What are they and what do they involve?
A historic building or monument is a building or construction of some sort which has been of importance for a long time; the specifics can vary greatly, from being a residence of a significant historical figure to places such as windmills that are no longer in use. They often involve guided tours or exhibitions of interesting objects, and sometimes even historic re-enactments!
What are the benefits?
Visiting genuine historical buildings where people have lived and worked makes for a great accompaniment to classroom learning – forming physical links with the past and being able to use their imagination will be an excellent way of engaging students in learning.
What students is it suitable for?
There is a huge variety of historical buildings you can visit with your students, which means you can find a venue suitable for groups of all ages and interests!
Costs?
Admission prices will vary from being completely free up to over £10 per person depending on the venue; the larger the establishment and the more activities they have to offer, the more expensive access will be!
Safety Implications?
Any possible safety concerns will depend on the venue, and the variety of establishments mean that they will differ greatly! Consult with your destination of choice if you have any concerns.
Wordsworth House and Garden, in the Cumbrian town of Cockermouth, is the birthplace and childhood home of romantic poet William and his sister Dorothy.
It is presented as it would have been when they lived here with their parents, three brothers and servants in the 1770s.
Come and witness the three lives of the bunker starting with its role as an RAF ROTOR Station, then a brief period as a civil defence centre through to its most recent life as a Regional Government HQ.
Located on the site of a 17th century fort, Malone House was built in the 1820s for William Wallace Legge, a rich Belfast merchant who had inherited the surrounding land. A keen landscaper, he designed and planted most of the estate's grounds, which remain relatively unchanged today.
Nestled in the heart of rural Warwickshire, surrounded by elegant lakes and fine landscape gardens sits Farnborough Hall. Made from the locally quarryed Horton honey-coloured stone, this country house shimmers in the sunlight.
Houghton House today is the shell of a 17th century mansion commanding magnificent views, reputedly the inspiration for the ‘House Beautiful’ in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.
A short hop from central London by tube but a world apart. Stroll up the tree-lined drive, past the grazing Charolais cattle and you'd think you're in the country, not urban Hounslow.
Surrounded by gardens, park and farmland, Osterley is one of the last surviving country estates in London.
This 18th-century house has a small walled garden, and is situated on the banks of the River Thames.
Discover the story of the original Salisbury and take your students of any age for a day out to Old Sarum, two miles north of where the city stands now.
The mighty Iron Age hill fort was where the first cathedral once stood and the Romans, Normans and Saxons have all left their mark.
Originally 5 metres (16 feet) high and weighing some 16.75 tonnes, this is Cornwall's largest and heaviest prehistoric monolith.
This massive stone stands near the summit of the St Breock Downs, offering beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and across to the sea.
Remains of a grammar school for church choristers, founded in the mid-15th century by Ralph, Lord Cromwell, the builder of nearby Tattershall Castle (National Trust).
Tattershall College was built in 1460, four years after the death of its patron, Lord Cromwell, and was completed by William of Wainfleet, Bishop of Winchester.
A Bronze Age stone circle, the focus of many legends, set in dramatic moorland on Stapeley Hill. It once consisted of some 30 stones, 15 of which are still visible.
This 19th-century cross of Saxon design marks what is traditionally thought to have been the site of St Augustine's landing on the shores of England in AD 597. Accompanied by 30 followers, Augustine is said to have held a mass here before moving on.
Woodhenge is well worth a visit, especially if you are also heading to the nearby World Heritage Site of Stonehenge (located approximately 2 miles away).
Dating from 2300 BC, Woodhenge is thought to have marked a particular stage in the evolution of human religious belief and community organisation. This found a more permanent form in nearby Stonehenge.
The museum and art gallery at the birthplace of artist Thomas Gainsborough in Sudbury.
See Scottish literature come to life in this 18th-century thatched cottage in the heart of Kirkoswald, Ayr. The former home of cobbler – or souter – John Davidson, the real-life Souter Johnnie immortalised in the Robert Burns poem Tam o’ Shanter, it features a thatched tavern in the garden, complete with life-sized sandstone statues of the poem’s main characters.
Max Gate, an austere but sophisticated town house a short walk from the town centre of Dorchester, was the home of Dorset's most famous author and poet Thomas Hardy. Hardy, who designed the house in 1885, wanted to show that he was part of the wealthy middle classes of the area, to reflect his position as a successful writer, and to enable him to enter polite society.
Hidden in the quiet back streets of Chelsea is the home of Thomas and Jane Carlyle.
A twist of fate turned Carlyle into a star of the 19th-century literary world. Suddenly this was the place to be.
When you pull the bell to enter you will follow in the footsteps of Dickens, Ruskin, Tennyson and many more.
Explore the landscape and childhood home of famed local author Thomas Hardy.
Old Soar Manor is a small but nevertheless complete portion of stone manor house built c. 1290. Nestled in a remote position within the Kent countryside, on the edge of the picturesque North Downs, this rare survival of 13th century domestic architecture gives an illuminating impression of the life of a rich medieval family.
Few authors have such strong associations with the natural and cultural heritage of their local area as Thomas Hardy. This cottage, where Hardy was born in 1840, was built of cob and thatch by his grandfather and has been little altered since the family left.
Although a charter was granted to the town in 1705, following a petition citing the lack of local justice which stated "whereof the morall of the inhabitants are corrupt, and cavill and breach of the peace are frequent", it was not until 1813 when an order was placed with a Mr.Beard of Somerton to draw up plans for a Town Hall.
Visit Nash's House and the site of Shakespeare's last home at New Place, where he died in 1616.
The remains of a large and luxurious villa built around AD 250, with a bathhouse complex and possibly the shrine of a water spirit.
The villa at Great Witcombe is one of a group of large houses in the region and was constructed on the steep banks of Birdlip Hill below a line of springs.
Although once surrounded by farmland, this ancient manor house now stands amidst an industrial estate. Nevertheless, a leafy garden provides a fitting setting for the property, and visitors willing to brave the built-up surroundings are more than rewarded with a fine medieval building - which also includes fascinating traces of wall paintings in the first floor hall.
Also known as Number One London, Apsley House is one of the most interesting visitor attractions in London. Home to the Duke of Wellington after his victory over Napoleon at Waterloo, the interior of the house has changed very little since the days of the Iron Duke.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.