A selection of summer events in some of England’s historic landmarks
There are hundreds of events happening over the summer at English Heritage locations around the country, celebrating history in different ways. Here you’ll find a number of recommended events for you to check out, from medieval jousting shows, to travelling storytellers to a World War II weekend. Ideal family days out for over the summer holidays in England.
Date: 29th – 30th July
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 11am – 5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Feel the heat of this fiery contest at Tynemouth Priory & Castle as rival knights show their prowess at archery and swordsmanship. Brandishing blades and bows they’ll face each other in a test of strength and skill. Explore the medieval encampment guided by the smell of fire-cooked food and the sound of merry music. Let the little ones show off their bravery with knight’s battle drills out on the field. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £1.60
English Heritage Member Price (Child): 60p
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £3.40
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £1
Non Member Price (Adult): £7.10
Non Member Price (Child): £4.90
Non Member Price (Family): £19.50
Non Member Price (Concession): £6.50
Date: 29th – 30th July
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 11am – 5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Experience this all-action contest as four teams of knights battle it out for victory armed only with clubs and shields, strength and skill. In this adrenaline-fuelled combat, only one team will triumph. Soak up the atmosphere in the medieval encampment as food cooks over an open fire, colourful banners flutter and the musicians play. There are battle drills for budding young knights so that they can also enjoy a moment of triumph. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £2
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £1.10
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £5.10
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £1.80
Non Member Price (Adult): £9.10
Non Member Price (Child): £5.40
Non Member Price (Family): £23.60
Non Member Price (Concession): £8.20
Date: 29th – 30th July
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 10.30am – 5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Feel the heat of the contest as our two magnificent knights on horseback clash at Framlingham Castle’s Joust. Pick your side and cheer on your hero in this thundering battle of bravery and honour. Soak up the medieval way of life in the colourful encampment and be entertained by musicians – an action-packed day out for all the family! his event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £1.50
English Heritage Member Price (Child): 50p
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £3.50
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £1.20
Non Member Price (Adult): £10.90
Non Member Price (Child): £6.50
Non Member Price (Family): £28.30
Non Member Price (Concession): £9.80
Date: 1st August – 2nd August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 11am-5pm
Buy tickets for this event before 3pm on Friday 28 July and receive 10% off! Experience a spectacle of speed and skill as four of the most masterful knights in the kingdom, mounted on their magnificent steeds, battle for good or evil. Choose your champion and see who is victorious in this colourful display of chivalry and courage. Surround yourself in pageantry and marvel at falcons in flight. The living history encampments will take you back in time, where you’ll be kept entertained by the court jester and merry musicians. Budding knights can enjoy their own hero moment as they test their bravery in the hobby-horse jousting. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £3.20
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £1.90
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £8.30
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £2.90
Non Member Price (Adult): £11.60
Non Member Price (Child): £6.90
Non Member Price (Family): £30.10
Non Member Price (Concession): £10.50
Date: 8th – 10th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 11am – 5pm
Classic Arthurian entertainment comes to Tintagel as our troupe of performers bring the legends to life with fun-filled shows throughout the castle grounds.
Non Member Price (Adult): £8.40
Non Member Price (Child): £5
Non Member Price (Family): £21.80
Non Member Price (Concession): £7.60
Date: 8th – 9th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 11am – 5pm
Buy tickets for this event before 3pm on Friday 4 August and receive 10% off! Experience a spectacle of speed and skill as four of the most masterful knights in the kingdom, mounted on their magnificent steeds, battle for good or evil. Choose your champion and see who is victorious in this colourful display of chivalry and courage. Surround yourself in pageantry and marvel at falcons in flight. The living history encampments will take you back in time, where you’ll be kept entertained by the court jester and merry musicians. Budding knights can enjoy their own hero moment as they test their bravery in the hobby-horse jousting. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £3.20
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £1.90
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £8.30
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £2.90
Non Member Price (Adult): £11.60
Non Member Price (Child): £6.90
Non Member Price (Family): £30.10
Non Member Price (Concession): £10.50
Date: 8th – 10th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 10am-5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Chain-mailed and adrenaline-fuelled, massed ranks of armoured knights meet head on. Feel the heat of the battle as four teams fight with clubs and shields in this contest of skill and strength. Tensions will rise, alliances will be made and broken but only one team will triumph. Revel in the atmosphere of the encampment as it buzzes with the activity of everyday medieval life. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £2
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £1.50
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £4.50
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £1.80
Non Member Price (Adult): £11.40
Non Member Price (Child): £7.10
Non Member Price (Family): £28.90
Non Member Price (Concession): £10.30
Date: 12th – 13th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 10am-5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Witness the spectacular medieval art of jousting at the castle’s first ever tournament. Experience a spectacle of speed and skill as four of the most masterful knights in the kingdom, mounted on their magnificent steeds, battle for good or evil. Choose your champion and see who is victorious in this colourful display of chivalry and courage. Surround yourself in pageantry and marvel at falcons in flight. The living history encampments will take you back in time, where you’ll be kept entertained by the court jester and merry musicians. Budding knights can enjoy their own hero moment as they test their bravery in the hobby-horse jousting.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £3
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £2.60
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £6.10
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £2.80
Non Member Price (Adult): £22.40
Non Member Price (Child): £14.20
Non Member Price (Family): £56.50
Non Member Price (Concession): £20.30
Date: 12th – 13th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 10:30-5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Chain-mailed and adrenalin-fuelled, massed ranks of armoured knights meet head on. Feel the heat of the battle as four teams fight with clubs and shields in this contest of skill and strength. Tensions will rise, alliances will be made and broken but only one team will triumph. Revel in the atmosphere of the encampment as it buzzes with the activity of everyday medieval life. Enjoy merry music while your budding young knights test their bravery on the field and burn off energy in battle drills. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £1.50
English Heritage Member Price (Child): 50p
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £3.50
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £1.20
Non Member Price (Adult): £10.90
Non Member Price (Child): £6.50
Non Member Price (Family): £28.30
Non Member Price (Concession): £9.80
Date: 15th – 17th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 10am – 5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! This is the joust to end all jousts. Four of the most skilful knights in the Kingdom, mounted on their magnificent steeds, battle for love or eternal sorrow. Good or evil; who will triumph? Marvel as an ultimate display of chivalry determines the victor of this medieval spectacular. Marvel at the falcons in flight and discover medieval life in the living history encampments. Step back in time and experience an epic tournament full of rich pageantry and excitement. Budding knights can test their bravery in the hobby-horse jousting, while the court jester and merry musicians set the scene for a spectacular day.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £2.50
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £2
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £5
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £2.30
Non Member Price (Adult): £11.90
Non Member Price (Child): £7.60
Non Member Price (Family): £29.40
Non Member Price (Concession): £10.80
Date: 15th – 16th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 11am – 5pm
Buy tickets for this event before 3pm on Friday 11 August and receive 10% off! Experience a spectacle of speed and skill as four of the most masterful knights in the kingdom, mounted on their magnificent steeds, battle for good or evil. Choose your champion and see who is victorious in this colourful display of chivalry and courage. Surround yourself in pageantry and marvel at falcons in flight. The living history encampments will take you back in time, where you’ll be kept entertained by the court jester and merry musicians. Budding knights can enjoy their own hero moment as they test their bravery in the hobby-horse jousting. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £3.20
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £1.90
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £8.30
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £2.90
Non Member Price (Adult): £11.60
Non Member Price (Child): £6.90
Non Member Price (Family): £30.10
Non Member Price (Concession): £10.50
Date: 17th – 20th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 11am & 6pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Roll up! Roll up! Fairytale acrobatic theatre company Nicole & Martin are in town. They travel the world in wooden wagons, pitching their magical tent on village greens and theatre lawns, and captivating audiences of all ages with their theatrical tales. We are thrilled to welcome them to Whitby Abbey this summer. Inside the glowing tent, stories, music and acrobats swirl around you. Familiar tales jump irresistibly to life into truly unique, enchanting, virtuoso masterpieces with Nicole & Martin’s unmistakable style. Four award-winning shows combine theatre, music, song, dance, juggling, acrobatics and laughter. For the whole family, adults and teenagers too! Oh and they’ll serve you French crêpes, brownies, and Italian coffee. Choose which performance to attend and book today – limited seating available. Don’t miss out! Thursday 17 August 6pmThe Girl With No HandsOne morning a king sees a maiden in his garden eating a pear from his favourite tree. She has lost everything, even her own hands, due to a terrible pact that her very foolish father made with the devil. The pact signed and sealed, how will the girl manage to overcome it? This amazing story is told with breathtaking skill, humour and beauty…and a tightrope. Witness genuine theatrical magic. Suitable for families with over 5’s. Friday 18 August 6pmIron JohnNicole & Martin and their children’s remarkable interpretation of Grimm’s tale of initiation is the latest production from this extraordinary theatrical family. A young prince is the only one bold enough to approach the wild man in the forest, Iron John. In return, Iron John will teach him things he will need for his quest. Come and follow the young prince on his adventurous and acrobatic-strewn path towards becoming a man. Armed with loads of instruments, an aerial hoop, and a whole fantastic bag of tricks. Suitable for families with over 5’s. Saturday 19 August 6pmThe Fisherman and His WifeThe fisherman sits and waits for a fish to bite. To his amazement the fish that he catches is an enchanted one: one that grants wishes. What would you wish for? Nicole & Martin conjure up a glorious play out of a single wooden box: the ocean, the long table in the castle, an emperor’s finery and even the sun itself. This lively and popular show is a rollercoaster theatrical journey from one wish to the next, until the biggest wish of them all… Suitable for families with over 5’s. Sunday 20 August 11amThe Bremen Town MusiciansA donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster are old and no longer useful to their master. A sad end seems to be unavoidable. Huh? No way! Instead, the four animals decide to escape – and off they go towards Bremen where they plan to start a new life as town musicians. But will they ever reach it? And how will Nicole and Martin manage to play 8 characters all at once? This show is for the whole family, including infants and under 5’s. All shows by Nicole & Martin are based on tales from Grimm. All shows are approximately 70 minutes with no interval, apart from The Musicians of Bremen which is 60 minutes. Capacity for the shows is 330 spaces on low benches, plus 4 wheelchair spaces.
Reviews: “Top 20 un-missable shows…magical…..ingenious … accomplished…compelling… incredible virtuosity…” – The List
“Humour, music and eye-popping acrobatics that leave the audience wide-eyed with wonder…..” – The Scotsman
“Opulent in imagination and wonderful spectacle. As performers they are irresistible.” – The Times
“Their retelling of classic fairy tales have a mesmeric effect on children and adults alike.” – Inverness Courier
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £11
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £4
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £26
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £9
Non Member Price (Adult): £12
Non Member Price (Child): £5
Non Member Price (Family): £30
Non Member Price (Concession): £10
Date: 19th – 20th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 11am – 5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Feel the heat of this fiery contest as rival knights show their prowess at archery and swordmanship. Brandishing blades and bows, they’ll face each other in a test of strength and skill. Explore the medieval encampment guided by the smell of fire-cooked food and the sound of merry music. Let the little ones show off their bravery with knight’s battle drills out on the field. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £1.50
English Heritage Member Price (Child): 80p
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £3.80
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £1.35
Non Member Price (Adult): £9.10
Non Member Price (Child): £5.40
Non Member Price (Family): £23.60
Non Member Price (Concession): £8.15
Date: 22nd – 24th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 10am-5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! This is the joust to end all jousts. Four of the most skilful knights in the Kingdom, mounted on their magnificent steeds, battle for love or eternal sorrow. Good or evil; who will triumph? Marvel as an ultimate display of chivalry determines the victor of this medieval spectacular. Marvel at the falcons in flight and discover medieval life in the living history encampments. Step back in time and experience an epic tournament full of rich pageantry and excitement. Budding knights can test their bravery in the hobby-horse jousting, while the court jester and merry musicians set the scene for a spectacular day.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £2.50
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £2
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £5
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £2.30
Non Member Price (Adult): £11.90
Non Member Price (Child): £7.60
Non Member Price (Family): £29.40
Non Member Price (Concession): £10.80
Date: 25th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 6pm
Roll up! Roll up! Fairytale acrobatic theatre company Nicole & Martin are in town. They travel the world in wooden wagons, pitching their magical tent on village greens and theatre lawns, and captivating audiences of all ages with their theatrical tales. We are thrilled to welcome them to Kenilworth Castle this summer. Inside the glowing tent, stories, music and acrobats swirl around you. Familiar tales jump irresistibly to life into truly unique, enchanting, virtuoso masterpieces with Nicole & Martin’s unmistakable style. Award-winning shows combine theatre, music, song, dance, juggling, acrobatics and laughter. For the whole family, adults and teenagers too! Oh and they’ll serve you French crêpes, brownies, and Italian coffee. The Girl Without Hands One morning a king sees a maiden in his garden eating a pear from his favourite tree. She has lost everything, even her own hands, due to a terrible pact that her very foolish father made with the devil. The pact signed and sealed, how will the girl manage to overcome it? This amazing story is told with breathtaking skill, humour and beauty. And a tightrope. Witness genuine theatrical magic. Pure joy! Suitable for families with over 5’s. Show is 70 minutes with no interval.
Non Member Price (Adult): £14
Non Member Price (Child): £9
Non Member Price (Concession): £14
Date: 26th – 28th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 11am – 5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! This August Bank Holiday at Belsay Hall, Castle & Gardens in Northumberland you will feel the heat of this fiery contest as rival knights show their prowess at archery and swordsmanship. Brandishing blades and bows they’ll face each other in a test of strength and skill. Explore the medieval encampment guided by the smell of fire-cooked food and the sound of merry music. Let the little ones show off their bravery with knight’s battle drills out on the field. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £1.50
English Heritage Member Price (Child): 50p
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £3
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £1
Non Member Price (Adult): £10.70
Non Member Price (Child): £7
Non Member Price (Family): £27
Non Member Price (Concession): £9.80
Date: 26th – 28th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 10am-5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Join us on an action-packed adventure through history. From ‘What the Romans Did for Us’ to Medieval encampments. With Napoleonic soldiers, Tudor Music, Henry VIII and anti-aircraft gun drills, discover the castle’s past from the Romans to the 20th Century in an incredible bank holiday journey through time.
Non Member Price (Adult): £19.40
Non Member Price (Child): £11.60
Non Member Price (Family): £50.40
Non Member Price (Concession): £17.50
Date: 27th – 28th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 10:30am-5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Get ready to take cover as this explosive action packed bank holiday weekend propels you into wartime Britain. From the Trooper of the D-Day landings to the kitchen maid dishing out meagre wartime rations, prepare yourself as you’re drawn into the theatre of war at Station 43. Fall into step as we teach you how to be a soldier, put on your dancing shoes for 1940s music, fashion and food, dig for victory and be blown away at the spectacle of the explosive wartime assault. From the sadness and injury of the battlefield to the make-do-and-mend lifestyle of the homefront, we’ll tell the stories behind the battles that shaped the world as we know it.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £2.50
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £1.90
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £6.40
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £2.10
Non Member Price (Adult): £20
Non Member Price (Child): £12.40
Non Member Price (Family): £52.40
Non Member Price (Concession): £17.90
Date: 27th – 28th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 11am-5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Experience a spectacle of speed and skill as four of the most masterful knights in the kingdom, mounted on their magnificent steeds, battle for good or evil. Choose your champion and see who is victorious in this colourful display of chivalry and courage. Surround yourself in pageantry and marvel at falcons in flight. The living history encampments will take you back in time, where you’ll be kept entertained by the court jester and merry musicians. Budding knights can enjoy their own hero moment as they test their bravery in the hobby-horse jousting. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £2.75
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £1.65
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £7.15
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £2.50
Non Member Price (Adult): £7.55
Non Member Price (Child): £4.55
Non Member Price (Family): £19.65
Non Member Price (Concession): £6.80
Date: 27th – 28th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 10:30am-5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Feel the heat of the contest as magnificent knights on horseback clash at the greatest event of medieval England. Cheer on your favourite in this thundering battle of bravery and honour. Soak up the medieval way of life in the colourful encampments and be entertained by the naughty court jester while your budding young knights test their strength in the field. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £3.50
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £2.10
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £9.10
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £3.10
Non Member Price (Adult): £14.30
Non Member Price (Child): £8.60
Non Member Price (Family): £37.20
Non Member Price (Concession): £12.80
Date: 27th – 28th August
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 11am-5pm
Buy tickets for this event online today and receive 10% off! Experience this all-action contest as four teams of knights battle it out for victory armed only with clubs and shields, strength and skill. In this adrenalin-fuelled combat only one team will triumph. Soak up the atmosphere in the medieval encampment as food cooks over an open fire, colourful banners flutter and the musicians play. There are battle drills for budding young knights so that they can also enjoy a moment of triumph. This event is part of our Medieval Knights Season.
English Heritage Member Price (Adult): £2.50
English Heritage Member Price (Child): £1.50
English Heritage Member Price (Family): £6.50
English Heritage Member Price (Concession): £2.25
Non Member Price (Adult): £13.20
Non Member Price (Child): £7.75
Non Member Price (Family): £34.15
Non Member Price (Concession): £11.85
Date: 31st August – 3rd September
Suitable For: Everyone
Times: 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Roll up! Roll up! Fairytale acrobatic theatre company Nicole & Martin are in town. They travel the world in wooden wagons, pitching their magical tent on village greens and theatre lawns, and captivating audiences of all ages with their theatrical tales. We are thrilled to welcome them to Walmer Castle this summer. Inside the glowing tent, stories, music and acrobats swirl around you. Familiar tales jump irresistibly to life into truly unique, enchanting, virtuoso masterpieces with Nicole & Martin’s unmistakable style.
Four award-winning shows combine theatre, music, song, dance, juggling, acrobatics and laughter. For the whole family, adults and teenagers too! Oh and they’ll serve you French crêpes, brownies, and Italian coffee. Choose which performance to attend and book today – limited seating available. Don’t miss out!
Thursday 31st August, 6.30pm The Girl without Hands (70 minutes, aged 5+) One morning a king sees a maiden in his garden eating a pear from his favourite tree. She has lost everything, even her own hands, due to a terrible pact that her very foolish father made with the devil. The pact signed and sealed, how will the girl manage to overcome it? This amazing story is told with breathtaking skill, humour and beauty…and a tightrope. Witness genuine theatrical magic.
Friday 1st September, 6.30pm Iron John (70 minutes, aged 5+)Nicole & Martin and their children’s remarkable interpretation of Grimm’s tale of initiation is the latest production from this extraordinary theatrical family. A young prince is the only one bold enough to approach the wild man in the forest, Iron John. In return, Iron John will teach him things he will need for his quest. Come and follow the young prince on his adventurous and acrobatic-strewn path towards becoming a man. Armed with loads of instruments, an aerial hoop, and a whole fantastic bag of tricks.
Saturday 2nd September, 6.30pm Fisherman and His Wife (70 minutes, aged 5+) The fisherman sits and waits for a fish to bite. To his amazement the fish that he catches is an enchanted one: one that grants wishes. What would you wish for? Nicole & Martin conjure up a glorious play out of a single wooden box: the ocean, the long table in the castle, an emperor’s finery and even the sun itself. This lively and popular show is a rollercoaster theatrical journey from one wish to the next, until the biggest wish of them all…
Sunday 3rd September, 11am The Musicians of Bremen (60 minutes, all ages) A donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster are old and no longer useful to their master. A sad end seems to be unavoidable. Huh? No way! Instead, the four animals decide to escape – and off they go towards Bremen where they plan to start a new life as town musicians. But will they ever reach it? And how will Nicole and Martin manage to play 8 characters all at once?
Capacity for the shows is 330 spaces on low benches, plus 4 wheelchair spaces.
Non Member Price (Adult): £14
Non Member Price (Child): £9
Non Member Price (Concession): £14
Thinking about becoming a member of English Heritage? As you can see, there are some fantastic savings to be made at many locations around England.
As a GO Customer you can get 20% off an English Heritage Membership. Visit http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join and use code GO20 at the checkout