Housing history
Climb the same cathedral steps that witnessed the murder of former Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170 and explore the very rooms in which King Charles I was imprisoned during the Civil War. These are just some of the group experiences that Kerry Bailey discovers in our round up of significant cathedrals and castles in the UK.
The UK is full of castles and cathedrals that house fascinating histories spanning hundreds of years. From the ruins of Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire – where Lord Robert Dudley entertained Queen Elizabeth I at the expense of £1000 per day in 1575 – to Battle Abbey in Sussex, where the bloody Battle of 1066 took place, every building has its own story to tell.
Groups can often pre-book exclusive talks and tours at many of these historic venues, allowing your members the opportunity to step behind the doors and barriers marked ‘private’ for a real behind-the-scenes glimpse into history.
Places of worship
Whether your interest is religious, historic, architectural or you just want a glimpse of a traditional cathedral cat, there are plenty of cathedrals and abbeys around the UK to choose from.
Providing the setting for every coronation since 1066 and housing the tombs of countless kings and queens is Westminster Abbey in London. Of particular interest is The Museum, which is located in a vaulted undercroft in the oldest part of the Abbey. Here, groups can see several royal funeral effigies including that of Elizabeth I as well as the shield of Henry V and Mary II’s coronation chair. For a guided tour, groups are advised to pre-book the services of a Blue Badge Guide. Discounts are offered to groups on admission.
Important services throughout history have been held at the nearby St. Paul’s Cathedral, meanwhile, including the funerals of Lord Admiral Nelson and Sir Winston Churchill and the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales. On visiting, groups are offered discounted admission and can make use of an audio tour for a small supplementary charge. Guided tours of the Cathedral and Crypt, lasting one to two hours, are also available when pre-booked.
Moving into Kent, Canterbury Cathedral has stood overlooking the city since 597 and has been the scene of various significant events in history including the murder of Archbishop Thomas Beckett in 1170. Since then, people from all over the world have made pilgrimages to the Cathedral with groups, in particular, able to enjoy discounted admission and behind-the-scenes guided tours. These can include a visit to The Stained Glass Studio, to see where the Cathedral’s stained glass is restored, as well as the opportunity to watch the resident stonemasons at work.
GTOs can also take advantage of a combined ticket that offers entry to both Canterbury Cathedral and the nearby St. Augustine’s Abbey, an English Heritage property. Also built in 597, visitors can enjoy a free audio tour on visiting that details the lives of monks who have lived at the Abbey throughout history.
Groups can see where one of the most famous battles in England took place, The Battle of Hastings in 1066, at English Heritage’s Battle Abbey in East Sussex. February saw the opening of a brand new £2.3 million visitor centre, where groups can enjoy a film that examines the political events leading up to the battle in addition to viewing weapons and chain mail armour of that era. Groups of 11 or more receive discounted admission.
Travelling west to Salisbury, meanwhile, Salisbury Cathedral dates back to 1220 and offers a variety of exclusive options for groups. New for 2007 are private evening tours where your members can enjoy a guided tour of the Cathedral after hours, dinner in the Rectory Restaurant and a private organ demonstration. Pre-booked groups receive discounted entry.
Rumoured to be haunted by the ghost of former resident Sir Francis Drake, meanwhile, is Buckland Abbey, the National Trust property in Devon. Groups are offered discounted admission and the option of an out- of-hours guided tour.
Moving to Exeter, parts of Exeter Cathedral date back to the 12th century and groups are offered a free pre-booked guided tour on visiting, during which you may be lucky enough to see Pumpkin, the Cathedral’s notorious resident cat! Discounts on admission are offered when pre-booked.
The National Trust’s Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire is also worth a visit. Built in 1232, the structure’s medieval cloisters and monastic rooms have remained largely intact and have provided the setting for several recent film productions including ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Groups are offered discounted entry.
The services of a guide are also free at Gloucester Cathedral when pre-booked, where groups can climb the 269 steps to the top of The Tower. Entry is free; however, a small donation is expected.
A little further north in Herefordshire, Hereford Cathedral has recently unveiled a new set of stained glass windows that commemorate the life of the 17th century poet and clergyman Thomas Traherne of Hereford. Pre-booked guided tours are offered for a small charge and can be tailor-made to suit the interests of your members.
Travelling to Bedfordshire, Woburn Abbey has introduced two new guided tours exclusively for groups this year. The ‘Ladies of Woburn’ tour looks at women who have lived at the Abbey throughout history whilst the ‘Woburn in the 17th Century’ tour allows groups to step inside the very same rooms that confined Charles I during the Civil War. Groups are offered discounted entry.
Heading to Coventry, groups can visit the ruins of the old cathedral, which suffered extensive bombing during World War II, in addition to the new Coventry Cathedral that was built to replace it in 1962. Three themed guided tours are available when pre-booked, ‘History’, ‘Architecture’ and ‘Reconciliation’, which focuses on the Cathedral’s contribution to various peace efforts worldwide. Entry is free and GTOs can arrange various meal packages. Also of interest are the ruins of Priory Church, built in 1040, which are also known as Coventry’s ‘third cathedral’ and were excavated by Channel 4’s ‘Time Team’ in 2001. The ruins are located beneath the Cathedral’s offices and are free to enter.
Further north and dating back to the 13th century is Lincoln Cathedral, which groups may recognise from the recent film adaptation of ‘The da Vinci Code’. Groups of 12 or more are welcomed with discounted admission and a variety of guided tours are also available when pre-booked.
Heading into Yorkshire, York Minster towers above the historic city of York. On visiting, groups can climb the 275 steps of The Tower or, alternatively, travel down into the undercroft to take an audio tour for a supplementary charge. Pre-booked guided tours are available and groups receive discounted admission.
Not far from here, the National Trust’s Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, near Ripon, was built in 1132 and is one of the most complete Cistercian monasteries in the UK today. Groups receive discounted admission and can pre-book exclusive floodlit evening tours.
Further north, Durham Cathedral has welcomed pilgrims for more than 900 years. Although entry is free, a donation is expected and groups can pre-book a series of out-of-hours tours for a small supplementary charge.
Classic castles
The UK’s landscape is awash with historic castles for your group to discover.
Encapsulating more than 900 years of history is Windsor Castle, the official weekend home of the Queen. On visiting, groups are able to peruse the State Apartments and view paintings, porcelain, sculpture and textiles from the Royal Collection in addition to paying a visit to St. George’s Chapel in the grounds, where the Queen Mother is buried. Groups of 15 or more are offered discounted admission as well as exclusive pre-booked ‘Evening Tours’. The ‘Great Kitchens to Apartments Tour’ is also offered exclusively to groups and allows participants to get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes workings of the Castle.
In the south east, meanwhile, groups should make a stop at Hever Castle and Gardens, the childhood home of Henry VIII’s ill-fated second wife Anne Boleyn. The Castle’s vast collections include a large collection of Tudor portraits and various historic books signed by Anne Boleyn. In the gardens, the romantic Italian Garden is worth a look with sculpture dating back over 2,000 years. Groups are offered discounted admission and the option of private guided tours.
Staying in Kent, Leeds Castle is set within 500 acres of parkland and is the former home of King Henry VIII. As well as the option of an audio tour, for a small charge, guided tours offered exclusively to groups include ‘Garden Tours’ and ‘Aviary Tours’, where participants can learn about the Castle’s work with endangered species. Group rates are available to 15 or more people. A combined ticket offering entry to both Leeds Castle and Dover Castle is also available.
Dover Castle is situated high on the white cliffs of the town. At the English Heritage property, groups can take a pre-booked guided tour of the underground Secret Wartime Tunnels, the nerve centre that saw the evacuation of 400,000 British and French troops from Dunkirk during World War Two. Here, groups can experience the cramped conditions in the original hospital, telecommunications station and barracks endured by the 700 servicemen and women who lived and worked there during this era.
In West Sussex, meanwhile, Arundel Castle has been home to the Dukes of Norfolk for the past 900 years and houses furniture, paintings and antiquities collected over generations. Of particular interest is the Fitzalan Chapel, which was built in 1390 and is a fine example of gothic architecture. Groups are offered one free place for every 20 people in addition to the option of out-of-hours tours.
Travelling west and dramatically sited on a wooded hill in Somerset, The National Trust’s Dunster Castle served as a fortress for 1,000 years. A particular highlight is the subtropical garden, where the National Collection of Strawberry Trees can be found. As well as discounted admission, groups can take advantage of ‘Garden Tours’, led by the head gardener, ‘Ghost Tours’ and ‘Attic and Basement Tours’, which visit parts of the Castle usually closed to the public.
In Gloucestershire, groups can visit the medieval larders, kitchens and beer cellars at Berkeley Castle, in addition to viewing the cell in which Edward II was imprisoned and eventually murdered. Also worth a look is the Great Hall, from where England’s last court jester is believed to have fallen to his death. Groups receive discounted admission and exclusive out-of-hours tours when pre-booked.
Also in Gloucestershire, the former home of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s last wife, Sudeley Castle offers a wealth of exclusive guided tours to groups as well as discounted admission for 20 or more people. Tour options include an exclusive connoisseur tour of the Castle’s private apartments, where groups can see the Stone Drawing Room, The Library and the Billiard Room before enjoying afternoon tea in the café. Guided tours of the gardens – accompanied by one of the senior gardeners – are also available as well as a 30 minute ‘History of Sudeley Castle’ talk on arrival. Groups must pre-book.
Moving into Warwickshire, groups of 15 or more are offered discounted admission and pre-booked guided tours at Warwick Castle. New for this year is ‘Dream of Battle’, a newly built £1 million visitor experience. Here, groups find themselves transported back to a medieval battle scene. With the aid of computer generated images and audio features, visitors experience simulated flaming arrows flying through the air, model birds of prey circling overhead and shadows of soldiers flickering across the walls.
Not far from here, groups can gain an insight into one of the most famous royal love stories of all time, that of Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Robert Dudley, at English Heritage’s Kenilworth Castle. The couple’s relationship is explored in a new permanent exhibition in the recently restored Leicester’s Gatehouse, which was built by Dudley for a visit by his Queen in 1575 when he entertained her with pageantry, plays, music, fireworks and hunting for 19 days – at the cost of £1,000 a day. Groups are offered discounted admission.
Offering a taste of life ‘below stairs’ is Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, where groups can visit the early 19th century Old Kitchen and Bakery as well as the State Rooms. Pre-booked groups receive discounted entry and the option of the ‘Duchess’s Gardens Tour’, which is led by the head gardener.
Towering above the Yorkshire town of Skipton is Skipton Castle. Here, groups can explore over 900 years of history with 15 or more people offered discounted admission and the option of exclusive evening guided tours.
Originally built in the Middle Ages by the Strickland family – who still reside in the property – Sizergh Castle, the National Trust property in Cumbria, offers a maze of oak panelled rooms displaying vast collections of antiques. Groups receive discounted entry and can pre-book guided tours.
Further north, Alnwick Castle in Northumberland has been home to the Percy family since 1066 and welcomes groups of 14 or more people with discounted admission. As well as enjoying rooms such as The Library with its floor to ceiling bookcases and the Drawing Room with its elaborate decor, groups can pre-book a ‘Battle Axes to Broomsticks’ tour, which offers a guide to parts of the Castle used as ‘Hogwarts’ during the filming of the recent ‘Harry Potter’ films. Groups can also take advantage of exclusive out-of-hours tours.
Built in 1200 to serve as a fortress for the Princess of Powys, The National Trust’s Powis Castle and Garden boasts extensive collections of art and antiquities for groups to peruse. The garden, which reflects French and Italian influences and retains many of its original lead statues, is also worth a look. Pre-booked groups receive discounted admission and can benefit from private out-of-hours guided tours.