On the 21 June English Heritage properties will be opening its garden gates after hours to celebrate magical midsummer with a picnic in glorious grounds steeped in history and splendour.

An art installation of 30,000 glass jars filled with water coloured with ink will help recreate the vibrancy and fusion of colour from the time of the Lindisfarne Gospels at Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island later this month.

English Heritage and ITV take viewers into homes where history happened.

"We're counting down the top 50 secret homes in Britain. Extraordinary, little known places with amazing stories that tell us who we are and how we once lived. The homes on our list span more than 30,000 years of human history in Britain and each one reveals something new about our ancestors." Bettany Hughes.

A new display and a festival of activities are planned for Hadrian's Wall this May Half Term as English Heritage prepares for a week-long celebration of all things Roman. From dramatic displays of the Imperial Roman Army to have-a-go pottery and a gladiator school, there's plenty going on for all ages.

English Heritage is working with North Yorkshire Police after three separate incidents of illegal metal detecting at Whitby Abbey in as many months

We are delighted to announce the line up for Live by the Lake - the 2013 Kenwood House Concert series.

Visitors to the tranquil Lindisfarne Priory can marvel at stones inspired by the Lindisfarne Gospels in a new display set to be located within the museum.

The oldest surviving English grand piano, built in London by renowned piano maker Americus Backers in 1772, has gone on display at Apsley House in London, the home of its former owner, the first Duke of Wellington.

Following the phenomenal success of last year’s concerts English Heritage is thrilled to announce they have appointed the same team, independent concert producers Portal Events Ltd, to produce the much-loved Summer Concerts at Audley End House and Gardens for the next five years! And 2013 is already a contender for the place to be this summer with a fantastic line up of music acts andamp; displays spread over two summer weekends - Saturday 3 andamp; Sunday 4 and Saturday 10 andamp; Sunday 11 August 2013.

The Pop-Up Hotel has announced that for August 2013 it will be providing guests with a very special opportunity to stay on the Osborne estate, East Cowes.

English Heritage is thrilled to announce they have appointed independent concert producers Portal Events Ltd to produce two Summer Concerts at Wrest Park in Silsoe, Bedfordshire over the August Bank Holiday weekend 2013.

From lobbies to boardrooms - English Heritage reviews list descriptions of 28 buildings in pilot project giving owners more clarity in managing change

One of the world’s most outstanding war memorials to be repaired.

More than £60,000 awarded to restore war memorials around the country.

Schools across England which previously could not afford to travel to the country's greatest historic sites can now do so, thanks to a new scheme made possible by donations to English Heritage.

An extremely rare medieval crozier and bejewelled ring are on public display for the first time in London as part of a new English Heritage exhibition at Wellington Arch. The beautiful artefacts were discovered at Furness Abbey in Cumbria in 2010 when archaeologists uncovered the grave of a medieval abbot, one of the heads of the monastery.

Beautiful blooms abound this spring in the gardens at Wrest Park, Silsoe.

Roll up… roll up to Audley End House and Gardens over the May Bank Holiday (4-6 May) and be transported back over one hundred years in time to the house's Victorian heyday. The Grand Victorian Fayre will be coming to town, transforming Audley End with traditional sights, sounds and smells of the Victorian age.

For the first time following extensive conservation work, a collection of furniture originally belonging to the 5th Duke of Devonshire and his wife, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire in the late 18th century, is now on display at Chiswick House.

It is already home to a wide range of wild flowers and minibeasts, but visitors to Witley Court this May will notice a new feature that appears to have grown out of the ground, as the English Heritage site unveils its new Wilderness Play Area for children of all ages, with a truly organic twist.

Model Village at Bourton-on-the-Water listed at Grade II

The Royal Shakespeare Company's new play 'The Empress' is currently on at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Written by Tanika Gupta, the play is set in Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee year of 1887 and delves into the intriguing bond between the Queen and her Indian servant, Abdul Karim. Tanika, Emma Rice the play's Director, the company and creative team have visited Osborne House as part of their research and preparation for the play, and were given a guided tour by our curator Michael Hunter.

Volunteers are helping English Heritage to test build three Neolithic houses which, in their final form, will be the highlight of the outdoor gallery of the new Stonehenge visitor centre, offering an authentic glimpse of the lifestyle and technology of the Neolithic people who built Stonehenge.

This St George's Day, the main man himself will be galloping towards Belsay Hall, Castle andamp; Gardens in Northumberland to slay the dragon in a Medieval Pageant in honour of England's patron saint.

Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire is offering everyone called George (or Georgina!) FREE entry to their Medieval St George's Day events on 20-21 April so that they can help St George take on his fearsome opponent - the Dragon Knight!

Westminster gem where pounds and ounces were set for the Empire

English Heritage joins forces with Sussex Crimestoppers, National Farmers Union and Sussex Police on a new campaign to help fight rural crime.

This two-pronged initiative consists of a video resource for colleges to use in lessons with sixth formers and a graphic storyboard for use throughout the wider community. Both urge the public's help to keep Sussex a safe place to live and work, protecting our rural way of life for generations to come.

We are delighted to announce that two of the most enchanting and intriguing properties in the East of England will be even more accessible this spring and summer when they open their gates to the public seven days a week for the very first time.

Susanna Richmond returns to Mount Grace Priory to see the newly opened attics 80 years on.

From new hotels in London and Ipswich, to retail and office developments in Bristol and Yorkshire and converted industrial buildings in Derbyshire and Stoke-on-Trent, across the country there are businesses flourishing in historic buildings which have been repaired or adapted to enable them to have a more successful financial future.

Have you rescued a crumbling historic house, brought life back to a redundant industrial building, uncovered the beauty of a forgotten garden or saved a place of worship for the community? If so, Andrew Lloyd Webber, the Telegraph and English Heritage want to hear from you!

English Heritage, the National Trust and East Northamptonshire Council have been successful in their joint legal challenge against planning permission for a wind farm that would be built within one mile of a Grade I listed building and registered park and garden.

Spring has very nearly sprung, bringing with it beautiful displays of snowdrops, daffodils and even cute spring lambs in the fields around our properties. Why not pay us a visit this March and see how many you can spot?

English Heritage has confirmed the return of its showpiece living history event, to be held at Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire, on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July 2013. Previously known as Festival of History, History Live! will feature over 2,000 re-enactors, interpreters and performers telling the story of over 2,000 years of England's past.

Free bulb pot for all mums visiting Belsay Hall this weekend.

The more commonly known phrase is "mighty oaks from little acorns grow" but this Mother's Day weekend at Belsay Hall, the words on everyone's lips will be "from little bulbs bloom beautiful flowers."

Visitors to the Grade I listed Northumberland Hall, Castle and Gardens this Mother's Day Weekend (Saturday 9 - Sunday 10 March) can take part in a special activity aimed at all generations of grannies, mothers, daughters and sons by planting and decorating their own spring bulb pot to take home for that special lady.

English Heritage was delighted to welcome BBC Countryfile to Lindisfarne Priory in February.

Four men have been sentenced for an arson attack which caused substantial damage to a former grand country house in Somerset.

England's patron saint will be celebrated with plenty of pomp, pageantry and patriotic flag waving, with a host of entertainers spanning 2000 years of history lined up to mark his special day, at Wrest Park's annual St George's Day celebration.

Looking for gift inspiration this Mother's Day? With the signs of spring finally creeping through, we have an array of suitable gift ideas to choose from - she'll be spoilt rotten!

In the only displays of their kind to be seen regularly in this country, horses return to Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire for the first time in over three centuries!

In unique twice daily performances every weekend from Easter until Sunday 1 September (excluding August bank holiday) visitors will witness breathtaking displays of the advanced dressage training techniques introduced to England in the 17th century by William Cavendish, first Duke of Newcastle, once riding master to King Charles II.

In another successful partnership between Gloucestershire police and English Heritage to combat heritage crime, a man has pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to Grade I listed Greyfriars Church in Gloucester. The surviving Tudor building forms part of the Greyfriars monastery complex which plays an integral part of Gloucestershire's history.

Work to transform Stonehenge, which officially started on site in July last year, is progressing well. At Airman's Corner, 1.5 miles to the west and out of view of the Stones where the new galleries and facilities will be located, the sensitively designed building comprising two "pods" which will house museum-quality exhibitions, a spacious café with indoor and outdoor seating, a bigger shop and dedicated education space, is taking shape.

Children will have the chance to take on the role of Cavaliers and Roundheads as part of our 'Time Travellers Go…' event at Bolsover Castle during February half term.

Fourteen rare Victorian paintings depicting early prehistoric life are now on display in a new exhibition at Wellington Arch about the birth of archaeology in Britain. Never before displayed in public together, the paintings were commissioned in 1869 by Sir John Lubbock - the archaeologist and MP who campaigned for the protection and preservation of Britain's ancient monuments.

Historically, the women of Wrest Park shared a love of books. Throughout March a range of lectures will reflect this strong historical and literary tradition, exploring some of the historical associations of Wrest Park and the families within its colourful past, as well delving into the life and times of society and the stately home in a bygone era.

ITV has commissioned Britain's Secret Homes, a brand new series revealing the remarkable stories behind the UK's most secret and surprising homes. The series will be produced by ITV Studios, and presented by two award-winning broadcasters - journalist Michael Buerk, and historian and author Bettany Hughes.

An invaluable publication offering owners, developers and local authorities a toolkit of good practice for the use of historic buildings in regeneration.

A one day conference jointly organised by London Metropolitan Archives and English Heritage from 10.00 am - 4.30 pm on Friday 22 March 2013.

Archives and historic buildings offer important resources for uncovering the histories of disabled people. Come and share experiences with a range of research projects. Discuss ways in which disabled people are documenting their own histories.

With romance in the air this February, English Heritage’s Osborne House has unveiled a proposal for those who would like to pop the big question to their sweetheart.

This half-term Audley End House and Gardens invites families to come and experience ‘Everything But the Squeak Week’ (Saturday 16 - Sunday 24 February, 11am – 4pm) as resident cook, Mrs Avis Crocombe, demonstrates how a country house made the most of even the most unusual cuts of pork in the 1880s.

One of Europe’s greatest composers, and a frequent London visitor, is honoured.

Olympia London - 16 and 17 February 2013

English Heritage will be exhibiting at the Listed Property Show on 16 and 17 February. Planning and Designation experts will be on hand to talk about the work of English Heritage and the advice it can provide.

A sure sign that spring is on its way, the humble snowdrop has delighted visitors to our gardens for centuries. Here are some of our top spots for seeing snowdrops this February.

There are no two ways about it - a bunch of flowers simply won't cut it this Mother's Day! This year, show your mum how much she really means to you by treating her to a weekend of fabulous tearooms, stunning views and glorious gardens.

In celebration of our new literary season at Wrest Park, we're taking a look some of the properties that have served as inspiration to authors and poets over the years. From Bram Stoker at Whitby Abbey to Chaucer at Dartmouth Castle, here are a few of our favourites.

A hundred years ago this year, the British government under Herbert Asquith recognised for the first time the State’s duty to protect the physical remains of its history. Over the course of 2013, a series of exhibitions, a book, and a BBC television series will all mark the centenary of this heritage milestone.

English Heritage and Wiltshire Police are concerned about a spate of illegal metal detecting at a nationally important archaeological site in the Warminster area. The archaeology of the Warminster and Westbury area is exceptional and includes many important sites such as Battlesbury Hill, Cley Hill, Bratton Camp and Scratchbury Hill, all Iron Age hillforts over 2000 years old.

Great news for our members! A new agreement with OPW Heritage Ireland, allows English Heritage members free access to a host of fascinating historic sites across the Emerald Isle.

The broadcaster Richard Dimbleby (1913-1965) has been commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque at Cedar Court, Sheen Lane, East Sheen; the flat he lived in when he was delivering some of his earliest radio reports, including that on Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's return from Munich.

Looking for something to impress on Valentine's Day? Sweep your loved one off their feet with perfumes inspired by the roaring twenties, tapestries inspired by Tennyson or even armour fit for a knight to rescue his fair maiden!

As the most romantic of months approaches, now is the perfect time to start making plans for a weekend escape with your loved one. From breathtaking coastal views to ruins steeped in centuries of romantic tradition, we have everything you need for an unforgettable day out this winter.

Visitors to Kenilworth Castle will be able to enjoy panoramas unseen since the Civil War following the granting of planning permission for a series of platforms within Leicester's Building, which will give visitors the views that would have been enjoyed by Elizabeth I during her visit.

With awards season now in full swing, it seems only right to celebrate the starring role that our properties have played on screen over the years. From Hollywood movies to TV favourites, how many of our silver screen sensations have you spotted?

A number of our properties across the country may have to close or change their opening times due to the bad weather. So if you are planning a trip, please check if the property you are visiting is affected either by contacting the property directly or by checking the property's page on our website.

English Heritage is encouraging people across the North East to take another look at the fascinating history and secret spaces on their doorstep, as it unlocks a programme of hidden and unusual things to see and do across its sites this winter.

English Heritage is encouraging people across Cumbria to take another look at the fascinating history and secret spaces on their doorstep, as it unlocks a programme of hidden and unusual things to see and do across its sites this winter.

There has been a great deal of interest in the Blue Plaques Scheme and despite inaccurate reports, English Heritage remains committed to the Scheme and it will continue. However, our focus over the next two years will be to reduce a backlog of plaques that have already been agreed and to lay the foundations for a long-term future for the scheme that reduces the cost to the tax payer. For this reason, the scheme is being temporarily closed to new applications while we catch up with the backlog.

Prison Sentences and ASBOs for Looters of Roman Settlement

New English Heritage guidance helps safeguard the special character of historic chapels that may not remain in use.

Exploring ruins can be chilly work at this time of year, so after a morning spent out and about, what better way to warm up than with a seasonal dish from one of our tearooms? This winter we're serving up homemade pies, hearty stews and tasty soups - so grab a seat, place your order and enjoy!

New Website Launched For Disability History Month

In a speech to the House of Lords, Baroness Andrews, Chair of English Heritage, spoke about the devastating impact heritage crime has on communities, and made an impassioned plea for the newly elected Police and Crime Commissioners to take these crimes seriously and ensure activities to tackle them are embedded within existing practices at a local level.

English Heritage celebrates the age of the motor car with 13 new listings and a new book published through Yale

Visitor numbers and participation in heritage higher than ever before

The sector is adapting, using networks, partnerships and social media – but is still facing a challenging environment in terms of funding and ongoing changes to the planning system

The origins of our Christmas celebrations today can be traced back to the Victorian era and Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens in Northumberland, is reviving the traditional Christmas with a special weekend of events dedicated to this fascinating period in history.

English Heritage has published England's Schools 1962-88 , its first major study of post war schools in the country.

By providing a clear account of how pedagogical ideas, construction technology and architectural trends prevalent in the decades following WWII have shaped the way different types of schools were built, the study aims to inspire the present generation of school designers and inform the current debate on investment across England's school estate.

Belsay launches traditional festive events programme - Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens is ready to revive some festive traditions in the build up to Christmas, as it launches its Christmas through the ages events programme, with a little help from some iconic characters from history.

One of English Heritage's most prestigious and popular licensed properties - sophisticated, Art Deco millionaire's mansion Eltham Palace andamp; Gardens in Greenwich - is offering couples the incredible opportunity to get married for just £1,000.

One of English Heritage's most prestigious and popular licensed properties, Wrest Park, the fairytale French-style mansion in breathtaking landscaped grounds in Bedfordshire, is offering couples the incredible opportunity to get married for just £1,000.

Looking for gift ideas for the Christmas season? Take inspiration from history and make the past your present this year with some festive offerings in the English Heritage online shop.

From cinemas to cemeteries, factories to furnishings, a new exhibition at London's Wellington Arch explores the influence of Ancient Egypt on English architecture and interiors.

What did the Victorians eat for Christmas dinner? Why do we decorate trees at Christmas? Who was the 'Lord of Misrule'? If you fancy partying medieval-style or joining Queen Victoria for a royal celebration, take a look at our tips for a truly historic Christmas.

Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries has reappointed Lynda Addison OBE as an English Heritage Commissioner for a second term of four years from 20 October 2012.

See the full press release on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's website.

The London Assembly is the latest organisation to support the country-wide programme to tackle heritage crime, led by English Heritage, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers.

The winners of the English Heritage Angel Awards, founded last year by Andrew Lloyd Webber to celebrate the efforts of local people in rescuing their heritage, were announced at a gala ceremony in London's West End on Monday 22 October. The award scheme is run by English Heritage and inspired by its Heritage at Risk Register.

Two nuclear missile sites placed on alert during Cuban Crisis listed.

English Heritage regrets that due to extreme weather conditions, the annual re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings will not now be taking place on Sunday 14th October.

Although the forecast was for fair weather over this weekend, unexpected torrential rain over several hours this morning has resulted in unacceptably high levels of mud both on the battlefield and on public areas, which means for safety reasons, English Heritage has reluctantly decided that the event cannot go ahead on Sunday 14th October.

The site will remain open, but the event itself will not go ahead. Those who have pre-booked tickets will automatically receive a refund and do not need to contact English Heritage. Please call our Customer Services Department on 0870 333 1181 with any further queries.

English Heritage has launched the Heritage at Risk Register 2012 and announced an ambitious programme to find out how the one major element of our heritage not already covered by the Register - the nation's Grade II listed buildings - can be assessed. Adding those found to be at risk from neglect, decay, damaging alterations or dereliction to the national or local At Risk Registers would be a first step to securing their future.

Using the latest 3D laser scanning technology, an English Heritage analysis of Stonehenge has found new evidence of the importance of the two solstices to its creators, including that of the midwinter sunset.

This October English Heritage is marking the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis with a series of special events at the York Cold War Bunker. One of the few Cold War buildings in England open to the public, the bunker is a chilling monument to those 13 days in October 1962 when the world held its breath as the Americans and Soviets circled on the brink of nuclear conflict.

One of the finest collections of Jacobean portraiture explored.

The stories of the paintings and their sitters re-examined.

English Heritage has today released its London List 2011, a compilation of all the sites awarded listed status in the capital last year.

A Devon youngster and a Suffolk man have just been crowned national sandcastle champions after taking part in our Ultimate Sandcastle Competition. All summer long, we've been challenging you to recreate your favourite English Heritage castle out of sand - and my goodness were we impressed with the results! But in the end there could only be two winners…

The Department for Culture Media and Sport has consulted on proposed reforms to Listed Building Consent (LBC). The Government is keen to incorporate reforms into the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (ERR) Bill, which will get its 3rd reading in Parliament this Autumn. As a result, the consultation period for the reforms to LBC was set at 30 days in order to meet the timetable already established for the ERR Bill.

Walkers of the route trodden by St Aelred as he walked from Helmsley to the Cistercian abbey at Rievaulx can now take a virtual guide along with them, as English Heritage launches a series of podcasts by TV historian Julian Humphrys for rural ramblers.

Shortlist announced for English Heritage Angel Awards 2012.

A World War I airfield, a flood-damaged town centre, a windmill in Brixton, a Northumbrian castle, a Victorian station, a shell grotto in Margate, a Sikh temple, a hydro-electric power plant, a shipwreck site and a Art Deco cinema are among 16 heritage rescue projects chosen to go forward to the finals of the English Heritage Angel Awards in London on 22 October.

Films of the shortlisted candidates are also available to view now.

English Heritage is revealing a fascinating new display at Corbridge Roman Town, showcasing one of the most significant finds in Roman history. The Corbridge 'Hoard' is one of the most influential Roman 'Time Capsules' ever discovered in Hadrian's Wall Country.

A new display and interactive digital exhibit, which will go on display to the public from August 1, will breathe new life into this incredible find of treasures at the museum at Corbridge Roman Town. Featuring footage never screened in public showing the actual excavation of the hoard back in 1964, along with a striking new display which show the armour in its original state, adjacent to a replica which will help visitors envisage how the armour once looked.

More than 40 railway structures given protected status after an English Heritage consultation

Exciting improvements are planned at Conisbrough Castle thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund which will see the castle become a premier heritage attraction and bring the medieval landmark back to the heart of the community.

On top of the stunning medieval Great Tower of Dover Castle last night (18 July 2012), the Olympic Torch was passed from Graham Hutchison, age 52 and Chair of Governors of Aycliffe Community Primary School and Vice Chair of Green Park Primary School in Dover, to Sophie Waller, age 13 from St Edmund's Catholic School, Dover high above the town below and the White Cliffs.

English Heritage questionnaire will generate advice specific to individual scheduled sites.

Queen Victoria's private beach at Osborne, her seaside home on the Isle of Wight, will open to the public for the first time from Friday 27 July. "We have quite a charming beach to ourselves," Victoria wrote in 1845 and it was here that the Queen regularly bathed and where her children learned to swim.

Four-time Olympic gold champion, Michael Johnson, held aloft the Olympic torch at dawn this morning in front of Britain’s most iconic monument - Stonehenge.

London’s winning bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games stressed Britain’s rich heritage across the country and the Olympic Torch has passed some of this nation’s most historic treasures.

English Heritage's Annual Report and Accounts were laid before Parliament yesterday.

The revolutionary athletics coach, immortalised in Chariots of Fire

Experts are beginning an 18-month research project to unlock the secrets of the largest and most valuable Anglo-Saxon hoard ever discovered, after a £276,000 grant from English Heritage.

The Mercian Trail partnership, comprising Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Birmingham Museums, Lichfield District Council, Staffordshire County Council and Tamworth Borough Council, has also contributed £68,000 to the research programme.

Work to realise the long-held vision to return Stonehenge to a more tranquil setting and improve its visitor facilities has officially started. Successful fundraising also means that virtually all of the total project cost has now been secured with only £500,000 left to raise, English Heritage has announced.

Sandcastle building has been a favourite beach activity since the dawn of the great British seaside holiday, but in the techno-savvy 21st century it may be in danger of becoming a lost art. So this summer we're launching a free competition on our Facebook page, mixing the digital world with some old fashioned beach fun.

New research by the London School of Economics and English Heritage proves value of conservation areas.

This summer, visitors will be able to explore Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s private beach at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight for the first time.

The heritage and history, magic and glamour of Britain's most popular seaside resort will be celebrated in a new English Heritage exhibition at the Quadriga Gallery in London's Wellington Arch.

Thursday 27 September 2012 4pm-9pm

Brides and Grooms looking for a fairytale location for their wedding day can view glamorous Eltham Palace andamp; Gardens and see just how exquisite their day could be with a complete set up for a ceremony, drinks reception, dinner and dancing.

Visitors invited to enjoy Belsay's Rhododendron Revival.

Months of hard work are coming into bloom right now at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens in Northumberland, as garden restoration work at the English Heritage property is now complete. Work has taken place to restore and conserve the Rhododendron Garden and protect the many unusual plant species and wildlife.

More than 15,000 images from one of the earliest and most significant collections of aerial photography of the UK have been made freely accessible online to the public for the first time.

In Memoriam 2014 was delighted to welcome War Memorials Trust’s Patron HRH The Duchess of Cornwall to the Royal Artillery Memorial. Her Royal Highness marked the memorial with SmartWater as part of a national campaign to protect war memorials.

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation's (IHBC) 2012 Annual School, supported by English Heritage, runs from 21st to 23rd June at Winchester. It explores the vital concept of "significance", in the context of assessing degrees of importance for our heritage and thus deciding how best to manage it.

English Heritage welcomes the reforms contained in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, published today, to merge conservation area consent back into the planning system, make it easier to apply for a Certificate of Immunity from the listing of a building, to enable the creation of Heritage Partnership Agreements, and to allow the Heritage List for England to define the extent of special interest in a listed building more clearly, and with statutory force.

These are improvements to the heritage protection system that we have been working towards for some years, including through the draft Heritage Protection Bill.

With the weather warming up for summer it's the perfect time to escape to the coast on a relaxing day out or short break. From fairytale castles to tranquil ruins, if you’re craving seaside air, head to one of the properties below and enjoy stunning views, coastal walks - and perhaps an ice cream or three.

Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, set out the organisation's plans for the year ahead in a speech he gave on 22 May at Apsley House, London.

English Heritage has today submitted a detailed response to HMRC on their 'VAT: Addressing borderline anomalies' which announced the introduction of VAT at 20% on alterations works to listed buildings.

A five-year collaborative project between English Heritage and Cardiff University that aims to construct a more precise chronology of Neolithic civilisations in Europe has been awarded a grant of €2.5m from the European Research Council.

The search is on to find winners for this year's English Heritage Angel Awards. The annual competition was founded last year by Andrew Lloyd Webber to reward the efforts of local people in saving their heritage.

The Telegraph is media partner for the awards and the Awards are co-funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com

This May, English Heritage knows exactly what’s in Vogue as a special month-long Fashion from the Past event comes to Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, in Northumberland (5 – 27 May).

To celebrate the return of the Imperial Roman Army to Chesters Roman Fort this May bank holiday weekend, as well as the 40th anniversary of world-famous Roman re-enactors, the Ermine Street Guard, English Heritage is calling out for any aspiring Romans to join the ranks!

English Heritage is starting a consultation (18 April - 9 May 2012) on the historic and architectural significance of a number of historic railway buildings, bridges and tunnels along the 116 miles of track of the Great Western main line, which runs from London's Paddington Station to Bristol's Temple Meads, including several slightly later branch lines.

An extremely rare medieval silver-gilt crozier and bejewelled ring discovered during emergency repairs to the ruins of Furness Abbey in Cumbria – one of the great monasteries of England and in the care of English Heritage – will go on display at the Abbey over the May bank holiday weekend (Friday 4 - Monday 7 May 2012). The head of the crozier or staff is particularly beautiful and is decorated with gilded silver medallions showing the Archangel Michael defeating a dragon.

Lindisfarne Priory is well known for its links to the Vikings and last week, historian turned TV presenter, Neil Oliver, stopped by for the filming of a new BBC television documentary, about the history of the Vikings.

A winged statue of the Roman goddess Victory has returned to Housesteads Roman Fort to mark the start of a new chapter in its history, as English Heritage opens a new and improved museum to the public this Saturday (31 March).

Twenty-four trainees have newly graduated from the £1.7m Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme, a pioneering work-placement programme that started four years ago to help address the skills shortage currently being encountered in the heritage sector.

After months of preparation, English Heritage staff have been busy putting the finishing touches to the new museum at Housesteads Roman Fort, ahead of its re-opening to the public this Saturday (March 31).

English Heritage has long been seeking a fair and balanced application of VAT so that listed buildings are not disadvantaged given the additional costs that can arise on specialised repair or restoration work.

Leading architectural historian and director of the Sir John Soane Museum from 1945 to 1984, Sir John Summerson (1904 - 1992) has been commemorated today (19 March 2012) with an English Heritage blue plaque at 1 Eton Villas, Chalk Farm, NW3, which was his home for more than forty years. Summerson's defining and highly readable works, Georgian London and English Architecture - continue to be widely consulted and enjoyed today by practitioners and enthusiasts of architecture alike.

The first comprehensive survey on the effect of crime on England's historic buildings and sites, commissioned by English Heritage, has been released. The survey shows a worrying rate of damage and estimates that:

English Heritage has enlisted the help of the British movie star, Bernard Hill, to narrate a film in the new museum at Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall. The film is part of the Housesteads redevelopment project, which sees English Heritage, National Trust and Northumberland National Park Authority working in partnership to improve the site and enhance the visitor experience.

Two of the twentieth century’s greatest women writers honoured

English Heritage supports the proposed lighting of beacons on 4th June 2012 to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

To ensure that these beacons do not inadvertently damage important historic and natural features, we have worked jointly with Natural England to produce a very brief guide to help those organising events. The guidance provides advice on checking whether proposed beacons will be on or near an historic site.

In the limited number of cases where this is the case, it also directs organisers to more detailed sources of advice on preventing damage.

A medieval monastic gatehouse at Pentney Priory in Norfolk is to be saved, following a £200,000 English Heritage grant for emergency structural repairs.

A talented member of the English Heritage team at Housesteads Roman Fort has been able to put her own artistic stamp on the forthcoming exhibition by designing a series of illustrations which will feature throughout the site when it re-opens this spring.

Today Paul McCartney and John Lennon's childhood homes in Liverpool have been listed at Grade II, celebrating the huge cultural and historic associations that the two houses have as the place where The Beatles composed and rehearsed many of their early hits. They were listed by the Tourism and Heritage Minister, John Penrose, on the advice of English Heritage.

English Heritage has now selected the voices which will feature in the recital of a legendary Scottish border ballad at Carlisle Castle's new historical exhibition, opening this spring.

Education Secretary Michael Gove is to ask English Heritage to draw up a list of local historical sites so schoolchildren can visit them and be inspired by "our rich island story".

Mr Gove said the part that the local historic environment has played, century after century, would inspire pupils by "bringing history alive".

Several aspects of English Heritage work are up for nomination within the prestigious Current Archaeology Awards 2012.

English Heritage is today (31 January 2012) delighted that Wiltshire Council has made the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for the section of the A344 between Airman's Corner, the site of the new Visitor Centre, and Byway 12.

English Heritage has secured the future of Harmondsworth Barn in west London - one of the great buildings of England. Grade I listed, the barn ranks alongside the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace for its exceptional architectural and historic interest.

English Heritage and Bristol City Council are holding a joint conference entitled Localism and Heritage: Working Together to explore what localism means for heritage.

The conference is on Wednesday 7 March at the Bristol City Conference Hall and is aimed at community groups, local amenity societies, elected members, local government and private sector conservation, design and planning professionals and any individuals involved in planning and managing change in the historic environment in the South West.

FOR NOBLE KNIGHTS AND FAIR MAIDENS

'Tis almost the month of St Valentine, and fair maidens await their noble knights bearing tokens of esteem. But tear not out thy hair; saddle thy noble steed and ride posthaste to the shop of English Heritage, where Valentine's gifts await those in search of jewels, swords and enough adventures to fill a lifetime.

In the setting of the newly restored and planted Italian garden, Chiswick House and Gardens Trust will bring a burst of glorious colour to the winter season with the second annual Camellia Festival running from 18th February to 18th March 2012.

Sites, camera, action! Many of our properties have taken a starring role on the silver screen, providing the locations and backdrops for a number of blockbuster movies, hit television shows and famous music videos. Here are just a few top picks from the collection.

Urgent works carried out on the only Scheduled Prisoner of War Camp in England

Visitors this winter will be able to enjoy more English Heritage properties than ever before and our biggest-ever winter events programme. The opening times of some properties have changed though so please check before you travel.

Heritage minister John Penrose gives protection to one of Britain’s most important archaeological sites

A bold modern vision in the heart of the historic City of London inspired by Victorian architecture listed at highest possible grade.

Dame Gracie Fields (1898-1979), one of Britain’s most successful and best loved performers, is honoured with a blue plaque at 72a Upper Street, Islington, where she lived during the years 1926 to 1929.

From welcoming an impressive cast of English royalty to undergoing years of painstaking restoration work, the spectacular castles of Kenilworth and Bolsover have hundreds of fascinating stories to tell. Hear some of the most intriguing - both past and present - on two special tours and lunches with our Chief Executive and Curatorial Director.

There has been an interesting debate following a call that Stonehenge should be lit up at night. As the stones are in our care, we have to consider whether introducing light onto the monument and into the World Heritage Site will genuinely enhance people’s appreciation and understanding of Stonehenge.

The mysterious wall carvings of Carlisle Castle’s Keep have always been thought to be the work of prisoners that were held captive there during its turbulent past. Some recent research by English Heritage, however, suggests some very surprising results.

In the spring of 2010 English Heritage mounted an exhibition of highlights from Lost London at Kenwood House. Enlarged to poster size, the true quality of the ‘lost’ detail was revealed to astonished visitors that attended in record numbers.

The past archaeological lives of the St Paul's Cathedral site have been revealed in a new English Heritage book.

Actor Michael Sheen - currently playing Hamlet at the Young Vic theatre in London - has today (11 November 2011) joined English Heritage to celebrate the life and work of one of the greatest classical and Shakespearean actors, Richard Burton (1925 - 1984).

Burton has been commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque at the London home he shared with fellow Welsh thespian Sybil Williams between 1949 and 1956. It was during the time that Burton lived at 6 Lyndhurst Road, Hampstead, NW3, he rose to international stardom.

Finding the most stunning winter plants in the garden will no longer be a challenge at Belsay Hall andamp; Gardens in Northumberland, thanks to a new joint initiative between English Heritage and the University of the Third Age (U3A).

The celebrated English landscape architect honoured with a plaque.

The Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner, London - one of Britain's greatest sculptures and war memorials - has been carefully repaired and cleaned by English Heritage in time for this year's Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.

The long-awaited transformation of the Stonehenge landscape moved a step closer today (1 November 2011) as the Government agreed sections of two roads running near the stones can be closed to traffic.

Enjoy a historical winter feast this season, with some tasty recipes from throughout the ages to try at home. Cook up a storm with a Victorian pigeon pie, just like they enjoyed at Audley End, or enjoy some Elizabethan treats typical of those that may have graced the tables at Kenilworth Castle.

Andrew Lloyd Webber Awards for Local People who Save Their Heritage.

The winners of the first English Heritage Angel Awards, founded earlier this year by Andrew Lloyd Webber to celebrate the efforts of local people in rescuing their heritage, were announced at a gala ceremony in London’s West End today (Monday 31st October). The award scheme is run by English Heritage and based on its ‘Heritage at Risk Register’.

The ceremony, held at The Palace Theatre, was hosted by TV presenter Clare Balding, with Graham Norton, Michael Winner and Danielle Hope helping to present the awards.

For a Christmas shopping experience you will remember, why not visit a historical property as part of your day! Some of the best places in the country for festive fun and shopping are located near to some of English Heritage’s properties.

Self-taught pioneer of the Welfare State honoured

The role of English Heritage's Heritage Explorer website has been highlighted in an exceptional case study for local history. It is published in the Autumn 2011 issue of 'Primary History'.

Travel back in time with the whole family and experience a memorable night's sleep at Pendennis Castle this winter with the Castle Sleepovers on 15 February and 23 March.

The largest ever research project into the condition of England's industrial heritage was published today (Wednesday 19 October, 2011) by English Heritage together with its annual 'Heritage at Risk Register'.

Russell Grant - eat your heart out! The people's favourite star of Strictly Come Dancing would love Clifford's Tower's plans for the Illuminating York festival, running from 26 - 29 October, as the site will combine two of his great loves - a giant mirror ball and an open-air view of the stars above!

Plan your visit to Clifford's Tower

The museum at Housesteads Roman Fort in Northumberland will close to the public from this weekend (Sunday 16 October) for a period of six months. The closure marks the start of an exciting redevelopment project for English Heritage, National Trust and Northumberland National Park Authority, working in partnership to improve the property and enhance the visitor experience.

As the sun begins to dust off his hat and the frost recedes for the spring, English Heritage gardens become awash with fresh colours as flowers and plants start to peek out from the soil. Come and enjoy the flowering buds as they blossom into spectacular gardens.

Heritage groups provide a strong voice for local communities but more is needed to strengthen this work

Online checklist launched to provide advice and guidance to groups

Fancy yourself as a budding photographer? Get out and explore the fabulous autumn colour at English Heritage Properties, take your best photos and one could appear on our home page over the season!

Are your pupils into geocaching? If so, find out more about our new heritage GPS projects and trails.

Decision expected 6 October by Cornwall Council's Strategic Planning Committee.

The Coker Rope and Sail Trust in Somerset, George Street Chapel in Oldham and Clophill Heritage Trust in Bedfordshire have received a major boost to rescuing their historic buildings in the form of grants from the Challenge Fund, a £2 million fund comprising of £1 million from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation matched by English Heritage and administered by the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF).

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport makes the decisions on listing and has agreed with our recommendation not to list the barricades at Dale Farm.

The barricades at Dale Farm do not begin to have the high architectural interest essential to meet the criteria for listing on architectural grounds. In historic terms, the current case is just too recent for historic importance to be a relevant factor.

Next month will see a glittering cast of stars on stage at the Palace Theatre in London, as we join Andrew Lloyd Webber to celebrate the unsung heroes of the heritage world - and you're invited.

One of Great Yarmouth's most important landmark buildings, St George's Theatre in the heart of the historic old town, is being saved for the nation, following a £250,000 grant by English Heritage for urgent repairs.

From 3 -31 October 2011, if you 'check in' at selected English Heritage properties on ‘Foursquare’, you'll unlock a ghostly tale about some of our properties' more sinister past residents.

English Heritage has today issued new guidance on theft of metal from church buildings in view of the intensification of the problem in some parts of England. The guidance offers greater clarity on when alternative materials might be appropriate and which ones are likely to be considered following theft of roofing materials.

As summer recedes for another year, English Heritage sites across the country are bronzed over with autumn colours. From the evergreen hedges of formal gardens to wild woodland and exotic plan havens; grab your coat and come and explore these stunning sites.

Whether you're looking for family days out, garden walks, ghost tours, talks from renowned authors or Christmas fun, you’ll find all this and more in our biggest-ever winter events programme.

Andrew Lloyd Webber Invites 16 Local Groups To Glittering Awards Ceremony

Sixteen local groups have been chosen to go forward to the finals of the English Heritage Angel Awards, supported by Andrew Lloyd Webber, in London on 31st October.

A detailed survey of every stone that makes up Stonehenge using the latest technology, including a new scanner on loan from Z+F UK that has never before been used on a heritage project in this country, has resulted in the most accurate digital model ever produced of the world famous monument.

As the air grows cold and frost begins to glisten in the early morning sun, English Heritage properties around the country have lots of seasonal produce from their orchards and kitchen gardens for you to enjoy in their restaurants and tearooms.

From awesome apple desserts to homely cottage pies, sample gastronomic delights in our beautiful historic surroundings.

English Heritage thinks that the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been largely successful in concentrating planning policy into a single short document. We welcome the Government's assertion that it does not intend to reduce protection for the historic environment.

As part of the Woodstock Literary Festival, English Heritage members have the exclusive opportunity to attend a three-course lunch and talks by Chief Executive Simon Thurley and Curatorial Director Dr Anna Keay. The lunch will take place in the sumptuous Indian Room at beautiful Blenheim Palace, overlooking the world-famous gardens.

John Penrose, the Minister for Tourism and Heritage, has appointed Baroness Young OBE; Professor Peter Draper; Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence KCVO, CB, ADC; Martin Moore; and Graham Morrison as Commissioners of English Heritage. The appointments are for four years, beginning on 1 September 2011.

Catch up with the five-part historical series ‘National Treasures Live’, which featured a number of English Heritage properties during August.

Candidate for one of the English Heritage Angel Awards backed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Plans to conserve the oldest and most important building on the Ickworth Estate in Suffolk, the medieval former St Mary's Church, the traditional burial place of the Hervey family of Ickworth since 1467, have taken a step forward thanks to the announcement of awards to the Ickworth Church Conservation Trust from English Heritage and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Uley Long Barrow, in Gloucestershire, a Neolithic burial site, also known as 'Hetty Pegler's Tump', has reopened to the public after a two year programme of urgent structural repairs overseen by English Heritage.

After decades behind virtually closed doors, its treasures overgrown and largely unknown, English Heritage is reviving one of Britain's most important, yet most secret, gardens - Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.

With the first phase of a 20-year restoration project now completed - helped by a £1.14m Heritage Lottery Fund grant - this wonderful 90-acre historic landscape and French-style mansion is ready to take its rightful place among the country's great garden attractions and give both locals and tourists a superb new day-out.

With summer almost here, it's time to start planning some relaxing days out – or even a short break. Here are our top places to escape to in the summer, from hill-top castles and amazing coastal views, to cosy cottages in the country.

16 London Underground stations have today (26 July 2011) been listed at Grade ll by Tourism and Heritage Minister John Penrose, on the advice of English Heritage.

They include several of the tube stations designed by Leslie Green whose 'ox-blood' red tile facades pioneered the use of a strong and consistent corporate image which is recognised around the world. All the stations have historic and architectural significance, illustrating the development of the capital's Underground system.

English Heritage's Annual Report and Accounts were laid before Parliament yesterday.

Two enterprising Year 10 students from Stonehenge School in Amesbury have seen their design for a Stonehenge-branded wristband become a reality. The wristbands are now on sale in the ancient monument's gift shop and have been flying off the shelves.

English Heritage has charted the evolution of Dartmoor's rich archaeology and stunning landscape over millennia in a new book that emphasises the human activities that have shaped the landscape.

'The Field Archaeology of Dartmoor' by Phil Newman describes Dartmoor's landscape history from 4,000 BC to the present, analysing and summarising archaeological and historical studies from the 19th century onwards.

Dartmoor is southern England's largest tract of upland and its diverse natural qualities assured its designation as one of England's first National Parks in 1951.

Britain's oldest roller coaster, the Scenic Railway at Dreamland, Margate, has had its listing upgraded to Grade II* on the advice of English Heritage.

Packed full of daring displays, ferocious battles and men in uniform, Festival of History 2011 is an excellent opportunity to capture an impressive photo or two. From half ton cannon guns to soaring Spitfires, here's our round of top photo opportunities at this year's event.

Congratulations on finding this page - this is the first step in taking part in our Techno-Treasure Hunt! The treasure hunt takes place around Birmingham on Saturday 9 July from 11am to 4pm and will require you to use your Sat Nav, other GPS device or mobile internet to find four secret historic locations.

Bolsover Castle is undergoing exciting changes as a result of funding from LEADER who provide grants to develop the rural economy.

A new family friendly exhibition opened in the stables in April, which gives visitors the opportunity to dress in cavalier clothes, sit in a copy of a 17th-century saddle and experience the atmosphere of a banquet held in 1634. A giant zoetrope forms the centrepiece of the exhibition and brings to life illustrations of the horses that once trained in the great riding house.

Further funding from LEADER will go towards a new film due to open in the stables in 2012. The dramatic and beautiful film will show horses performing manege, a precursor to the modern sport of classical dressage.

Learning groups urged to book visits now for this and next summer.

English Heritage regularly reviews the opening hours at the historic sites in our care. Having looked at current visitor patterns, and bearing in mind the 32% reduction to our Government grant, we are adjusting our winter opening times (November to March). More properties will be open than ever before but with a few exceptions, all our properties will only be open at weekends during the winter.

Pioneering explorer and survivalist honoured

The Festival of History returns to Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire on 16 andamp; 17 July for a blockbuster weekend of clashing swords, thundering hooves and epic battles. One of the highlights this year is a replica WWI trench, recreated by a team who have been working on Steven Spielberg's latest movie War Horse.

We are of course disappointed that the Secretary of State has declined our recommendation to list Broadgate Square, but we respect his decision and welcome the public debate that the case has prompted. We are pleased that in his decision letter the Secretary of State acknowledged the comprehensive analysis given to the case by English Heritage.

It is the role of English Heritage to offer impartial, expert advice to the Government on the architectural and historic merit of a building but Ministers are democratically accountable for the final decision.

Schools visiting Whitby Abbey will now have access to a new interactive trail, the first to be created by English Heritage's Archives and Education teams using amazing resources from the archives to explain how towns develop.

Our latest photography acquisition is a beautiful photograph album dating from 1872. The leather album is covered in high quality filigree silver panels which are engraved with the names of Julius and Theodora Knoop.

Other engravings on the cover include their wedding date of 1847 in Cheltenham and their 25th anniversary date of 1872 in Bremen, Germany. Most likely a silver wedding anniversary gift, the album contains 30 large prints relating to the life of the couple showing their homes and workplaces in England.

Are you a heritage angel? Prizes for people who save heritage.

New annual English Heritage awards to celebrate the efforts of local people in saving their heritage, supported by Andrew Lloyd Webber, were announced today Saturday 11 June, 2011, in The Daily Telegraph – the media partner for the awards.

The English Heritage Angel Awards – “the Angels” – will be presented at a high profile event at the Palace Theatre in London’s West End in the autumn hosted by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Architectural Heritage Fund Attracts Philanthropic Investment to Save Historic Buildings

A new book on the post war city is published today by English Heritage. English Heritage is calling for Plymouth's centre to be designated a conservation area.

Kevin McCloud is in Plymouth today (8 June) launching a new book Plymouth: Vision of a Modern City, published by English Heritage. The book challenges some deeply held views of the city and champions the post war architecture of the city.

Teachers are finding it easier than ever to give children an interactive experience of life in Roman Britain, thanks to a unique new teaching resource inspired by Wroxeter Roman City and the new Roman Town House which has been built there.

A major new visitor experience now open at Dover Castle re-creates the drama of the Dunkirk evacuation in the same historic tunnels in which the desperate rescue operation - codenamed Operation Dynamo - was masterminded.

A ground-breaking scientific dating project led by English Heritage and Cardiff University has succeeded in dating prehistoric features down to a margin of decades instead of centuries. By applying this method to a type of early Neolithic earthwork called causewayed enclosures, it has revealed that Britain experienced a frenetic period of monument building in the decades after 3,700BC, with the country's first big monuments being erected some 1,000 years before Stonehenge was created.

Causewayed enclosures are known prehistoric features, but up to now it has been thought that they spread slowly across Britain over five centuries. But this research reveals that this new class of huge monuments spread rapidly all over southern Britain in a short span of 75 years, starting from the Thames Estuary through Kent and Sussex, and then west, on an intense scale that was not apparent before.

Learning groups and families visiting Warkworth Castle over the coming months can expect an unusual guide to show them round, as English Heritage reveals Percy the Lion as the new castle custodian!

An initiative that invited school teachers up and down the country to visit an English Heritage site has proved a resounding success, with 745 teachers signing up for the day, and a significant increase in the number of enquiries for free educational visits following their visits.

One of English Heritage's major collections of historic architectural photos will be on display at the V andamp; A this summer and also published in a new book.

English Heritage has launched The National Heritage List for England, a significant milestone towards achieving better understanding and protection for heritage in this country by opening up information which until now has not been easily accessible to the public.

Portico, an online resource dedicated to deepening the public's understanding of English history through the national collection of sites and monuments under the direct care of English Heritage, is now available with twelve properties as pilots.

Public Tours 1 June - 31 October of Birmingham Silver Factory. Little Changed in 100 Years.

In 2008 English Heritage stepped in and acquired JW Evans - an extraordinary piece of industrial heritage - for the nation. A family silverware factory founded in 1881 in the heart of Birmingham's historic Jewellery Quarter, Evans faced dereliction or sale to a developer who could have cleared its contents and erased more than 100 years of history.

After halting its decline, English Heritage are now opening the doors of this hidden treasure to the public for guided tours between 1 June and 31 October, 2011.

English Heritage is delighted to announce, as of 1st October 2011, that Heritage Open Days will be jointly run by the National Trust, Civic Voice and The Heritage Alliance.

These three organisations will take over the national coordination of the programme which English Heritage will continue to fund until March 2015. Between the three bodies, they offer a unique combination of skills, resources and experience and will build on Heritage Open Day's impressive track record. This new partnership will help to ensure the future of Heritage Open Days so volunteers up and down the country can continue to open their doors to the public for years to come. With the numbers of volunteers registered to take part dramatically up compared to last year, 2011's Heritage Open Days is set to be bigger than ever.

Over 230 school children descended on Launceston Castle today (Tuesday 17 May) to celebrate the launch of English Heritage's new traditional building methods resource. The first of its kind to be made available by English Heritage, the resource is aimed at highlighting the expert craftsmanship involved in traditional building techniques - skills which, according to recent statistics from the heritage organisation, are under threat and at risk of dying-out if not passed-onto today's generations.

Castles to Factories, Country Piles to Cottages, Offices to Homes: All free to explore

What does England’s oldest town hall clock, the water-mill that inspired Tolkien’s Hobbit; unseen working manuscripts from Wordsworth; artworks from Barbara Hepworth and Paula Rego; a 28 foot long tapestry; the last remaining herring smokehouse in Great Yarmouth; the oldest public toilets in Leeds; the top secret decontamination chamber at Greenham Common and HMS Victory all share? The answer; they’re all taking part in this year’s Heritage Open Days, see list of highlights below.

From 8 – 11 September, this annual long weekend is the largest volunteer event in Britain and celebrates the quirky to the majestic, the grand to the minute and all that is unique about England’s heritage.

Bolsover Castle, once one of the finest riding schools in England, has celebrated its unique equestrian heritage with the opening of a new exhibition and discovery centre.

English Heritage-funded emergency work brings relief to 17th century wreck.

An emergency operation funded by English Heritage to salvage and conserve a major historic wreck site in British waters will be featured in a new BBC 2 series, 'Britain's Secret Seas', which begins in early May.

English Heritage has embarked on an exciting new partnership with Christy, the luxury homeware brand.

Civil Ceremony Licence Awarded To Wellington Arch.

One of London’s best known landmarks has just been awarded a civil ceremony licence, providing a towering alternative for couples looking for somewhere different to wed in the heart of the capital.

It's not every day you'll see a Norman knight in Hastings - but if you're lucky enough to spot the one roaming around Hastings from 11am to 5pm on Saturday (16 April) you stand the chance of winning one of over 200 prizes which are up for grabs.

We’re delighted to announce a partnership with BBC children’s TV programme Blue Peter allowing participants of the Blue Peter badge scheme free entry to a selection of English Heritage properties from this month.

Our technical people have been working very hard to produce a great new app for iPhone and Android users. You can now use your smartphone to get ideas for days out wherever you are.

One of the great British novelists of the twentieth century is honoured.

The writer Graham Greene (1904 - 1991) is to be commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque at 14 Clapham Common North Side, London; his home from 1935 to 1940 and where he wrote his masterly novel Brighton Rock. The plaque will be unveiled by his daughter Caroline Bourget at 11am on 1 April and marks the twentieth anniversary of his death.

English Heritage is searching for veterans who were based at Dover Castle during "Operation Dynamo" as part of the launch of an exciting new visitor experience opening in June.

English Heritage is embarking on a project to find out how much of the country's industrial heritage is at risk of neglect, decay or even demolition and to raise the debate about what needs saving and how. It will reveal the results of its Industrial Heritage at Risk research, including what the public think, in October this year at the launch of the annual English Heritage Heritage at Risk register.

Sir Basil Spence (1907-1976) has been commemorated today (23 March 2011) with an English Heritage blue plaque at his former home and office at 1 Canonbury Place, Islington, N1.

A successful and eclectic modern architect, with a prodigious capacity for work, Spence – best known for his ground-breaking design for Coventry Cathedral – was among the leading British practitioners of his generation.

At the unveiling, Anthony Blee – proposer of the plaque, practice partner of Spence, and husband to Gillian, Spence’s daughter – spoke about the architect and his work, while Gillian unveiled the plaque.

The event took place on the 55th anniversary of the Foundation Stone laying by HM the Queen at Coventry Cathedral.

The State Dining Room at Apsley House Wellington's London residence, where the 1st Duke celebrated his famous victory at Waterloo with a annual banquet, has been given a revitalising makeover by English Heritage and will re-open to the public on Saturday 19th March.

New isotope analysis and forensic facial reconstruction undertaken by a team led by English Heritage has shed new light on the doomed 1845 British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Sir John Franklin, in which all 129 people on board perished.

Analysis of the only surviving complete skeleton has offered new clues as to why the expedition was lost, a mystery that has sparked debate ever since. Some have suggested that scurvy or tuberculosis may have been causes of debilitation and death on the expedition, but no evidence of these diseases was found on the bones, and DNA tests proved negative for tuberculosis. Work is still ongoing on samples from the remains to analyse for lead to see if lead poisoning from the expedition's canned food or from their water supply was a factor.

The study has also revealed that the identity of the skeleton is unlikely to be Henry LeVesconte, a Lieutenant aboard one of the ships, a conclusion that has been widely accepted since the skeleton was first examined in 1872 by Thomas Henry Huxley, one of the foremost biologists of the age.

English Heritage has revealed remarkable pictures showing the aftermath of heavy bombing raids on Hull during the Second World War.

The images were taken by John Summerson (later knighted), who went on to become one of Britain's leading architectural historians and G Bernard Wood from Leeds for the National Buildings Record (NBR).

Welcoming the news of the listing of the former Strand Union workhouse in Cleveland Street today (14 March 2011), Simon Thurley Chief Executive of English Heritage said:

English Heritage is using a combination of modern 3D laser scanning and digital imaging technology to survey every inch of every stone that makes up Stonehenge to produce the most accurate digital model ever for the world famous prehistoric monument.

The 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on 8th March 2011 is day for celebration and reflection. While the first International Women’s Day wasn’t recognised in England, it was a time when many women were actively fighting for women’s rights, particularly the right to vote. The buildings, sites and public spaces around us, as well as the memories of those which have gone, serve as reminders of these struggles and how women’s lives have changed since 1911.

Today it is a haven for stressed workers, eager to escape from the frantic pace of City life, but Bunhill Fields Cemetery, just off City Road, is also one London's most hallowed burial grounds, containing the tombs of some of England's greatest writers. It has now been afforded the highest level of recognition as a historic landscape, with a Grade I entry on the national Register of Parks and Gardens. In addition, some 75 individual tombs have been individually listed today (22 February 2011) by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, on the advice of English Heritage.

Are you going to the Who Do You Think You Are? Live event, at London's Olympia, on 25 - 27 February 2011? We are, and we'd really like you to come and see us on Stand 603.

There’s nothing like a touch of good old-fashioned romance and English Heritage in Cumbria is inviting people across the region to celebrate their love affair with history, with its own Love History fortnight (14 to 27 February).

There’s nothing like a touch of good old-fashioned romance and English Heritage in the North East is inviting people across the region to celebrate their love affair with history, with its own Love History fortnight (14 to 27 February).

Crimes and anti-social behaviour that damage England's historic environment will for the first time be tackled in a much more coordinated way through a new initiative launched by English Heritage today (11th February 2011).

Under the strategic guidance of English Heritage, the Police (through the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO)) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), a nationwide network is developing among enforcement bodies, local authorities, non-governmental organisations, professional groups and amenity societies to systematically tackle and reduce offences such as architectural theft, including metal theft, criminal damage, illegal metal detecting, graffiti, vehicle nuisance and arson.

To celebrate the new BBC Two series on the Ancient Britons, a Stonehenge model is touring the UK.

If you've been enjoying Channel 4's recent series 'Rome Wasn't Built in a Day', you'll be excited to hear that you will soon be able to visit the Roman town house constructed on the programme. The newly-built 'Villa Urbana' at Wroxeter Roman City in Shropshire is undergoing final preparations ahead of its opening to the public on Saturday 19 February.

Conservation Areas all over England are benefitting from the voluntary efforts of local people, working closely with local councils and supported by English Heritage. Valuing Places: Good Practice in Conservation Areas published today by English Heritage, is a blueprint for action, describing dramatic improvements to 18 conservation areas from Berwick, Ulverston, Ripon, Bradford and Sheffield in the North to Truro, Aylesbury, Portsmouth and central London in the South.

A nationwide poll has named Whitby Abbey as the most romantic ruin in the country, beating places like Corfe Castle and Kenilworth Castle, according to the February edition of BBC's Countryfile Magazine.

All seven Historic Environment Managers have succeeded in securing employment after completing English Heritage's Historic Environment Traineeship (HET) Scheme, set up to boost the next generation of heritage professionals.

New guidance for local authorities and public sector bodies looking to transfer the ownership and management of historic buildings, monuments or landscapes to community-based organisations is now available on the English Heritage website.

The composer and teacher Herbert Howells (1892-1983) is to be commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque at 3 Beverley Close, Barnes, SW13, his home from 1946 until a few weeks before his death. The plaque will be unveiled at 2pm on the 14th January 2011 by Canon Richard Ames-Lewis, former Rector of St Mary’s Church, Barnes.

Thanks to an innovative TV project with Channel 4, a Roman villa urbana - a high status Roman town house - has been erected at Wroxeter in Shropshire, on the site of the fourth largest city in Roman Britain. A six part TV series will start on Thursday 20 January following a team of modern builders as they set about building the town house using traditional Roman methods.

Father and Son Set Ten Land Speed Records and Eleven on Water.

An English Heritage blue plaque is to be erected to Sir Malcolm Campbell (1885-1948) and Donald Campbell (1921-1967), the father and son who between them set ten land speed records and eleven on water. The plaque will be unveiled at Canbury School, Kingston-upon-Thames at 10.30am on 29th November 2010 by Don Wales, grandson of Sir Malcolm and nephew of Donald Campbell.

Groundbreaking photographer Bill Brandt (1904 - 1983) will be commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque, in celebration of his life and contribution to photography, at 4 Airlie Gardens, Campden Hill, London W8.

A romantic tradition is set to be resurrected this week at Clifford's Tower in York, when a Victorian 'kissing bough' is suspended at the centre of the medieval tower as part of its festive celebrations.

Plan your visit to Clifford's Tower

2010 sees the 1600th anniversary of the nominal end of Roman Britain which lasted more than 350 years. In tribute to this anniversary we offer an introduction to some Roman sites as featured more fully in the News section of the Pastscape website and illustrate some of English Heritage's online resources to whet your appetite.

PastScape is an historic environment database and contains nearly 400,000 records of archaeological sites and buildings in England and its territorial waters. Among these are over 36,000 records relating to the Roman period such as information about…

English Heritage's proposals to transform the setting of Stonehenge and the visitor experience received a major boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund today (19 November 2010) with a grant of £10 million.

From next year, Kenwood House in north London will undergo vital repairs that will secure the 18th century villa for generations to come. A major repair and conservation programme will make the roof wind and weather tight - protecting the magnificent interior and important art collection from serious leaks and damp - and will also repair and revive Kenwood's beautiful exterior.

Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage announce over £600,000 funding to preserve historic building

A new book on Silbury Hill published by English Heritage has shaken up some long held assumptions about the construction and purpose of this mysterious structure, the largest prehistoric man-made feature in Europe.

Buy The Story of Silbury Hill

The musician and songwriter John Lennon (1940-80) will be commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque on Saturday 23 October, in celebration of his life and contribution to music. The plaque will be unveiled at 11am at 34 Montagu Square, Marylebone, by Yoko Ono.

The Shakespeare Centre, The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust's headquarters, library and archive in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon has been listed at Grade II by the Tourism and Heritage Minister.

English Heritage recommended the building be listed for a number of reasons including its cultural significance and the quality of the building.

It is culturally significant due to its connection with the heritage of William Shakespeare, being the headquarters of the International Shakespeare Society and The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which holds the Shakespeare archive and library as part of the Centre's collection.

Kenilworth Castle and Whitby Abbey have been highlighted by Countryfile Magazine as two of the ten most romantic ruins in Britain.

The future of Rochester Castle's curtain wall is now secure after a conservation project to repair the section of retaining wall built in the early 20th century, which collapsed earlier this year.

A revised list of the protected historic buildings of the City of Bath has been published and includes 830 new entries since the list was last updated in 1975.

The South West has an exciting and vibrant heritage and to celebrate this, The Western Daily Press is publishing an 8-page colour supplement on the work of English Heritage.

English Heritage has part funded a feasibility study into the Grade II listed Plymouth Civic Centre.

This year's Heritage Counts report prepared by English Heritage on behalf of the heritage sector shows that investing in heritage does not just make us feel better, it makes sound economic sense, especially at the local level.

The name of Stokesay Castle is flying high among the clouds this month. The fortified medieval manor house in Shropshire has been singled out for a special distinction by British Airways. To mark the retirement of its fleet of Boeing 757 aircraft, the airline has renamed one of its aircraft, ‘Stokesay Castle’.

English Heritage and Mayor of London Mark 20 Years of Rescuing Heritage at Risk in the Capital

The legendary Camden Roundhouse, Wellington Arch, the Modernist Isokon Flats, the Albert Memorial, and Georgian masterpiece, Danson House in Bexley - these are just five London gems that would probably have been lost without the attention brought to them by inclusion on the English Heritage Buildings At Risk Register. They are among hundreds of other rescued landmarks, a selection of which are featured in Saving London - 20 Years of Heritage at Risk in the Capital published today (30 September 2010).

A significant phase of the High Street 2012 programme - an ambitious regeneration project focused on the heritage led regenerating the thoroughfare (A11/A118) that links the City of London to the Olympic Park in Stratford - has been completed with stunning results.

English Heritage is delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has agreed to support the conservation and digitisation of one of the earliest and most significant collections of oblique aerial photography of the United Kingdom with a grant of £1,755,772.

We have had a very exciting time with Extraordinary Measures, and the staff at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, are all sorry to see the exhibition leave.

We have been overwhelmed by the response we have had from our visitors at Belsay. Our property is perfect for housing exhibitions and we are so lucky to have had such amazing artists take part. If you were not lucky enough to catch the exhibition, we will be adding more photos to this page in the coming weeks to give you a taste of the experience. Over 60,000 visitors have passed through our doors while the exhibition was open, and here are a few of the things they had to say.

English Heritage and London Metropolitan University launch new online portal into the history of women through buildings.

Liverpool is the only UK city with a dedicated presence at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai with its own pavilion in the Urban Best Practice Arena. Liverpool won it's place at the Expo on the basis of how it has managed its historic built environment within the process of regeneration and is in the same arena as Venice, Pondicherry, Suzhou and Guangzhou.

Commemorative plaques, which can be found on buildings of all styles and dates, are one of the most effective – and visible – means of celebrating history and the historic environment. Today there are at least 300 plaque schemes across the country, as well as countless individual plaques. While many schemes are long-established, such as those in Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester, new plaque initiatives are being launched all the time.

English Heritage – which has run the London-wide plaque scheme since 1986 – is active in providing advice to all those who are interested in putting up commemorative plaques and has now published practical and detailed guidance on every aspect of plaque work, including design, historical research and the gaining of consents.

The popularity of commemorative plaques as a means of connecting us with our past is undoubted, but their simplicity can be deceptive. How should one go about undertaking the historical research needed for a plaque? Whose consent is required before a plaque can be installed? What design is appropriate, and what colour and material should be used to ensure that plaques are adornments to the historic environment? These are just some of the questions that ‘Celebrating People andamp; Place' will answer for those interested in embarking on a plaque project of their own.

The document has drawn on English Heritage's experience of managing the London-wide scheme and on the advice and information provided by administrators of other plaque schemes, many of whom attended the Commemorative Plaques conference held in London in February 2010. Local authorities, civic societies, history groups and other bodies and individuals involved in commemorative plaques have been consulted on the document, which is available to download on the side of this page.

Emily Cole, Head of English Heritage's Blue Plaques Team, said:

"A successful commemorative plaque initiative can be a real asset to buildings, towns and cities. We hope that this guidance document, which has been so well informed by many experienced individuals and organisations involved in schemes across the country, will prove useful for anyone seeking more detail on how to go about erecting a commemorative plaque."

Others have described the new guidance document as 'a mass of interesting and informative details, with excellent images' (Newcastle-under-Lyme Civic Society), 'eminently readable and amazingly comprehensive' (Hidden Heritage), and 'a gold mine of useful information' (Lancaster Civic Society). Melton Mowbray andamp; District Civic Society has noted that 'Every aspect of setting up a scheme is covered in a way that is easy to follow and also very encouraging – definitely a "we can do it" book'.

In order to strengthen the links between the many groups and organisations which are involved with commemorative plaques, English Heritage is in the process of carrying out an audit of existing schemes. It is hoped that, in due course, the information about such initiatives will be placed on the English Heritage website.

English Heritage is putting out an appeal for anyone to get in touch who might have taken a miniature artwork away with them as a souvenir after visiting its Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens site in Northumberland – home to the contemporary art exhibition, Extraordinary Measures.

Played in Tyne and Wear: a book documenting the area’s sporting heritage is launched and a year long programme of events throughout Tyne and Wear begins.

The presence of long past civilisations is being uncovered in amazing detail thanks to the exceptionally dry early summer weather and the Icelandic ash cloud. Throughout the summer, hundreds of cropmark sites from Neolithic long barrows to World War II military remains have been recorded from the air by English Heritage.

English Heritage has awarded a grant of £200,000 towards vital restoration work on an important Italianate Garden in the heart of South Devon which has suffered from neglect and vandalism in the past ten years.

A monument which for many represents the centre of London has been repaired and restored and can now be removed from the English Heritage At Risk register.

EM Barry's majestic and intricate memorial cross, which has adorned the forecourt of Charing Cross station for 145 years had, inevitably, suffered from city pollution and weathering. Over the past ten months, a team of master carvers and stonemasons have painstakingly cleaned, repaired and restored the ornament, stone floral decoration, statues and crests.The result is a gloriously refreshed monument which demands the attention of even the most distracted of commuters.

The doors of one of England's great country houses - Apethorpe Hall in Northamptonshire - are open this summer and people are invited to tour its magnificent interior, discover its past and view the conservation and repair works which have secured the Hall's future.

'The Gardens of English Heritage' is the first book to describe the magnificent parks and gardens owned by English Heritage, which are far less well-known than its evocative medieval abbeys or Victorian mansions.

Yet these remarkable places offer a wide variety of gardening pleasures. Some have stunning designs, while others are important for their history or their plants. All have wonderfully atmospheric surroundings.

English Heritage is inviting the heritage sector to comment on three of its draft thematic research strategies : Prehistoric Archaeology, the Historic Industrial Environment and the Urban Historic Environment.

Marie Stopes, promoter of sex education and birth control, will today (Thursday 29 July at 12 noon) be commemorated with an English Heritage Blue Plaque at her childhood residence, 28 Cintra Park, Upper Norwood, London SE19 2LH. Members of Marie Stopes's family will be attending the unveiling including her daughter-in-law, Dr Mary Stopes-Roe, and her grandsons Jonathan, who will unveil the plaque, and Christopher Stopes-Roe.

Sir William and Sir Joseph Hooker, the father and son who transformed Kew Gardens in the nineteenth century, to be commemorated for their work at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and their contribution to botanical study.

The Sleeping Beauty of England's Landscape Gardens – Wrest Park in Bedfordshire – will awake from its slumber next year, thanks to a major grant of £1.14m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

For many decades, Wrest Park was part of an agricultural research centre, its treasures overgrown and largely unknown. The HLF grant gives the green light to the plans by English Heritage to restore one of Britain's finest landscape gardens to its original splendour.

"We are delighted to receive this generous grant and vote of confidence from the Heritage Lottery Fund," said Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage. "Wrest Park and its outstanding collection of historic garden buildings is one of the finest surviving eighteenth century landscapes in Britain. It is also one of our best kept secrets and few know of its magnificence. Our restoration will reverse years of neglect and bring this once famous and beautiful landscape back into the limelight."

English Heritage archaeologists have uncovered a ceremonial building, thought to be 4,500 years old during a 6-week archaeological excavation at one of Britain’s most important but least understood prehistoric monuments, Marden Henge in Wiltshire.

English Heritage's Annual Report and Accounts 2009/10 was laid before Parliament yesterday.

English Heritage is making improvements to enhance the visitor experience at eight fascinating ancient monuments on the Isles of Scilly.

New visual displays and downloadable audio tours will enable visitors to immerse themselves in the rich histories of the sites, from bronze age burials to smuggling and shipwrecks.

Historic building rescues slowed by recession, plus shipwreck to be saved for nation.

The Heritage at Risk Register 2010 published today (Wednesday 7 July) by English Heritage shows a significant slow-down in the number of Grade I and II* buildings being saved from neglect and decay prompting fears that England might lose the very thing which makes it most special in the eyes of the world and could help to underpin economic recovery.

Between 1999 and 2007 the number of Grade I and II* buildings on the Heritage at Risk Register fell by 17% but since then there has been no percentage change in the number coming off the Register after being rescued. In 1999, one in six buildings on the "at risk" register was fully economic to repair. Now, 11 years on, it is just one in eight. The "conservation deficit", the difference between the cost of repair and the end value of the 1,218 buildings and structural scheduled monuments on the Register, is now estimated at £465 million, a 10% rise from 2009.

Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: "In the current uncertain climate, English Heritage has two vital contributions to make. First is our Heritage at Risk programme itself. It gives communities – local people, local authorities and the larger community of both official and voluntary heritage groups – accurate information about the condition of local neighbourhoods. It encourages them to become actively involved in restoring what is precious to them, and it reassures them that any public funding goes to the most needy and urgent cases.

Archaeological sites at risk reduced by 4% but still harder to save than buildings in tough times. English Heritage Heritage at Risk Register 2010 Shows Success of Partnerships with Owners and Local Authorities.

The Heritage at Risk Register 2010 published today (Wednesday 7 July 2010) by English Heritage shows that the number of scheduled monuments at risk has fallen by 140 to 3,395, but the Register also confirms that the proportion of scheduled monuments at risk is still high at 17.2% (one in six), with the South West, Yorkshire and The Humber, and West Midlands having the highest share.

Damage from cultivation is still the greatest cause of risk, with degradation and decay as a result of natural processes such as scrub and tree growth, erosion and burrowing animals, a close second.

Scheduled monuments are our most cherished, nationally important archaeological sites and landscapes. They include prehistoric burial mounds, stone circles and hill forts, Roman towns and villas, medieval settlements, castles and abbeys and the industrial structures of our more recent past. They are a unique inheritance that tells the story of many generations of human endeavour and life. They create our sense of time and place, and add greatly to the distinctiveness of our towns and countryside.

English heritage reveals condition of nation's places of worship

• How congregations are coping
• Calls on government to continue vital grants
• New free practical guide

The National Churches Trust has appointed, Rhodri Evans, to a new post to improve the support for places of worship. The post is part-funded by English Heritage the Government's lead adviser on the historic environment.

English Heritage would like to thank all those who have sent us encouraging words of support and ideas for raising funds for the Stonehenge Visitor Centre Project. Despite the setback of the withdrawal of Government funding announced on 17 June, we are pleased to see so many people believe that it is the right thing to do and that our nation’s most beloved monument deserves investment.

Twenty thousand people have celebrated the longest day of the year at Stonehenge. Visitors from far and wide as well as closer to home watched and cheered from inside the stone circle as the sun rose over the ancient monument and the Wiltshire plains. Drumming, music and dancing kept people entertained throughout Sunday night and Monday morning. And The Ancestor – a giant metal sculpture of ancient man, on his knees, head thrown back and his arms outstretched to welcome the sunrise – towered over the entire proceedings.

Keys to the historic Low Lighthouse, built on the ramparts of Hurst Castle in Lymington, Hampshire, were ceremoniously handed over to English Heritage last week (10 June 2010) by current owners Trinity House.

The lighthouse was last used to safeguard shipping in the Solent in 1997 and is now protected as a Scheduled Monument.

Deputy Master of Trinity House Rear Admiral Sir Jeremy De Halpert presented a set of antique lighthouse keys to Dawn Postlethwaite, Head of Visitor Operations for English Heritage in Hampshire, at an event attended by guests including Friends of Hurst Castle and members of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers.

Chiswick House Gardens is a site of international importance both as the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement, and as the setting for one of the most beautiful houses in London. The regeneration of the gardens is a result of many years of campaigning, four years of fund-raising and two years of work on the site.

English Heritage (manager of the House) and the London Borough of Hounslow (owner of the Gardens) established The Chiswick House and Gardens Trust as an independent charity to drive forward an ambitious rescue plan for the Gardens and secure its future for the 21st century.

In 1568 while staying at Carlisle Castle in Cumbria, Mary Queen of Scots became the first recorded monarch to actively enjoy watching a football match. Twenty of her retinue played a two hour game and according to Sir Francis Knollys, all played "very strongly, nimbly and skilfully, without any foul play offered."

And this World Cup, Carlisle Castle is one of the English Heritage properties which from Saturday 12 June, will be flying the St George's Cross flag as we support the England team this summer. Other sites include the Key to England, Dover Castle; the Jewel Tower or the ‘King's Privy Tower' in London; Pendennis Castle on the Cornish Coast; Bolsover Castle in the East Midlands; and Belsay Hall outside Newcastle. The St George's Cross flags will replace the usual red and white English Heritage flags for the duration of England's involvement in the tournament.

The National Heritage Training Group (NHTG) has been awarded the largest single amount of funding (£932,000) of the 54 successful projects in the new £17million Heritage Lottery Fund Skills for the Future programme.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is seeking to appoint individuals with expertise in i) Education/Community Engagement, and ii) Local Authority Representation as Commissioners of English Heritage.

English Heritage was established by the National Heritage Act 1983 as the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England. It is the Government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment. This public body receives around three quarters of its income from the Exchequer in the form of Grant in Aid (£131.1 million in 2009/2010). The remainder (£54.6 million) is self generated from commercial activities and fund raising. English Heritage’s role is to champion and care for the historic environment

The Commission is the governing body of English Heritage and comprises the Chair and up to 16 Commissioners.

For these posts, applications are invited from people with an understanding of English Heritage’s work and of the wider environment in which English Heritage operates, and a commitment to its aims and objectives supported by an ability to think strategically and exercise sound judgment.

Suburbs, villages and hamlets, town centres, and other local areas will benefit from undertaking historic area assessments in the face of increasing pace of change, says English Heritage who has published guidance today (9th June) to help local authorities and others to conduct such assessments.

On Tuesday, 26 May 2010 a reception was held at Westminster Abbey to mark the completion of the repair and conservation of the exterior of the Chapter House. English Heritage's Chief Executive Dr Simon Thurley delivered the following speech, touching on the significance of the building, the craftsmanship involved in the project, the publication of a new book on the Chapter House as well as the current economic climate and as announced recently by the Government, the cuts to the public sector.

English Heritage (EH) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have today (Monday 24 May 2010) announced funding of just under £7million to help restore 68 historic Grade II listed places of worship in England. Places of worship from a range of faiths and denominations are set to benefit from the organisations’ joint Repair Grants for Places of Worship programme.

For the first time the public will be able to search online a catalogue describing more than a million historical photographs and documents relating to England's historic buildings and archaeological sites held by the National Monuments Record (NMR), English Heritage's public archive.

The artist and art critic Roger Fry is to be commemorated today (Thursday 20 May 2010 at 11.30am) with an English Heritage blue plaque at 33 Fitzroy Square, Bloomsbury, London, W1. It was at this address that Fry set up the influential Omega Workshops (1913 – 1919), to enable young artists to make a living by making and selling items of decorative art designed for the home. Through this venture, Fry may be said to have brought the avant-garde into British living rooms; the art historian Kenneth Clark hailed him as 'incomparably the greatest influence on taste since Ruskin ... in so far as taste can be changed by one man, it was changed by Roger Fry'. The plaque will be unveiled following speeches by the historian Sir David Cannadine and Frances Spalding, Fry's biographer.

The future of one of London’s oldest buildings and a meeting place for the early House of Commons – the Chapter House at Westminster Abbey – has been secured following a major English Heritage - led repair and conservation project. Over the past 18 months, a team of 20 master carvers and stonemasons have painstakingly cleaned, repaired, and conserved the badly weathered gargoyles, stone floral friezes, flying buttresses and stained glass windows. This month, the colossal scaffolding has come down to reveal the majestic exterior completely refreshed, revived and weather-tight.

This summer new works by leading contemporary artists will fill the beautiful grounds and historic rooms at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, near Newcastle upon Tyne.

Opening on Saturday 1 May and running until 26 September, Extraordinary Measures explores and plays with the concept of scale. A giant figure sits in the library, fairies and miniature day-trippers can be found in the grounds, and visitors are reduced to tiny figures as they pass through a huge window in the Quarry Garden.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, this weekend (Saturday 24 April 2010) followed in the footsteps of one of Yorkshire’s most famous abbots, St Aelred of Rievaulx, walking from Helmsley Castle to Rievaulx Abbey as part of the site’s 900th anniversary celebrations of the birth of the saint.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes, undoubtedly one of the world’s most prolific explorers, has thrown his support behind the hunt to find the 2010 'Champion of England.'

May 1940: in just 10 tense days the country pulled together in an epic round-the-clock rescue mission which saved over 338,000 stranded troops from the beaches at Dunkirk.

They wore flat caps and waistcoats and moustaches were very much in fashion.But despite differences in appearance, their skills are shared by a modern generation of craftspeople working to revive the Arts and Crafts heritage of one of North Yorkshire’s most beautiful buildings.

Seventy years on from the Dunkirk evacuation, English Heritage is holding a week of events and activities (28 May - 4 June) at Dover Castle – the nerve-centre of the rescue operation – to mark one of the most dangerous and desperate operations of the Second World War.

English Heritage is welcoming art big and small to Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens in Northumberland this May with the contemporary art exhibition, Extraordinary Measures.

Extraordinary Measures will explore concepts of scale and feature a range of internationally acclaimed artists, including Tessa Farmer who will be bringing her darkly malevolent, tiny fairies – microscopic figures created from roots, fly's wings and clumps of earth - to Belsay. Farmer will be creating a sculptural battle scene with her fairies and a number of stuffed, mutant grey squirrels and other local animals in the Quarry Garden at Belsay.

Forest Frederic Edward Yeo-Thomas (1902–1964) is to be commemorated today (Wednesday 31 March at 12 noon) with an English Heritage blue plaque at Queen Court, Guilford Street, Camden, WC1, the home that he shared with Barbara Yeo-Thomas. Speaking at the unveiling will be Dr Celina Fox, Vice-Chair of the English Heritage Blue Plaques Panel and Mark Seaman, writer and historian. Aircrew from No. 47 Squadron based at RAF Lyneham will be in attendance and Squadron Leader Lee Roberts will speak on behalf of the RAF. Yeo-Thomas's niece, Carol Green, will unveil the plaque.

English Heritage is delighted to announce a substantial grant of £200,000 towards urgent repair work at Cabot Tower, Brandon Hill.

One of the godfathers of motoring and aviation history, Charles Rolls, will today (22 March 2010) be commemorated with an English Heritage Blue Plaque in recognition of his outstanding contribution to these industries. The Plaque will be unveiled by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, founder of the National Motor Museum and former Chairman of English Heritage, at 11.30am today at 14/15 Conduit Street, Mayfair, W1; Rolls's place of work from 1905 to 1910. Lord Montagu commented, "This building is of great historic interest, having been the West End headquarters of Rolls-Royce, and many people, both famous and otherwise, have passed through its door to purchase their vehicle".

English Heritage and London Fire Brigade 'Fired Up' to ensure future for capitals historic fire stations

From the compact allure of Belsize to the elaborate Victorian splendour of Kensington, London’s historic fire station buildings are an instantly recognisable part of the capital and those that remain in active use are part of our proud legacy of civic buildings that are cherished by their communities. They are also important operational buildings housing a professional organisation with a wider range of roles and responsibilities than ever before.

English Heritage is offering North East families the chance to give Mum some flowers with a difference this Mother’s Day (Sunday March 14) by bringing her to visit Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens in Northumberland to see flowers thriving in their own natural habitat.

One of the world's rarest camellias now has a fitting home thanks to major restoration works to the conservatory at Chiswick House, London.

English Heritage is inviting North East families with a passion for flora, fauna and local wildlife along to Belsay Hall, Castle andamp; Gardens this half term (Feb 12 – 21) to assist its crack team of snowdrop and squirrel spotters in the search for two of the region’s most rare and precious sights.

Northumberland tourist attraction Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens has exceeded industry trends and increased visitor numbers in 2009, according to research by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA).

English Heritage is currently considering a substantial £250,000 grant application for essential repairs from Bristol City Council; owners of the Grade II listed Cabot Tower. This is a much-loved and important local landmark and we would like to see it repaired and reopened to the public as soon as possible.

Abbey Road Studios Celebrated With Grade II Listing For 'Outstanding Cultural Significance'

Iconic Studios Listed on Advice of English Heritage

English Heritage is delighted that the Abbey Road Studios have today (23 February 2010) been recognised by grade ll listing. In 2003, English Heritage advised ministers that the building possessed huge cultural importance and a remarkable and inspiring association with music making and should be listed in recognition of this unique special interest. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has now endorsed that advice and listed the building.

We applaud the public enthusiasm and support for safeguarding the future of the Abbey Road Studios and call on Ministers to turn their attention to the advice that we provided in 2003 and endorse our recommendation to list the building at grade ll.

Andrew Duff and David Lovie will share the role of Development Officer for a new Inspired North East project. They will be employed on a job share basis by Newcastle Anglican Diocese to support historic places of worship in the north east Region in a post part-funded by English Heritage, the Government's lead adviser on the historic environment.

ENGLISH HERITAGE LAUNCHES
‘Liverpool Shanghai Photo Mission’ COMPETITION

If you had a chance to show millions of people ‘your city of Liverpool’ what would you show them?

Visitors to Kenilworth Castle this spring and summer are in for a treat as they are invited to watch Kevin Hicks, one of England’s top historic archers use the castle as a training ground.

Grant Adds to Recent Sea Change Award

English Heritage announced this week that it is offering a further grant of £500,000 towards the restoration of historic Tynemouth Station, in North Tyneside.

The grant brings to a total of £1 million the amount awarded by English Heritage to save this Grade II* listed building which has been on its Heritage at Risk register since 1998.

Today’s Soldiers Come Face to Face with Medieval Military Hardware

The Gurkhas are making a special visit to Dover Castle today (19 January) to help dismantle the huge catapult beside the Castle’s Great Tower and move it to a new location near the outer walls of the Castle. The task will see today’s soldiers getting to grips with a replica of medieval military hardware and it is expected to take two weeks to complete.

David Fursdon and John R Walker CBE are appointed Commissioners of English Heritage

Margaret Hodge, the Minister for Culture, announced today that David Fursdon and John R Walker have been appointed Commissioners of English Heritage. Their terms of appointment will run from 1st February 2010 to 31 January 2014.

Visit the leading cultural centre in the north for its latest arts exhibition.

Major cinema hit “Creation”, starring Paul Bettany as the world’s pre-eminent scientist Charles Darwin, will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on Monday 18th January.

Work of leading Arts and Crafts designers from turn of 20th Century restored to former glory for the 21st Century.

English Heritage is set to embark on an ambitious new project to revive the little known Arts and Crafts past of one of North Yorkshire’s most beautiful buildings.

English Heritage aerial surveyors capture full view of prehistoric stone enclosure for first time

Archaeologists have snapped the first ever picture of an enigmatic monument in the North York Moors which could date back over 4,500 years to Neolithic times.

English Heritage reveals the fascinating story of England’s first Queen in exhibtion at Framlingham Castle.

A free exhibition at Kenwood House, Hampstead (23 January – 5 April 2010) will present almost 100 historical photographs of a now vanished London, one spanning the period from the horse-drawn city of the late Victorian age to the devastated streets and buildings of the Second World War.

Artist Euan Wakenshaw has won this year’s Gymnasium Gallery Open Exhibition competition voted for by the general public, with an oil painting on canvas entitled ‘West Street View’.

The 28-year old Berwick-born customer service assistant took two months to paint the winning piece that depicts an iconic view of the Old Bridge in Berwick, looking over towards Bridge Street and WM Cowe andamp; Sons shop [on West Street] - a vantage point famously used by L.S Lowry.

Kirkleatham Hall Stables and Garden to Benefit from £200,000 Repair Grant

A grant of almost £200,000 from English Heritage will enable work to begin to save historic stables and gardens in Redcar.

Kirkleatham Stables Kirkleatham Stables The Grade II* listed Kirkleatham Hall Stables on the outskirts of Redcar is a significant building in the horse-racing history of the North East and is known to have housed famous racehorses such as “Flying Dutchman”. An early owner was co-founder of the Jockey Club and it was used as an early stud farm for racehorses. It has an unusual circular tower in the courtyard complete with a cupola; one theory is that this was for viewing the racing, breeding and stud horses as they were walked around the yard.

Major New Archaeological Research Project Underway at Alston Moor

A major archaeological research project aimed at uncovering the mining heritage of the North Pennines is underway. Over the next three years, English Heritage’s Research Department is conducting a programme of archaeological fieldwork in collaboration with the North Pennines AONB Partnership to scour 300 square kilometres of Alston Moor looking for evidence of the past and developing future conservation priorities.

The North Pennines is one of the most intensely mined landscapes in Britain. Its landscapes are renowned for their geology and wild, natural beauty, but much of what is seen today has been shaped by past generations of lead-miners who have lived and farmed here, exploiting the rich mineral resources.

Newcastle Diocese and English Heritage join together to help congregations look after Historic Places Of Worship

St Michael and All Angels St Michael and All Angels, Alwinton Newcastle Diocese and English Heritage, the Government’s lead adviser on the historic environment, have joined together to fund a Support Officer post in the North East Region to help maintain historic places of worship. The position is likely to be advertised in December this year.

Time Team Director Brendan Hughes gives an insight into filming the special programme at Dover Castle, working with the staff and how he became immersed in the medieval world of King Henry II.

A Channel 4 Time Team Special taking an in-depth look at the re-creation of King Henry II's magnificent medieval Great Tower has prompted English Heritage to reduce the entry prices and open Dover Castle for extra days over the festive period.

The predictions of a staycation season rang true when visitors flocked to English Heritage properties over the spring and summer with visitor numbers to northern sites up by 12% across the board and membership rates up by 24% compared with last year.

Take a historic holiday you'll never forget, with escorted tours and holidays to some of the world's most amazing cultural destinations.

The English Heritage Travel Collection 2010 is a collaboraton between English Heritage and Bales Worldwide to bring you a brand new collection of escorted tours and holidays offering artistry, culture and amazement. Family owned for over 60 years, Bales Worldwide has an unmatched reputation for attention to detail with a personal service that turns a holiday into an unforgettable experience.

Bales Worldwide have created nine new and exclusive Travel Collection itineraries especially for English Heritage members which offer unique experiences and great value for money. The English Heritage Travel Collection holidays have frequent departure dates, which are guaranteed to run on a minimum of two passengers. The transport and guides in each main area are exclusive to English Heritage members.*

2009 has been a bumper year for English Heritage in the award stakes, from glittering garden awards to complimentary customer services accolades - the cabinets and shelving of some of our most interesting sites are under strain with the weight of the silver!

To mark the end of the International Year of Astronomy, Stonehenge, with its 5,000 year long astronomical connection, is hosting a series of celebrations in December. The attractions include a free public astronomy exhibition, as well as the opportunity for Stonehenge visitors to ask the experts on the relationship between the sky and the ancient stone circle.

From 16th December to 3rd January 2010 visitors can enjoy a stunning exhibition - ‘From the Earth to the Universe’, which features incredible images of objects across the Universe- from stars to planets to nebulae and galaxies, all created using telescopes.

In the run up to the Winter Solstice, from 16th to 19th December leading specialists - both archaeologists and professional astronomers - will be on hand to answer any questions you might have.

For further information on the International Year of Astronomy, Royal Astronomical Society and celebratory events at Stonehenge visit the event's website.

On Saturday 14th November, Goodrich Castle played host to the BBC1 drama, Merlin. Earlier this year the cast of the popular fantasy drama descended on the impressive medieval stronghold spending a day filming in the moat and solar room for one of the pivotal scenes of the series. Mark Badger, Head of Visitor Operations at Goodrich Castle commented, "This was a great scene, and the solar room at Goodrich provided a fantastically atmospheric background. Visitors always comment that Goodrich is a ‘proper’ castle, where they can imagine knights and princesses wandering around – I guess we can now add warlocks to that list!"

A new strategy setting the overall direction for the heritage sector in the West Midlands is launched today in Birmingham. 'Putting the Historic Environment to Work' has been developed on behalf of the West Midlands Historic Environment Forum (HEF). The HEF is chaired by English Heritage and members come from the public, private and voluntary sector.

The strategy is accompanied by an action plan which provides a framework for stakeholders to measure their progress in meeting identified priorities. It will be updated annually.

Three key themes underpin the strategy and form the core of HEF’s vision of the historic environment - People, Places and Policies.

'Putting the Historic Environment to Work' is a five year strategy and has been prepared to assist other policy-makers in ensuring the historic environment is considered in evolving strategic plans and policies throughout the West Midlands. Similarly, communities may use the strategy to identify sources of support and possible funding for local projects that aim to enhance, conserve and broaden access to local heritage.

Carlisle Castle lights up for festive season.

England's cathedrals are the great heritage success story of our era. They are the country's largest, most historic and most complex buildings yet they are generally in good repair and continuing to add to their glories by commissioning new works from fonts to fire doors and from choir schools to cafés, English Heritage revealed today (Tuesday, 1 December). It also announced a grant to Lincoln Cathedral for urgent repairs, a symbol of English Heritage's continued commitment of support for cathedrals.

English Heritage is asking you to help us track down Charles Darwin's missing 'Galapagos' notebook which contains the scientist's on-the-spot observations and which would prove invaluable when he was later writing the groundbreaking On the Origin of Species, published 150 years ago today (24 November).

The Birmingham Library, designed by John Madin and opened in 1974, is the largest civic (non-national) library in Europe. Its boldly confident exterior defines an era of Birmingham’s recent history, and its careful internal planning makes it a successful example of an integrated modern facility.

A 28-year-old Herefordshire woman has won a coveted training post with English Heritage. Samantha Barnes has beaten nearly 1,000 other applicants from around the country to claim one of seven places on the Historic Environment Traineeship (HET) scheme and will spend the next two years working with heritage specialists in Birmingham.

A 25 year old Leeds woman who helped scores of couples tie the knot has experienced her own special day by winning a coveted training post with English Heritage.

Culture and Tourism Minister Margaret Hodge described as "stunning" the transformation of the Great Tower at Dover Castle, when she visited the site on Monday 16th November to see at first hand how the Sea Change programme is helping seaside towns.

Work continues on the restoration of the East Parterre Garden at Witley Court. Throughout autumn and winter visitors to the site will be able to see the progress of the scrollwork pattern of box hedges, interspersed with areas of coloured gravel and bedding plant displays. This restoration project is based on two years of archaeological investigation and old photographs of the garden in its prime. The garden will be completed by July 2010.

English Heritage hosts national conference on commemorative plaques 18-19 February 2010, at the Royal Institute of British Architects, London.

To celebrate the return of Mrs Crowcombe's cookbook to Audley End we invite you to join Food Historian Marianne Gray PhD for an exclusive cookery talk and demonstration. Learn about the newly interpreted Victorian kitchens and watch as she recreates some of Mrs Crowcombe’s original recipes using the traditional cooking techniques of the period.

A stunning new exhibition has been unveiled in Keighley showcasing the remarkable work of local women who took part in a groundbreaking journey, which highlighed the links between Yorkshire’s textile past and eastern design.

Britain’s top travel journalists have voted Charles Darwin’s home, Down House at Downe, near Orpington, Kent as the best UK Tourism Project for 2009. Members of the British Guild of Travel Writers gave the house - Darwin’s home for 40 years - the accolade for the new exhibition and interpretation which opened at the visitor attraction in February to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Internationally renowned artist Ron Mueck, street artist Slinkachu and one-time Young British Artist Mat Collishaw are among the leading contemporary artists whose works will fill the grounds and rooms at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, near Newcastle, in summer 2010.

Pendennis Castle picked up the Silver award in the Small Visitor Attraction of the year category at the Cornwall Tourist Board 2009 Awards. Pendennis now goes on to the final shortlist for the South West Tourism Excellence Awards.

North East historic attractions swept the board at the North East England Tourism Oscars last night when English Heritage took three prestigious tourism awards at the ceremony at the Newcastle Gateshead Hilton last night.

Following a request to consider the American Embassy building in Grosvenor Square for listing, English Heritage undertook a thorough assessment of the building. We advised the Secretary of State that the building does have special interest in a national context and should be listed at grade ll. We are delighted that our advice has been endorsed.

English Heritage is to roll out an even more colourful floral carpet for visitors at Brodsworth Hall and Gardens.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Ben Bradshaw, confirmed today (16 October) that the Government is to invest £10 million in a new Stonehenge visitor centre.

A seaside shelter in Margate, Kent where the nation's favourite poet TS Eliot is believed to have written some of his most famous lines of poetry, has been listed at grade II by the Secretary of State for Culture, on the advice of English Heritage.

From parrots to peg legs, Tintagel Castle's search to find the best young creative writers in Cornwall has seen more than one hundred young people showcasing their storytelling skills. Amongst all the entries received, eight-year old Juliet Wells from Bodmin scooped the overall prize for her 'Teddy Bear Pirates' story.

On 12th October English Heritage unveiled its design for the new proposed visitor centre for Stonehenge.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is seeking to appoint individuals with expertise in i) the management of historic property, or ii) accountancy/income stream management as Commissioners of English Heritage.

The Education team is working in partnership with Sony to trial cutting-edge technology which has the potential to increase learning and access to learning at Wroxeter Roman City, West Midlands – and in the long term, if viable, many more heritage sites.

A level History students at William Howard Secondary School, Brampton, Cumbria, advised English Heritage and the National Trust on how best to improve the visitor experience at Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall. Housesteads is within the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site, and English Heritage and the National Trust have been working together on an extensive community consultation to gather people's views about how the site can be made more accessible and engaging, particularly for young people.

The newly recreated Elizabethan garden at Kenilworth Castle was one of just four properties selected for the highly prestigious Rural Design Awards, run by Warwick District Council, receiving the award on Friday 4 September in a ceremony at the Royal Priors Shopping Centre.

Over the past 19 years our Cathedral Grants Scheme, most recently run in partnership with the Wolfson Foundation, has given just over £52 million in grants for repair works to English cathedrals. English Heritage remains committed to working to support these wonderful buildings and so whilst this dedicated scheme is coming to an end, cathedrals will still remain eligible to apply to English Heritage for grants towards the costs of repair works in the future.

Fred Russell, who ‘revolutionised the presentation of ventriloquism’, was commemorated on Sunday 20 September 2009 with an English Heritage blue plaque at 71 Kenilworth Court, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, SW15, where he lived for twelve years between 1914 and 1926. The plaque was unveiled in the presence of various members of The Grand Order of Water Rats, the oldest theatrical charity and brotherhood, of which Fred Russell was ‘King’ in 1903, 1914, 1929 andamp; 1939, and William and Marc Parnell, his great grandsons.

On Tuesday 29th September 2009 join English Heritage and expert Maritime Archeologist Kevin Camidge for an exclusive event about the story of HMS Collossus.

One of the jewels of English vernacular architecture, the Grade I listed grand barn with hammerbeam roof at a forgotten royal country house Westenhanger Castle in Kent, has been restored to its former glory. This follows a two-and-a-half-year conservation project largely funded by a £500,000 English Heritage grant.

It's been a stopping off point since 1848 and even Hollywood film star Clark Gable may have trod its boards during the Second World War.

People are being invited to bring along their memories and stories of Conisbrough Castle to help shape a new future for the spectacular 12th century fortress.

What do you think are the most important issues facing England's heritage? Is it funding? Is it the reform of heritage protection? Is it the development pressures facing our historic towns and cities? Is it how we present our castles and country houses or how we look after local conservation areas?

English Heritage and members of the Ditherington Flax Mills Steering Group have chosen an award winning Design Team to develop a vision and detailed designs to bring Shrewsbury's historic mills into the 21st century.

Join English Heritage for an exclusive evening at Manchester's Victoria Baths. The evening charts the amazing restoration project at the Baths, as well as celebrating the launch of 'Great Lengths', the thirteenth book in the acclaimed series, 'Played in Britain', in which authors Dr Ian Gordon and Simon Inglis trace the development of indoor pools beginning with the Georgian period, right up to the current generation of leisure pools.

Heritage Open Days, 10 - 13 September 2009

www.heritageopendays.org.uk

Today (Tuesday 1 September) a street in Brighton where local residents have discovered 100 years of household secrets will host the launch of Heritage Open Days 2009, Britain’s biggest and most diverse celebration of architecture, history and culture.

A record 7,590 visitors enjoyed the family activity tent run by the Education team in partnership with Ecclesiastical at this July’s Festival of History. This year’s theme was toys and games through history and as well as dressing up and playing popular historic games, families enjoyed creating hundreds of fortune tellers, windmills, peg dolls and more throughout the two days.

The huge interior of the keep at Dover Castle has undergone a major transformation by English Heritage to re-create the splendour of a royal court in the late 12th century.

Touring programme linked to the British Library’s major exhibition on Henry VIII visits Kenilworth Castle from 1 August to 23 August celebrating 500 years since the accession.

DON’T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT!

Barbara Follett, the Minister for Culture, announced today that Professor Ronald Hutton has been appointed a Commissioner of English Heritage. His term of appointment runs from 1st October 2009 to 30 September 2013.

English Heritage has today (Wednesday, 22 July) launched one of its most amazing ‘multi-media’ exhibitions at the 19th century mansion, near Doncaster, after new research revealed that the Hall’s record collection contains gems from the very earliest days of recording.

English Heritage’s Annual Report and Accounts 2008/09 was laid before Parliament yesterday. The Annual Report and Accounts includes highlights of English Heritage’s major achievements of 2008/09. These are presented under the six aims of our strategy, Making the Past Part of Our Future. This section which begins on page 2 and the facts and figures section which follows it provide a helpful summary of the year.

The magnificent 19th Century French Revivalist mansion of Wrest Park, at Silsoe near Bedford has opened its doors to local businesses as a striking venue for meetings, conferences and corporate events.

English Heritage today (15 July 2009) launched Berwick-upon-Tweed: three places, two nations, one town, the latest title in the critically acclaimed English Heritage Informed Conservation series of illustrated books. The book, by English Heritage experts and with input from independent specialists and local people, is a celebration of this unique and distinctive town and a fascinating examination of the history and geography which have contributed to its development. It highlights how an understanding of the historic buildings and varied landscapes of Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal, is essential to the area's conservation and future.

A major 'country house and war' exhibition is being planned which could open to the public in 2011 at the spectacular Victorian mansion near Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

A plaque was unveiled today (8 July 2009) at the new visitor admissions building at Dover Castle in Kent in memory of former English Heritage Chairman Lord Bruce-Lockhart, who died last summer. It was unveiled by Lady Bruce-Lockhart in the presence of their son Mark, English Heritage's Chief Executive, Simon Thurley, and English Heritage Commissioners.

Life of Racing Pioneer Commemorated. Plaque Erected Ahead of Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009.

On Tuesday 23 June, English Heritage revealed the results of the first ever national survey of conservation areas. How many are at risk and what are the top 10 threats? For more information please download the attached PDFs.

Heritage at Risk Register 2009 Reveals 96 Registered Parks and Gardens Are At Risk

A full list of England's scheduled monuments most at risk from decay, neglect and pressure from farming and development has been published for the first time by English Heritage in its Heritage at Risk Register 2009, highlighting the challenges, particularly in the current economic climate, of saving archaeological sites that do not generate an income.

A modernist covered market, that provided a life-line for the people of Coventry after the bombing of the city, has been listed at Grade II by the Government on the advice of English Heritage. English Heritage welcomed that the flying-saucer-like building, which is decorated inside with painted murals and a mosaic with a central sun motif, has now been recognised as part of England’s architectural heritage.

A public inquiry opened today (Tuesday,16 June) to determine the future of a significant part of the historic city of Lancaster, a Georgian city which has been described as the "Bath of the North". English Heritage is opposing a proposal to build a development scheme of a size and scale entirely alien to Lancaster's character. This would involve clearing an extensive historic townscape area and demolishing more than 30 buildings, 18 of which fall within conservation areas.

Following an open competition, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has today appointed Baroness Andrews OBE, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government as Chair of English Heritage, successor to the late Lord Bruce-Lockhart. To view the DCMS news release, click here

Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw today announced the appointment of Baroness Kay Andrews as the new Chair of English Heritage

An Edwardian-inspired garden, within the former 'privy' garden of Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Beatrice, opens to the public on Thursday 4 June at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight.

Sir Richard Branson joins celebration of World War ll flying ace who suffered double amputation. Bader's inspirational work to raise profile of those living with disability commemorated.

Rationing, threat of bombings and conscription – one of the bleakest times in modern history and yet many people fondly remember the amazing spirit and sense of camaraderie of World War II. Over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, visitors to Scarborough Castle will be invited to relive the up-side of the War years, when English Heritage marks the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities in its Wartime Weekend.

Historic buildings like Whitby Abbey have been inspiring creative people for centuries – from the poetry of Caedmon to the Gothic classics of Bram Stoker, and now two of Britain's top authors have joined forces with English Heritage to encourage budding writers of all ages to take inspiration from some of the finest historic sites in the North, and put pen to paper in two writing competitions.

English Heritage welcomed the Government's decision today (13th May 2009) to go ahead with new visitor facilities for Stonehenge. Together with integrated proposals to close the A344, this decision will improve the monument’s setting and presentation to visitors.

Local authorities must have robust policies in place to manage the impact of large digital screens in public places, CABE and English Heritage warn today (12 May 2009). Care is required to avoid screens causing significant harm to the character, appearance, amenity and even safety of places.

Local craftsmen from North Shields have been commissioned by English Heritage to save one of the nation’s most important Anglo-Saxon sites from the harsh effects of the weather. Local materials and expertise have been combined to secure Lindisfarne Priory, a place of pilgrimage for more than 1300 years, from further decay.

Over 400 years since it was lost to the world, English Heritage has reconstructed the pleasure garden created by Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester to impress Queen Elizabeth I. Working from a detailed 16th-century description of the garden, painstaking archaeological investigation and historical research, English Heritage assembled a team of experts to re-create the Elizabethan garden at Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire. Visitors will experience the sights, scents and sounds of the garden as it was when Queen Elizabeth I and her suitor Robert Dudley first walked there in July 1575.

The founder of Tesco stores, Sir Jack Cohen (1898 – 1979), was commemorated today (Thursday 16 April), with an English Heritage blue plaque at 91 Ashfield Street, Whitechapel, E1, where he lived as a child. The scale of Sir Jack's contribution to British retail culture is indisputable. His opportunistic and inventive approach to business won him phenomenal success, and the profile that the Tesco brand continues to enjoy today is testament to his acumen, energy and insight. The blue plaque was unveiled by current Tesco Chief Executive, Sir Terry Leahy, and Sir Jack's daughter, Dame Shirley Porter, will also attend the unveiling.

The Manchester home of the Victorian novelist Elizabeth Gaskell will be the subject of a major repair programme thanks in part to an English Heritage grant of more than £260,000. The grant allows for the repair of the roof to prevent leaking, repair of rotten windows and cracked walls as well as removing the dry rot which is eating its way through the house. These critical structural repairs will arrest the house's decay and ensure that it is weatherproofed.

English Heritage and IMG are delighted to present the 2009 summer picnic concerts at Kenwood House, London and Audley End, Saffron Walden.

It’s one of the most closely guarded secrets in the world – and now English Heritage staff at Mount Grace Priory are having a stab at unravelling a centuries old mystery.

The Cripps building, designed by Powell and Moya in the 1960s, has been listed at Grade II* by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, on the advice of English Heritage.

Dr George Scott Williamson (1884-1953) and Dr Innes Pearse (1889-1978), are to be commemorated (26th March 2009) with an English Heritage Blue Plaque at 142 Queen’s Road, Peckham, SE15, the building where they founded the Peckham Pioneer Health Centre. The plaque will be unveiled by Peter Frost, Chairman of the Peckham Society. Dr Margaret Pelling of the Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine, University of Oxford, will also attend the unveiling.

A bird which went the way of the Dodo has caused a flap by turning up in a English Heritage collection of stuffed animals at Brodsworth Hall, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

England has some 9,300 Conservation Areas, historic parts of cities, towns, suburbs and villages designated by local authorities to protect their special character. But what condition are they in? Are they cherished through a close partnership of council and residents? Or are they at risk from neglect, decay and inappropriate development?

A new Edwardian-inspired garden will open at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight this June. The Princess Beatrice garden which will include period plants, fruit trees and a fountain, celebrates the time when Queen Victoria’s daughter stayed at the castle in her role as Governor of the Isle of Wight. Princess Beatrice held this position from 1896 until her death in 1944.

English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation today (18 February 2009) announced 12 grants worth nearly £50,000 to help save England’s war memorials in need of conservation and repair. The grants are being made to local groups under a scheme that is run jointly with War Memorials Trust to ensure that vulnerable memorials continue to honour those who have died in conflict.

English Heritage has embarked on a project to contact all owners of sites that will be listed on our register as at risk to find out how we can best help. If you are the owner of a Building at Risk you would have been contacted when your site was added to the Buildings at Risk register

The English Heritage Education team is pleased to announce that a further six properties have been awarded prestigious Sandford Awards for the excellence of their education provision. The awards will be presented at an annual awards event in November.

Ground-breaking scientist, radical thinker and devoted family man – school children can discover more about the life of Charles Darwin, one of the most influential British people in history, in three new Darwin-themed Discovery Visits at Down House, the Darwin family home.