- Heritage

Hylton Castle

Hylton Castle is a ruined stone castle in the North Hylton area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. Originally built from wood by the Hilton (later Hylton) family shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066, it was later rebuilt in stone in the late 14th to early 15th century. The castle underwent major changes to its interior and exterior in the 18th century and it remained the principal seat of the Hylton family until the death of the last "baron" in 1746. It was then Gothicised but neglected until 1812, when it was revitalised by a new owner. Standing empty again until the 1840s, it was briefly used as a school until it was purchased again in 1862. The site passed to a local coal company in the early 20th century and was taken over by the state in 1950…

St Paul's Monastery, Jarrow

The home of the Venerable Bede, chronicler of the beginnings of English Christianity, Jarrow has become one of the best-understood Anglo-Saxon monastic sites. The Anglo-Saxon church - with the oldest dedication stone in the country, dated AD 685 - partly survives as the chancel of the parish church…

Tynemouth Priory and Castle

Tynemouth Castle is located on a rocky headland (known as Pen Bal Crag), overlooking Tynemouth Pier (55°01′03″N 1°25′08″WCoordinates: 55°01′03″N 1°25′08″W). The moated castle-towers, gatehouse and keep are combined with the ruins of the Benedictine priory where early kings of Northumbria were buried. The coat of arms of the town of Tynemouth still includes three crowns commemorating the tradition that the Priory had been the burial place for three kings…

Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden

Kenilworth Castle is a castle located in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England. The medieval castle is known for its extensive water defences, and the great siege by the future Edward I in 1266, plus the ruins of the ornate Great Hall built by John of Gaunt. Its later history includes the visit of Elizabeth I (it still boasts Tudor buildings and gardens) and the dramatic slighting by Cromwell’s troops, leaving an open side to the fine Norman keep…

Boxgrove Priory

The lovely old church dedicated to St Mary and to St Blaise, dates from the early twelfth century. From an entry in the Domesday Book, we know that Boxgrove had the status of a parish and that a church existed before the Norman Conquest. All traces of this have been obliterated by the Priory, which was the daughter house of the Abbey of Lessay in Normandy and the grand-daughter of the great Benedictine Abbey of Bec. A more detailed history is available elsewhere on this site…

Bramber Castle

Bramber Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey castle in the village of Bramber, West Sussex overlooking the River Adur…

Avebury

Bigger than Stonehenge, the site of Avebury just 17 miles north of Stonehenge consists of a massive stone circle 331.6 meters (1,088 ft) in diameter with two avenues of stones leading to a pair of smaller stone circles. Construction began around 2900 BC, roughly the same time as its neighbor. Other monuments, such as the mysterious artificial mound of Silbury Hill and the West Kennet Long barrow, an ancient tomb, are an easy walk away. During the Middle Ages the locals got religion and decided this pagan monument needed to go. They knocked over several stones until one fell over and crushed one of the vandals. Everyone thought this was just a legend until modern archaeologists dug up a fallen stone and found the skeleton of a man underneath with some 14th century coins in his…

Bradford-on-Avon Tithe Barn

A spectacular 14th century monastic stone barn, 51 metres (168 feet) long, with an amazing timber cruck roof…

Bratton Camp and White Horse

Below an Iron Age hillfort, enclosing a much earlier long barrow, stands the Westbury White Horse. Cut into the hillside in 1778, this replaced an older horse, possibly commemorating King Alfred’s nearby victory over the Vikings…

Chisbury Chapel

Chisbury Chapel is an English Heritage property located near Chisbury, Little Bedwyn, Wiltshire in the United Kingdom…