Historical Properties

Greater London

• Buckingham Palace
  This neo-classical Palace has been the official Royal London residence since the reign of Queen Victoria Covent Garden:
• Houses of Parliament
  The spectacular neo-gothic style building was built to blend with the nearby Westminster Abbey St Paul's Cathedral: Designed by Christopher Wren, the cathedral houses the world's second largest dome, Whispering Gallery, spectacular paintings and fascinating crypt
• Kensington Palace
  has for public view State Apartments, the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection that includes outfits from the eighteenth -century to present day,
• Tower Bridge
  Provides panoramic views over the Thames
• Tower of London
  Probably the most famous castle in the world Today it houses the State Prison and the Crown Jewels
• Westminster Abbey
  A masterpiece of Gothic architecture founded in 1065 It is the site for Coronations and Royal Weddings

the Southern Region

• Arundel Castle
  The ancestral home of the Dukes of Norfolk (Havant)
• Bodiam Castle
  The impressive remains of the chapel halls chambers and kitchen (Ash ford/Canterbury)
• Dover Castle and Hellfire Corner
  Norman castle with a keep 242 foot deep well original walls and towers (Dover)
• Hampton Court Palace
  A spectacular 16th century Royal Palace (Croydon)
• Hatfield House
  A great Jacobean mansion where Elizabeth I spent much of her childhood (South Mimms)
• Hever Castle
  A 13th Century castle. childhood home of Ann Boleyn (Croydon)
• Ightham Mote
  Noted for its medieval architecture (Maidstone/Sevenoaks)

the South West

• Broadlands
  Famous as the home of the late Lord Mountbatten (Portsmouth/Fareham)
• Buckfast Abbey
  On the edge of picturesque Dartmoor (Plymouth)
• Dunster Castle
  adapted 17th-century house with original fine oak staircase. Attractive parkland in which to have a pleasurable stroll.
• Fishbourne- Roman Palace
  The largest of its kind in Great Britain (Havant)
• Lacock Abbey
  The abbey is set in a carefully preserved village of 14th 18th century houses (Swindon)
• Tintagel Castle
  Impressive ruins The birthplace and home of King Arthur and his knights (Plymouth)

the Northern Home Counties

• Berkeley Castle
  The castle is famous as the site where Edward II was murdered It has a Norman Keep. a Great Hall and some splendid apartments (Gloucester)
• Hughenden Manor
  Benjamin Disraeli later Earl of Beaconsfield and twice Prime Minister, bought the house in 1847 and lived there until his death (High Wycombe)
• Ludlow Castle
  Includes a range of impressive buildings, from the circular nave of the Norman Chapel to an unusually complete range of medieval buildings (Walsall) www.ludlowcastle.com
• Ragley Hall - Alcester
  Set in 400 acres of beautiful parkland and gardens, this Great Hall contains some of England's finest Baroque plaster work (Birmingham)
• Sudeley Castle and Garden
  This was once the home of Katherine Parr, the only surviving wife of King Henry VIII. The Castle estate is set in 1200 acres of 10 award winning gardens. Set against the beautiful Cotswold hills, it is regarded as one of England's most romantic castles. Partial

East Anglia

• Audley End House and Park
  A 17th century house which boasts rooms decorated by Robert Adam, a magnificent Jacobean Great Hall and a gothic chapel (Stevenage) - Essex Partial
• Blickling Hall
  This early 17th century house has many impressive state rooms and its collection of paintings includes a Canaletto (Norwich)
• Cambridge University Botanical Gardens
  Founded in the 18th century, the gardens cover 40 acres and feature sub-tropical and tropical plants, nine national collections as well as a lake, woodland and a rock garden (Cambridge)
• Castle Acre Priory
  The priory was once the home of 25 monks but fell into ruin in the 16th century Nevertheless, the arcaded west front of the priory still remains, as do the chapel and gatehouse (Norwich)
• Felbrigg Hall
  The Hall contains its original 18th-century furniture and Great Tour paintings an enclosed garden homes a dovecote for 2,000 birds and the grounds also accommodate an orangery. There are beautiful walks to the church and lake, and through the woods. Partial
• Framlingham Castle
  Built between the 12th and 13th centuries the castle has fine curtain walls 13 towers and an array of Tudor chimneys (Ipswich)
• Kentwell Hall - Long Melford
  A fine 16th century mansion with a restored Great Kitchen, bakery and dairy (Ipswich)
• Knebworth House
  Previous home of the author of the words "The pen is mightier than the sword" Edward Bulwer Lytton Victorian novelist. Beautiful gothic mansion is situated 29 miles north of London off the A1(M) at Stevenage. An historic building with guided tours and an adventure playground. As an historic building, the House regrettably has no lift to the first floor. However, Knebworth's history can be conveyed to visitors with impaired mobility on the ground floor.
• Knebworth House and Gardens
  This Tudor manor features a superb Jacobean Great Hall and an exhibition about the British Raj The park contains a maze, miniature railway, adventure playground and deer park (Stevenage)
• Lavenham Guildhall
  This early 16th century timber-framed Tudor building contains a display of local history, industry and farming (Colchester)
• Sandringham House, Grounds, Museum & Country Park
  The private country retreat of Her Majesty The Queen has been home to four generations of monarchs Its museum houses a fascinating collection of Royal motorcars and memorabilia (Norwich)
• Sudbury - Gainsborough's House
  This Georgian house displays more of the artist's work than any other gallery, together with 18th century furniture and memorabilia (Colchester)
• Wimpole Hall
  One of the grandest mansions in East Anglia, its 360 acres of parkland were devised in part by Capability Brown and inside there an important architectural works by James Gibbs and Sir John Soane (Stevenage)

the West Midlands

• Althorp House
  Belonging to the Spencer family since 1508, the house contains a magnificent collection of pictures, furniture and china (Rugby/Northampton)
• Ann Hathaway's Cottage
  This 12-roomed thatched Tudor farmhouse now shows many aspects of domestic life in 16th century England (Coventry)
• Rockingham Castle
  Built by William the Conqueror The outline curtain wall and the foundations of the Norman Hall, Twin Towers and the Gatehouse still remain (Rugby/Northampton)
• Stanford Hall - Swinford
  A beautiful house, containing a large collection of paintings, antique furniture and family costumes (Coventry)
• Warwick Castle
  Brings to life more than a thousand years of English history (Coventry)

the East Midlands

• Belton House Park and Gardens
  A perfect country house boasting a spectacular marble hall as its centrepiece (Nottingham )
• Belvoir Castle
  This castles turrets battlements towers and pinnacles are a 19th century fantasy (Nottingham /Derby/Burton)
• Galleries of Justice
  A themed attraction allowing you to travel through three centuries of crime and punishment.
• Hardwick Hall
  A fine Elizabethan mansion created by Bess of Hardwick remarkable for its vast windows tapestries and fine collections
• Newstead Abbey
  The ghostly legend of this beautiful house was made famous by the poet Lord Byron who once lived there (Nottingham hotels)
• Tamworth Castle
  Surrounded by floral terraces and pleasure grounds the castle hosts a mixture of Norman Tudor Jacobean and early 19th century architecture (Derby/Burton)

Yorkshire

• Bramham Park – Near Wetherby
  A fine Queen Anne house surrounded by spectacular gardens (York)
• Castle Howard - Malton
  A beautiful 18th century palace set against a dramatic backdrop of lakes fountains and extensive gardens It was the main location for the TV series 'Brideshead Revisited (York)
• Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal
  Founded by Cistercian monks in 1132. this is the largest monastic ruin in the UK (Bramhope)
• Kirkstall Abbey & House Museum
  The 12th century Cistercian Abbey holds a major folk museum with Victorian shops, workshops and cottages (Leeds)
• Knaresborough Castle - North Yorkshire
  The remains of a beautiful 14th century castle once the hiding place of St Thomas Becket's murderers (York)
• Piece Hall - Halifax
  A unique hall built in 1779 now housing a museum and many craft shops (Leeds/Bnghouse)
• Rievaulx Abbey - Near Helmsley
  The remains of a once prosperous abbey surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in England (Teesside)

the North East

• Alnwick Castle and Garden Northumberland
  This medieval castle has a variety of attractions including dungeons battle relics paintings fine furniture and a collection of Meissen china. The garden is imaginative and unique with impressive water falls and all the glory an 18th century garden (Newcastle upon Tyne)
• Bamburgh Castle
  Rising up dramatically on a rocky outcrop Bamburgh Castle is a huge square Norman castle (Newcastle upon Tyne) Barnard Castle Co Durham: A ruined castle overlooking the river Tees and built in 1125 (Teesside)
• Barnard Castle
  Located in Teesdale, a beautiful unspoilt world in County Durham, Land of the Prince Bishops. A world of waterfalls, wooded valleys, open moors, magnificent views of picturesque villages this romantic castle gives opportunity for a relaxing day out.
• Carlisle Castle
  This medieval castle where Mary Queen of Scots was once imprisoned has a long history of warfare and feuding (Carlisle)
• Holker Hall & Gardens Cumbria
  Dating from the 16th century Holker Hall has a fine furniture collection and is home to the Lakeland Motor Museum with over 80 vintage cars (Lancaster)
• Lancaster Castle
  Originally founded in Roman times the castle was gradually developed over the centuries (Lancaster)
• Wordsworth House
  William Wordsworth was born here on 7th April 1770 and happy memories of the house had a great effect on his work (Carlisle)

Wales

• Cardiff Castle
  History spans more than 2 000 years at Cardiff Castle Explore its Roman and medieval remains the Norman Keep and neo-Gothic Banqueting Hall (Cardiff hotels)
• Oystermouth Castle Mumbles
  This atmospheric castle was visited by King Edward 1 n 1284 it now plays host to touring companies presenting operd and Shakespeare (Cardiff/Swansea)
• Penrhyn Castle
  This dramatic neo-Norman fantasy castle is packed with fascinating things such as a one-ton slate bed made for Queen Victoria. The castle contains an impressive collection of paintings. The stable block homes an industrial railway museum, a countryside exhibition, a railway model museum and a superb dolls museum displaying a large collection of 19th- and 20th-century dolls. Set in 45 acres of grounds which is made up of parkland, an extensive exotic tree and shrub collection and a Victorian walled garden

Northern Ireland

• City Hall - Donegal Square Belfast
  An interesting, 45 minute tour takes in the highlights of this impressive neo-classical building (Belfast)

the Irish Republic

• Merrion Square
  Dublin's finest remaining Georgian square - once home to poet WB Yeats At weekends artists sell their wares from its centre (Dublin)
• The Custom House
  Built by Gandon in 1791, this is one of Dublin's finest Georgian masterpieces - best viewed from the. Matt Talbot Bridge (Dublin)