EX /IR[SSH )PXLEQ 4EPEGI ERH +EVHIRW Wrest Park, and Walmer Castle and Gardens. You also have access to a wide range of exclusive Members’ events. For more details turn to page 57 or go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/events

Above The annual Members’ Week returns in April, packed with free events for Members

‘Members’ Week is your chance to enjoy a wide range of free events’

Stories to make you

As restless spirits start to stir this Halloween, we asked our fearless Ghost Tales guides to share a few of their spookiest stories from our haunted houses, abbeys and castles

WORDS STEPHEN YEO, MARK VANCE, KATE VIGURS AND TIM EAGLING ILLUSTRATIONS SUE GENT

Ghost riders and the hooded monk

BATTLE ABBEY, EAST SUSSEX

Built to commemorate William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Battle Abbey fell victim to Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, leaving atmospheric ruins that still stir with the chilling echoes of its past.

Over the years there have been numerous sightings of a lone rider, silently galloping his steed across the battlefield. These reports always seem to coincide with the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, as if some fallen warrior is trapped in an endless cycle, reliving their fatal final moments.

As with many other historic sites, the spectre of an unknown lady has been seen stalking the ruins of the abbey. Her long red dress, believed to be from the

Tudor period, flows around her solemn silhouette. Tragedy may have ended her life or perhaps it’s love that keeps her here.

The area beneath the abbey’s dormitory, where shadows cut across the vaulted ceilings and the air is always cold, is its most haunted. Here, the hooded figure of a monk has been spotted reading, walking and even raising a finger, as if to demand silence. Could this be the last monk to leave the abbey, after it was snatched from the hands of the church? In 1538, the abbey’s new owner, Sir Anthony Browne, was allegedly feasting within the Abbot’s House, to celebrate his new home, when an aged monk denounced him and his ospring for their usurpation of church property, predicting that the Browne line would be destroyed by fire and water. This curse came to pass in 1793 when the last but one of the Browne line drowned on the Rhine. In the same week, the family’s ancestral seat at Cowdray perished by fire. By 1815, the last descendants of the Brownes were also dead, having drowned in an accident at sea in Bognor Regis. www.english-heritage.org.uk/battle

The blue lady and the viper child

FRAMLINGHAM CASTLE, SUFFOLK

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Don’t forget

Come to an event to see our sites at night – turn to page 57 for more details

Plague pits and the ‘hell chamber’

Only the most intrepid ghost hunter s should take the Ghost Tales tour of England’s most haunted castle Once William Cavendish’s ‘pleasure palace’ in the 17th centur y, the castle is now home to a cast of spooks and spectres, from ghostly hor ses in the r iding school to a whole ar my of equine ghouls making their way home from the English Civil War s

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Restless royals and the ‘licking stone’

Ghost sightings are unsurprisingly commonplace at Carlisle Castle, which has something of a gruesome history. Among the spooks is King Stephen, who lost the castle to David I, King of Scotland, in 1135, while fighting a civil war with Empress Matilda, his rival for the English throne. His restless ghost was supposedly seen walking the halls by a soldier serving at the garrison during the 1840s and was blamed for military kit going missing and causing an air of dread and paranoia among the troops.

In winter, when a chill wind blows down from the north, it’s also said that the spectre of Mary Queen of Scots returns to haunt the place where she was imprisoned. While some sta members claim to have heard the swish of velvet skirts across the snow, others swear they have seen a ghostly figure kneeling on the lawn of the ‘ladies walk’ as if deep in prayer.

When the Jacobites were defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, many men were brought to Carlisle and locked up in the dungeon. Carrying dreadful injuries, they were kept in the dark as their own filth piled up around them. With no access to food or water, the men resorted to licking the damp stone walls of their cell. Today, it’s possible to see where the stone has been worn into a pillar by the desperate tongues of these starving, thirst-driven prisoners, whose voices and cries for help have been heard by visitors and sta alike. www.english-heritage.org.uk/carlisle

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The plague pit in the castle gardens [EW XLI REP FYV MEP TPEGI SJ LYRHVIHW of victims who succumbed to this dreadful disease and whose restless spir its, some think, continue to haunt the grounds to this day.

Visiting mothers have claimed to feel a child holding their hand, only to discover there is no one there. The culprit is said to be a young boy who lost his own mother many centuries ago after tumbling to his death from a tree in the courtyard.

Inside the Little Castle, a baby can sometimes be heard crying – an illegitimate child taken to its untimely death in the castle kitchens, perhaps? And within the castle, William Cavendish himself has been said to touch the legs and faces of female visitors, while exotic smells waft through the air in his former chambers.

At night, stay well away from the Elysium Closet, once known as the hell room, where it’s said that if the words ‘sleep no more’ are uttered, death will be swift to follow.

www.english-heritage.org.uk/ bolsover

‘With no access to food or water, the prisoners resorted to licking the damp walls’

The jilted lover and the executed rebels SCARBOROUGH CASTLE, NORTH YORKSHIRE

The 12th-century castle at Scarborough has seen many troubled times. Slighted in the English Civil Wars and damaged during the naval bombardment of 1914, the castle walls could tell a thousand stories. Perhaps the most well-known spectre at Scarborough is that of Piers Gaveston

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The castle was witness to many other horrors. In 1557, it was besieged again – this time by Thomas Stafford, who proclaimed himself ‘protector of the realm’ and incited rebellion against Queen Mary. Stafford was executed at Tyburn and several of his followers were executed at Scarborough, where their bodies were boiled and tanned before being put on public display to warn off other would-be rebels. Their tortured spirits are said to walk the grounds to this day.

www.english-heritage.org.uk/ scarboroughcastle

The ghost cot and the deathly bride

KENILWORTH CASTLE, WARWICKSHIRE

Kenilworth Castle has more than nine hundred years of history, so it’s hardly surprising to discover that many people believe its skeletal ruins are haunted. Sta members claim to have seen a ghostly child running across the stable roof before disappearing, while others swear to have seen the silhouette of a cot in the Elizabethan bedroom rocking all by itself.

It seems that almost every historical site has a mysterious mist-like female form that haunts its grounds, staircases or hallways – and Kenilworth is no exception. Here, there is more than one theory as to the identity of the ‘white lady’. Perhaps it is the ghost of Lady Amy Dudley, the first wife of Sir Robert Dudley (although she died in Oxfordshire). Or maybe the ghoul was the daughter of the Royalist commander of the castle from

the early days of the English Civil Wars. Another theory is that it’s the lost soul of one Constance Haslett, an unfortunate young woman who died in the grounds of the castle in the mid-1800s, while searching for her lost love on her wedding day. With so many accounts of sightings from visitors and sta, it’s hard to believe that this could be a figment of so many people’s overactive imaginations…

www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworth

EXPERIENCE OUR GHOST TALES

www.english-heritage. org.uk/events

‘Staff members claim to have seen a child running across the stable roof’

To join our guides for our Ghost Tales events, go to

COASTAL DEFENCE

Following last year’s appeal to protect our coastal sites aected by coastal erosion and rising tides, we sent Jo Caird to Hurst Castle in Hampshire to find out how we’re looking after this vulnerable fort

PHOTOGRAPHS GARETH IWAN JONES

There’s barely a ripple disturbing the surface of the river as we make our way from Keyhaven Quay out to Hurst Castle, the imposing coastal fortress built by King Henry VIII to guard the western entrance to the Solent. Out beyond the protection of the shingle spit on which the castle stands, however, it’s another story: as the tides that meet here cause the sea to churn and roar, the Hurst Castle ferry rolls to and fro with the force of the waves.

It’s hard to imagine a better demonstration of the natural and geographical challenges facing Hurst Castle – by far the most exposed of English Heritage’s coastal properties. Which is why I’ve been brought here, in the company of a select group of English Heritage supporters, to find out how the charity is working to care for this remarkable heritage landmark.

It was back in February 2021 that a section of wall on the 19th-century east wing of the castle collapsed after powerful storms exposed and undercut its foundations. What had for centuries been protected by a wide bank of shingle had been laid bare by the fierce action of the tide, with devastating results.

The months following the collapse saw a large-scale project mobilised and were an extremely busy period for English Heritage and Hurst Marine, the family-run business that manages

Coastal Connections

The global partnership helping to guard historic sites against climate change

The Coastal Connections project is a global network of coastal heritage sites brought together to share knowledge and expertise in the face of the challenges of climate change. The initiative was set up earlier this year by English Heritage and the World Monuments Fund (WMF), an independent organisation devoted to safeguarding the world’s most treasured places, in the wake of Hurst Castle being added to the World Monument Watch List.

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sites might be very different – they range from the Rapa Nui of Easter Island to Methoni Castle in Greece – the challenges they face are similar, so there’s lots of scope for a collaborative approach,

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outside the global north.

the castle on behalf of the charity. Two years later, however, everyone involved can breathe easier as all the evidence shows that the breach in the east wing has been stabilised.

Feet crunching on the new shingle as he stands in front of the broken section of east wing wall, senior properties curator Roy Porter recalls the sense of urgency in the immediate aftermath of the collapse: ‘The most important thing to do straight away was to stop the damage moving further along,’ he says. ‘Because at either end of the breach, undermining of the foundations continued.’

Supplementary foundations were required to replace the absurdly shallow ones – just four courses of brick and less

‘We’re very privileged in England that we have had access to funds for vital conservation but it’s tougher for others around the world,’ explains Rob Woodside, estates director at English Heritage. ‘We’re running engagement sessions to try to come up with resources for people who are dealing with similar issues.’ Those resources will include principles for guiding future management decisions – whether what’s required is new defences or working with communities to record coastal heritage sites before they’re lost.

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Above Rob Woodside, estates director at English Heritage

Top Hurst Castle was built by Henry VIII at the seaward end of a coastal spit

Above The castle commands the narrow entrance to the Solent

Above A section of 19th-century wall collapsed after powerful storms

Right Supporters are shown how work is progressing to improve the defences

than a metre of concrete – constructed in the 1860s when armoured wing batteries were built. The solution? Injecting a quick-setting maritime resin into the shingle beneath the exposed section.

‘It goes into all the gaps between the stones and forms a sort of conglomerate, almost like concrete, that provides sucient stability to keep the walls up on either side,’ says Porter. Careful monitoring followed. ‘There’s been no movement since that work occurred. At both ends of the breach things have been stabilised,’ adds Porter, with relief.

Making this possible meant building a temporary revetment to keep back the tide, protecting both the castle itself and the people whose job it was to prevent its further collapse. Once that was in place, new shingle was brought in to create an area in which to work, before removing the debris of the collapse. Following agreement from Natural England – as the area is designated a site of special scientific interest – the fallen sections of granite wall and the castle’s heavy iron gun shields were moved to further down the spit, their details archaeologically

catalogued. They remain there today, providing visitors to the castle with a unique opportunity to grasp the remarkable scale of these mid-Victorian defences. To move the gun shields, which comprise multiple layers of five-inchthick iron plate sandwiched together with five-inch-thick blocks of brick and concrete encased in an iron frame, required two 50-tonne excavators.

The temporary revetment was then made permanent, giving it a predicted lifespan of at least 50 years. Fittingly, the granite rock armour used around the outer edge came from Norway via Cornwall, which is the source of the granite used in the 19th-century castle walls.

The east wing is now well defended – between the resin, the rock armour

and the new shingle, it is now protected by an additional 22,000 tonnes of material. But overall Hurst Castle remains at risk and will only become more vulnerable as the climate crisis leads to higher sea levels and more severe storms in the years ahead. Aided by money raised in last year’s coastal conservation appeal, which raised over £700,000, English Heritage will continue to support the castle over the coming months and years.

Before winter storms unleash the full fury of the sea on the castle again, further work will be carried out to make repairs to the counterscarp wall on the sea side of the Tudor part of the castle. This involves retrieving the fallen blocks of masonry from where they’re now buried in the beach, then using them to

Below Shingle and rock armour have been added in front of the collapsed wall

‘Heavy iron gun shields give visitors a sense of the scale of these midVictorian defences’

rebuild the wall. Repairs are also required to reinforce the wooden groynes that stand seaward of the wall. It is certain that further enhancement of the sea defences will be required in front of the central and western parts of the castle, and English Heritage and a whole host of experts and partner agencies are currently in an intense phase of developing options and planning for the future.

Touring Hurst Castle with Porter and the appeal supporters who are making this crucial work possible, it’s impossible not to be struck by the scale of the task. But it’s a challenge that the charity, with the help of its generous funders, is rising to in an extraordinary way. And the team is in no doubt that such an eort is

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absolutely worth it. As Rob Woodside, estates director puts it, ‘People have a strong anity and love for the coastline and coastal heritage, so we hope they continue to support us.’

Porter agrees. ‘This site is one of the most important in our care because of the long history it represents, but also because it’s such an important figure in the landscape,’ he says. He pauses, gesturing out over the spit, to the sea and the Isle of Wight beyond it. ‘It’s history, landscape importance, local identity, cultural identity, all those things wrapped up in a place like this. And we’re doing our best for it.’

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‘This site is one of the most important in our care – it represents such a long history’

Below A 3D model of the site created using data from laser scanning and digital photogrammetry

English Heritage is grateful to Julia and Hans Rausing, The National Heritage Memorial Fund and Members for supporting the conservation work

Seasonal savings

With Members’ Rewards, you can save money on travel, food and drink, plants, homeware and more. Browse the oers online, click to redeem and enjoy your savings. Find the full range at www.english-heritage.org.uk/rewards

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Exclusive holidays for life

Discover the exclusive world of the Holiday Property Bond

From its inception in 1983, the Holiday Property Bond has strived to preserve and protect our natural heritage. With a passion for renovating and restoring historic buildings, HPB’s extensive portfolio comprises over 1,400 of the finest holiday properties in the UK and Europe. All are situated in beautiful countryside, with many in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

You can holiday in the properties throughout your lifetime and then pass the benefits on to your children or grandchildren. An initial payment of as little as £5,000 means you can look forward to truly memorable holidays in beautiful places, with top quality accommodation year after year after year.

You’re one step away from a lifetime of wonderful holidays

If you would like to know more about HPB, please read ‘Exclusive holidays for life’, on the right, and then request your free Information Pack today.

Call FREE on 0800 66 54 90

Visit hpb.co.uk/heritage

Scan the QR code

As an English Heritage member, HPB will give you a bonus of 5% extra holiday entitlement when you become a Bondholder

An initial payment from £5,000 and a quarterly fee of just over £35 (that is around £140 a year), which can increase in line with but not exceed the Retail Price Index Excluding Mortgage Interest (RPIX), gives you access to all HPB’s holiday homes. For each HPB holiday, you will pay a no-profit user charge covering only property running and maintenance costs and use of on-site facilities. The charge is the same throughout the year and for a studio averages about £347 a week and around £533 a week for a two bedroom property. Larger properties are also available. After an initial charge of 25% your money is invested in a fund of holiday properties and securities. The fund itself meets annual charges of 2.5% of its net assets at cost, calculated monthly. Your investment return is purely in the form of holidays and, as with most investments, your capital is at risk. You can surrender your investment to the company after two years or more (subject to deferral in exceptional circumstances) but you will get back less than you invested because of the charges referred to above, as well as other overheads and changes in the value of the fund’s properties and securities. This advertisement is issued by HPB Management Limited (HPBM), the main UK agent and the property manager for HPB, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, registered at HPB House, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8EH. HPB is available exclusively through HPBM. HPB is issued by HPB Assurance Limited (HPBA) registered in the Isle of Man and authorised by the Financial Services Authority there. HPBM promotes only HPB and is not independent of HPBA. Holders of policies issued by HPBA will not be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if the company becomes unable to meet its liabilities to them but Isle of Man compensation arrangements apply to new policies.

...and stay in our wonderful Grade II* listed country house in Kent

...or our medieval great hall in the Peak District ...or our Victorian mansion in Cumbria

Sibton Park

Blore Hall

Merlewood

Unmissable experiences

Make the most of the months ahead with these fun-packed seasonal events, from Halloween hauntings to Christmas cheer. For complete listings, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/events

There’s plenty going on this autumn and winter to keep the whole family entertained – and, remember, your membership entitles you to free or discounted entry to most of our events. Step into the Halloween season with Spooky Woodland Walks at the end of October, taking place at sites that include Tynemouth Priory in Tyne and Wear and Wrest Park in Bedfordshire. Or, if you’re feeling brave, you won’t want to miss Ghost Tales at sites including Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight and Framlingham Castle in Suolk. As we head towards

Christmas, get yourself in the festive spirit with the spectacular ‘Christmas at…’ events, taking place in partnership with Kilimanjaro Live at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, Kenwood and Eltham Palace in London, and Walmer Castle in Kent. For even more festive fun, there’s Carols at the Castle at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire and the ‘Father Christmas at…’ events at a number of sites. And don’t forget there’s still time to book tickets for the Battle of Hastings re-enactment, taking place on 14–15 October at Battle Abbey in East Sussex. For full details, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/events

Autumn and winter highlights

MORE KIDS’ EVENTS

For even more familyfriendly events, go to www.english-heritage. org.uk/family-events

HALLOWEEN HALF-TERM

It’s Halloween, and our castles and mansions are bursting with eerie goings-on! From October to early November, you can tackle special Halloween quests packed with creepy clues at sites across the country, from Pendennis Castle in Cornwall to Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens in Northumberland.

ILLUMINATED ABBEY

See two of our iconic abbeys in a fresh light this winter, as 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield in East Sussex and Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire are bathed in dramatic illuminations. Explore the atmospheric splendour of the abbeys lit up with all the colours of the rainbow.

Thu 16 Nov, 11am

CONISBROUGH

ARCHAEOLOGY WALK

Conisbrough Castle, South Yorkshire Y

Bookings open on 16 October

Members’ Events

Meet our experts and enjoy special access to sites as part of these events, which are held exclusively for Members. For full listings, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/members-events

L London SE South East SW South West EE East of England EM East Midlands WM West Midlands Y Yorkshire and the Humber NW North West HW Hadrian’s Wall NE North East Family friendly

Fri 3 Nov, 11am & 1.30pm

CHURCHILL’S SECRET ARMY

Audley End House and Gardens, Essex EE

Discover the clandestine wartime history of Audley End House, codenamed Station 43, when this sleepy stately home was a genuine James Bond-style school for spies.

£30. Access: moderate

Fri 10 Nov, 10.30am

BUILDING A GATEWAY TO BRITANNIA

Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre, Kent SE

Join historian Paul Pattison and carpenter Matt Town to hear the story of how a fortified Roman gateway, once part of beachhead defences, was recreated. £25. Access: moderate

Fri 10 Nov, 10.30am

STOKESAY CASTLE: A NEW INTERPRETATION

Stokesay Castle, Shropshire EE Properties historian Will Wyeth leads a tour around Stokesay Castle in Shropshire, weaving together the story of Laurence of Ludlow’s life and the development of the castle and its landscape.

£25. Access: challenging

Tue 14 Nov, 11am & 1.30pm

REMEMBRANCE TOUR

Marble Hill, London L Learn about Marble Hill’s role in the world wars via an expert tour, including its links with the 2nd Battalion Middlesex Volunteer Regiment and the Dig for Victory campaign.

£18. Access: easy

Join senior curator Kevin Booth for a tour of the archaeology of Consibrough Castle, then head to the visitor centre for some object handling and identification.

£15. Access: moderate

Tue 21 Nov, 10am

DISCOVER BRISTOL: ST MARY REDCLIFFE CHURCH AND TEMPLE CHURCH

Temple Church, Bristol SW Join our knowledgeable guides as they reveal the tales behind these iconic locations and share insights into the ongoing conservation eorts. £30. Access: challenging

Thu 23 Nov, 10am

BOOK ART WREATH-MAKING WORKSHOP

Wrest Park, Bedfordshire EE Spend the day with our book folding team and recycle the pages of old books into beautiful floral wreaths. You will learn how to make three dierent flowers. £50. Access: easy

Mon 27 Nov & Mon 4 Dec, 2pm

CHRISTMAS WREATH MAKING

Marble Hill, London L Come and make a festive wreath using natural garden material from Marble Hill’s extensive grounds, which include riverside parkland and reinvigorated woods.

£30. Access: easy

Conisbrough Archaeology Walk

Stokesay Castle: A New Interpretation

Building a Gateway to Britannia

Tue 28 Nov, 4.30pm

YORK WALKING TOUR

York Minster, York Y

Explore the history of this wonderful city and its close connections to Christmas on this fascinating walking tour, as the busy streets light up to celebrate the festive season. £25. Access: moderate

Wed 29 Nov, 10am

CONSERVING THE BOBBIN MILL

Stott Park Bobbin Mill, Cumbria NW

Today Stott Park Bobbin Mill is the only working bobbin mill in the Lake District. On this tour you’ll go behind-thescenes to discover first-hand the maintenance and conservation techniques that keep this fantastic mill operational. £20. Access: easy

Sun 3 Dec, 10.30am

INSIDE FRAMLINGHAM WORKHOUSE

Framlingham Castle, Suolk EE Learn about the history of this 18th-century workhouse and the conditions inside, and hear stories of some of the inmates’ lives, which have been uncovered by our team. £18. Access: moderate

Thu 7 & Fri 8 Dec, 11am

CONSTABLE’S TOUR

Dover Castle, Kent SE

Join us on an exclusive tour of Constable’s Tower at Dover Castle – one of the most impressive castles in the country. Visit areas not usually open to the public and be one of the few to learn the tower’s secrets. £18. Access: moderate

Thu 1 & Fri 2 Feb, 11am

GREAT TOWER TOUR

Dover Castle, Kent SE

Join us on an exclusive tour of the Great Tower at Dover Castle, once home to King Henry II’s court. Our expert guide will take you through the tower and explore over 800 years of royal and military history. £18. Access: challenging

Sun 4 Feb, 10.30am

DISCOVER MANCHESTER: SOUTHERN CEMETERY

Southern Cemetery, Manchester NW

Manchester’s Southern Cemetery is the largest and busiest municipal cemetery in the country. Tour guide Emma Fox will lead you through the tranquil Victorian green space and show you notable graves. £25. Access: moderate

Mon 4 Dec, 10.30am

DISCOVER MANCHESTER:

COTTON & SLAVERY

Central Library, Manchester NW

Join tour guide Emma Fox to explore Manchester’s role in the triangular trade, and uncover the links between cotton and slavery. £25. Access: moderate

Thu 14 Dec, 1pm

BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOUR OF THE PRINCESS OF WALES’S ROYAL REGIMENT MUSEUM

Dover Castle, Kent SE

Learn about the centuries-long history of this British Army regiment and handle objects from our stores.

£20. Access: moderate

Fri 5 Jan, 4.30pm

TWELFTH NIGHT AT ELTHAM PALACE

Eltham Palace and Gardens, London L Celebrate Twelfth Night at Eltham Palace, a Tudor celebration at the historic home of King Henry VIII. Includes piano playing, carolling, King’s cake, refreshments and a talk on Christmas at Eltham Palace in the Tudor period. £25. Access: moderate

Inside Framlingham Workhouse Great Tower Tour

Conserving the Bobbin Mill

‘Go behind-the-scenes to see how the only working bobbin mill in the Lake District is maintained’

Mon 5 Feb, 11am

HIDDEN HISTORIES: BLACKOUT POETRY WORKSHOP

Rievaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire Y

To celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month, join historian Kit Heyam to learn about the queer history of Rievaulx Abbey and celebrate queer love and friendship today. £25. Access: easy

Tue 27 Feb, 7.30am

STONEHENGE: UP CLOSE

Stonehenge, Wiltshire SW

Gain a rare insight into the World Heritage Site with an exclusive tour around the monument led by one of our experts. Learn all about the stones and discover the details on the sarsens and bluestones that are only visible up close. Tea, coee and a light breakfast are included. £50. Access: moderate

Thu 14 Mar, 10am

EXPLORING OLD SARUM

Old Sarum, Wiltshire SW

Old Sarum is one of the most enthralling and historically important sites in southern England. Enjoy a tour of the site and explore the features in the landscape as you discover more about this fascinating place. £25. Access: moderate

Thu 15 Feb, 10.30am

EXPLORE NUMISMATICS: COINS AND COLLECTIONS

Temple Cloud Archaeology Store, Bristol SW

Explore a selection of coins, learn how to identify coins from dierent periods and uncover the work that goes into conserving our collection. £25. Access: moderate

Wed 21 Feb, 10.30am

WROXETER ROMAN CITY: A CLOSER LOOK AT URBAN ROMAN LIFE

Wroxeter Roman City, Shropshire WM

Join us for an exclusive look at our new museum at Wroxeter Roman City. Take a closer look at some never-before-seen objects before being given a guided tour of the site. £25. Access: moderate

Fri 1 Mar, 11am & 1.30pm

RESISTING THE INVADER 1940

Audley End House and Gardens, Essex EE

Find out how Audley End House would have played a crucial role in defending against a German invasion in 1940. Tour the grounds and discover the hidden clues to the site’s past. £30. Access: moderate

Tue 5 Mar, 11.30am

CURATOR TOUR: LINDISFARNE PRIORY MUSEUM

Lindisfarne Priory, Northumberland NE

Join curator Susan Harrison for an insight into the refreshed museum at Lindisfarne Priory.

£15. Access: easy

Tue 12 Mar, 10am

THE MASSACRE OF 1190

Cliord’s Tower, York Y

To commemorate the massacre of the Jewish community of York at Cliord’s Tower, join Dr Jeremy Ashbee for a tour of the site, focusing on the tragic events of the night of 16 March 1190.

£5. Access: moderate

Thu 21 Mar, 10am

HARROGATE WALKING TOUR

Harrogate, North Yorkshire Y Join Yorkshire Blue Badge guide Sarah Milne-Day for a walking tour of Harrogate. Discover the stories behind the grand hotels and spa buildings, including an unexpected link to the most famous crime writer of all time. £25. Access: moderate

Fri 22 Mar, 10.30am & 1pm

ROCHESTER CASTLE

IN THE MIDDLE AGES

Rochester Castle, Kent SE Dr Jeremy Ashbee reveals how painstaking documentary and archaeological research allows us to reconstruct lost buildings and features of the castle, and the ways in which they were used. £18. Access: challenging

Fri 22 Mar, 11am & 1.30pm

A GRAVE CONCERN, BROMPTON CEMETERY

Brompton Cemetery and Catacombs, London L

Overcrowding of London graveyards was a serious concern for Victorian urban planners. Join us for a journey into the often morbid mindset of the Victorians, including a chance to descend into the catacombs. £35. Access: moderate

Exploring Old Sarum

Hidden Histories: Blackout Poetry Workshop

The Massacre of 1190

After Hilary Wellington spent a day at Boscobel House and The Royal Oak, she was so absorbed by the story of Charles II she wrote a historical novel

Ivisited Boscobel House and The Royal Oak for the first time a couple of years ago, when a friend suggested we meet there. I knew that Charles II had hidden from the Roundheads in an oak tree at Boscobel. But I had no idea of the full extent of the story. And of course, I had no inkling of the deep humanity of how ordinary people risked their lives to save his.

The fireside in the parlour, with ‘his’ stockings hanging on a clothes horse to dry, and ‘his’ riding boots propped up by the fireside chair almost brought me to tears. There is something so simple about that scene that makes me think of how the women of the household would have cared for him.

When I arrived home, I already had an embryonic idea in my head of being one of those women. I write for my own enjoyment, so I began writing a short story as if I were there, looking after Charles. I found that once I’d written that, I wanted to continue, so began adding chapters until I had a whole account of Charles’s stay at White Ladies Manor and then Boscobel, less than a mile apart. A couple of friends asked to see my manuscript and gave me such positive feedback that I was encouraged to send it to a publisher.

My novel, A King’s Sanctuary, stays true to the historical facts and the real people involved, with the addition of just two fictional characters.

DID YOU KNOW?

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The story explores platonic love and can also be read as a feminist fairytale of a woman who rescues a king but doesn’t feel compelled to marry him. Some of my initial readers also saw the relevance of the story for today, in making refugees welcome and helping people in diculty even if we have little for ourselves.

The story poured out of me like I was remembering rather than imagining it. It took just three months to write, and provided me with great solace while I was dealing with my father’s death from Covid and caring for my Mum with dementia.

I can honestly say that visit to Boscobel House was life-changing. It happened just as I was taking early retirement but not ready to say, ‘I’m retired.’ Now I can say, ‘I’m a historical novelist!’ www.english-heritage.org.uk/boscobel

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‘The story poured out of me like I was remembering rather than imagining it’

Hilary on a return visit to Boscobel House and The Royal Oak

20 questions

Test your knowledge of the paintings that can be seen at our properties

1 Approximately how many paintings are in English Heritage’s collection?

A 400 B 800 C 1,300

2 At which English Heritage property can you see the painting Titian’s Mistress?

3 Which 17th-century socialite commissioned the theatrical wall paintings at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire?

4 Madonna of the Pomegranate has been identified as coming from the studio of which Italian Renaissance painter?

5 The Archer Pavilion at Wrest Park is home to what particular style of wall painting?

6 When does Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait with Two Circles (pictured below) date from?

A c.1583

B c.1665

C c.1741

7 Where can the Wernher Collection of artworks be seen?

8 The group of nine portraits by William Larkin at Kenwood date from which period?

12 Who is depicted in this recent portrait (below), which can be seen at Kenwood, where she lived during the Georgian period?

Log into the Members’ Area at www.english-heritage. org.uk/quizzes to check your answers

17 A masterpiece by Claude de Jongh (c.1603–63) that is on display at Kenwood shows which former London landmark?

18 Can you identify the artist who created this painting (below), which is also on display at Kenwood?

9 Which pope is depicted in this portrait (below) by Diego Velázquez?

13 In which county is Longthorpe Tower, which is home to spectacular 14th-century wall paintings?

14 At which northern property can you find grati by First World War conscientious objectors?

15 Who is depicted in this portrait, which is on display at Walmer Castle and Gardens?

19 Which 18th-century poet commissioned the portrait of Henrietta Howard that can be seen at Marble Hill?

20 Who is depicted in this wall painting in the chapel of Farleigh Hungerford Castle?

10 Which of the following was thought to have once been used as a ‘protective coating’ of the wall paintings at St Mary’s Church, Kempley?

A Milk

B Glue

C Egg white

11 Can you unscramble the name of this painter, whose work is included in the Iveagh Bequest?

16 Can you name any of the fruits, vegetables or nuts shown in The Vegetable Seller at Audley End House?

Private Arthur Roberts and Berwick-upon-Tweed Barracks

When Arthur Roberts enlisted in February 1917 in the King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB), he was, by his own admission, ‘Possessed of great military inclinations. Anything in the form of drill, or manoeuvres, interested me greatly.’ The diary Arthur kept across the following year documented his journey from that naive recruit to a troubled veteran coming to terms with the full horror of the western front.

Arthur grew up in Glasgow, the son of a West Indian father and English mother. He was studious, staying on at school after the age of 14. As a young man he read widely and was a keen musician and artist. Those qualities helped him through his military service. After joining up, he spent two months training in Scotland before shipping to a base camp in Étaples, in northern France, in May. A month later, he moved to the front line at Ypres in

Belgium – an experience that would shatter any lingering delusion about the nature of trench warfare.

On 14 June, he found himself lost among trenches all but destroyed by German bombardment. In his attempt to find his way back to base, he encountered his first dead comrade. His diary records, ‘At that sight, it was as if my ruminations had been cast from their exalted altitude of self-contentedness, to an abyss of nauseating realities… the poor corpse lay like a rag doll with all the stu ng knocked out of it, and just flung down

as if in anger or haste.’ Arthur’s diary is just one of many powerful first-hand accounts to come out of the First World War. His story, though, is unusual. His presence as a black man on the front was exceptional, and the role of black men in Britain’s military was strongly contested within the government and military authorities. But Arthur makes no reference to discrimination in his account, which only came to light 22 years after his death, when his personal eects were found in the attic of a house in Glasgow. In it, Arthur concentrates on his own

actions, his sense of duty, and his commitment to king and country.

Arthur is remembered today by the KOSB, his first regiment, which was stationed at Berwick-upon-Tweed Barracks. His portrait, commissioned in 2020, hangs alongside other KOSB men who served in the Great War in the regimental headquarters at Berwick.

Discover more

To learn more about Berwick-Upon-Tweed Barracks or plan a visit, go to www.englishheritage.org.uk/berwickbarracks

‘His diary documents his journey from naive recruit to a troubled veteran’

WORDS KEVIN BOOTH ILLUSTRATION SUSAN BURGHART

How this soldier’s diaries provide a powerful account of the First World War

Fully Escorted Battlefield Tours with Specialist Guides

All of Leger’s Battlefield Tours are accompanied by specialist guides. Knowledgeable, friendly and passionate about military history, they offer a wealth of information to ensure you get the most out of your time with us. For our team, guiding is not just a job, but a passion.

‘Since our first Battlefield Tour in 1997, Leger Holidays has established an unrivalled reputation for both our military history tours and our expert guides, who are all highly knowledgeable, approachable, and really ‘bring history to life’. For us, it’s not just a job, but a passion. And with an ever-expanding range of itineraries specially selected by me and my team of enthusiastic guides, we aim to ensure you get the most from this memorable experience’.

All Quiet on the Western Front

Paul Reed: Head Battlefield Guide

LET’S KEEP HISTORY ALIVE

LEARNING APPEAL DONATE TODAY

Experiencing the stories of our sites for themselves keeps history alive in the hearts of young people. And it’s the children and young people of today that we need to become advocates of our heritage, to protect our historic sites for generations to come. But with mounting RERGMEP TVIWWYVIW JI[IV WGLSSPW LEZI XLI resources for providing access to hands-on history. Which is why we’re asking you to donate towards our learning programmes.

8S RH SYX QSVI ERH HSREXI KS XS www.english-heritage.org.uk/ learning-appeal

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT