Start your journey of discovery
Delve into history, get tips from our experts, learn a new skill and go behind the scenes of your favourite places.
History
Find out more about people from the past, discover remarkable art and collections and brush up on your knowledge of architecture and gardens.
Seasonal highlights
Advent calendar of Christmas treasures
Get into the Christmas spirit with our Advent calendar of 24 festive objects from the collections in our care. Find out what today's object is and delve into the origins of the Advent calendar.
Christmas traditions from history
From silver charms in Christmas puddings to early Advent calendars, learn more about the ways our Roman, Victorian and medieval ancestors prepared for the festive season.
Why do we sing Christmas carols?
Christmas carols are at the very heart of festive tradition. Many of the texts, tunes and conventions of today’s carols owe more to 19th and early 20th-century taste than they do to the medieval period.
Wassailing: ritual and revelry
Wassailing is a Twelfth Night tradition with pagan roots, which aims to ward off bad spirits and ensure a good harvest the following season. Learn more about the tradition and its celebrations, which include music, song and dance.
Art and collections
Delve into one of the world's greatest collections of art and historical objects. From paintings to sculptures, there’s something for every art lover to discover.
12 golden objects to see up close
From goldwork and gilding to goldsmithing and jewellery making, discover the ways in which gold has been used in the objects in our collections.
Spectacular skies: dawns and dusks in the collections we care for
Explore the artworks in our collections that capture the beauty of sunrise and sunset. See how artists have used seascapes and sunlight to bring to life peaceful scenes and industrial backdrops alike.
Great books in our collections
Explore a selection from more than half a million books and manuscripts in the collections we care for. Libraries Curator Tim Pye takes a closer look at some of the most significant works.
Ceramics highlights
Discover highlights from our collection of around 75,000 ceramic objects, from an early Ming dynasty dish to an ancient Greek hydria.
People
Read the stories of people from history and learn about their connections to the historic places in our care, from Beatrix Potter to the Beatles.
Disability histories at the places in our care
Many of the places and collections we care for tell the stories of disabled people throughout history. Learn more about the people behind these connections.
Who was William Morris?
Learn how William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, brought the natural world indoors with his wallpapers and textiles, which are still instantly recognisable today.
Remarkable women in history
Learn about the remarkable women in history linked to the places in our care, from the political player who helped make Charles II king, to the archaeologist who discovered a 7th-century Saxon ship burial.
Architecture
Read up on architecture with in-depth articles about architectural styles, interior design through history and architectural structures.
Interior design through the ages
As fashions change over the eras, so do our homes. Explore the history of British interior design and learn about the centuries of design innovation at the places we care for.
War memorials in our care
We care for around 170 war memorials, with about 70 of those from the First World War. Discover the stories behind the monuments and find out where you can find them.
What is Gothic Revival?
Learn how the Gothic style became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries to style literature, architecture, art, music and more after the features of the late medieval Gothic period.
Gardens and landscapes
Discover the history of the natural landscapes around you. From glasshouses to sunken lanes, understand more about how these gardens and green spaces were formed.
Plant collectors and historic gardens
Discover some of the finest historic gardens in our care and how they were shaped by Victorian plant collectors, as they gathered plant species from across the globe.
Garden design through the ages
Explore how changing tastes influenced the style of gardens over the centuries and discover where you can find the best examples from each period at the places we care for.
What is the picturesque?
Find out more about the picturesque aesthetic style and how it became a fashionable choice for wealthy estates in the 18th century. Learn more about the people who influenced the movement.
