Heritage sites to visit this summer
Last updated: 22 July 2026
Since 1994, we’ve supported more than 53,000 heritage projects across the UK. With new openings made possible by our funding – such as the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, the UK’s only dedicated space of its kind – you're in the right place if you're planning your next day out.
Where will you visit?
Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
Where: Clerkenwell, London
Quentin Blake has brought to life countless stories by popular authors, including Roald Dahl and Dr Seuss. His work, which spans seven decades, now has a permanent home in Clerkenwell, London.
Our £3.9m grant has helped create three galleries to showcase the breadth of illustration, with regularly changing exhibitions and a community garden and public green space.
Plan your visit to the museum which is open Wednesday–Sunday.
Union Chapel
Where: Islington, London
The Sunday School Hall is within the Grade I listed Gothic Revival Union Chapel and was once used by Victorian children who couldn’t afford education. It’s one of the last remaining Akron plan halls – a scheme from the 19th century that designed buildings to house Sunday Schools.
With our grant of over £3.2m, the hall has been renovated and its 200-year-old collection including music, social justice and London history has been transformed into a catalogued archive.
To celebrate, this summer it’s hosting the Your Story Festival with free community celebrations, including performances, exhibitions and talks.
Museum of Youth Culture
Where: Camden, London
From mods and rockers to ravers and emos, the museum tells the story of 100 years of youth cultural history.
The space has three galleries that bring together photography, artefacts, audio, fashion and print, showing the evolution of British youth movements across the decades.
Visit the museum for free Wednesday–Sunday.
Commissioner's House, Chatham Historic Dockyard
Where: Chatham in Medway, Kent
Built in 1704 for Captain George St Lo, it has stood at the heart of the dockyard for more than three centuries.
Visitors can now explore the interiors of the house, including the Mars Crowning Neptune, a ceiling painting attributed to Highmore and Thornhill.
Plan your visit to the site, which is open daily throughout the summer.
St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark
Where: Newark, Nottinghamshire
The Grade I listed building in Nottinghamshire has been transformed into a vibrant community hub after restoration removed it from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.
Our investment of over £3.2m has protected the building for future generations, including conserving over 120 stained glass windows.
The church is open daily and offers guided tours taking visitors through more than 800 years of history.
Spurn Lightship
Where: Hull Marina, Hull
Built in 1927, the Spurn Lightship guided ships through the waters of the River Humber. It has now been restored as part of the Hull Maritime project, with new interpretation and displays that bring its full story to life.
We’ve invested over £18.5million in the Hull Maritime project to protect historic sites and share the city’s maritime heritage.
Book your free ticket to visit the Spurn Lightship in its new permanent home from Wednesday–Sunday.
Ripon Workhouse
Where: Ripon, North Yorkshire
Explore stories of poverty and welfare in Victorian England, located in the original Ripon Union Workhouse.
The museum offers activities for visitors to understand how people lived, worked and slept in the workhouse. This includes family trails, guided tours and even a chance of tasting gruel.
The museum is open daily for visits.
Tomb of the Eagles
Where: The cliffs of South Ronaldsay, Orkney
The Tomb of the Eagles has been a crucial part of the islands’ history for 5,000 years.
Our grant of £101,607 has helped South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust bring the site into community ownership. It has supported staffing and making the visitor centre accessible to all, including hands-on tour options, as well as opportunities to engage communities.
The archaeological site is open to the public daily.
Calanais Stones
Where: Isle of Lewis
The Calanais Standing Stones were erected between 2900 and 2600 BC and was an important place for ritual activity for at least 2,000 years.
The visitor centre is now open for a preview season ahead of its official launch later in the year. On site you can enjoy an exhibition, café and shop.
Book your ticket to the site open Monday–Saturday.
Annesley Walled Garden at Castlewellan Historic Demesne
Where: Castlewellan Forest Park, County Down
The 12-acre walled garden dates back to the 1850s. It’s one of Northern Ireland’s finest examples of a grand Victorian formal garden with collections of rare and exotic trees, shrubs and plants.
It’s part of the Castlewellan Historic Demesne project, which has used our grant of over £3m to protect and rejuvenate Castlewellan Forest Park, including restoring the arboretum which sits at the heart of the garden, adding 600 new trees to it.
Entry to Annesley Walled Garden is free and open daily.
Stori Brymbo
Where: Brymbo, Wrexham
The former steelworks in Brymbo has been transformed into the first live fossil excavation site, celebrating 314million years of history.
Visitors will go on a chronological journey through fossils to coal, iron to steel, industrial closure to renewal and reopening.
Plan your visit to the site, which is open Tuesday–Sunday.
Visit heritage throughout the summer
Which heritage attraction will you visit first? We’d love to see your trip. Tag us @HeritageFundUK on social media.
If you’re looking for more options, explore the projects we’ve funded.
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