Topic: British History

William Penn and the Quaker migration to Pennsylvania

William Penn founded the Province of Pennsylvania. Read more to discover the history behind the man.

Julius Caesar in Britain

Despite two attempts to overtake Britain, Caesar ultimately returned home emptyhanded. Here's a look at the history of Julius Caesar in Britain

The history of St. Botolph's & John Cotton

How a church in Lincolnshire inspired the city of Boston and the story of John Cotton

A timeline of the abolition of the British slave trade

William Wilberforce, "The Saints" and the political events in Britain which led up to the abolition of slavery in 1833 across the British Empire.

Amy Johnson: The incredible life of a pioneer aviator

The death-defying daredevil life and flights of Amy Johnson a pioneering English pilot who was the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia.

The story behind Princess Margaret's wedding tiara

Did you know that Princess Margaret bought her own tiara rather than borrow one from the royal jewels?

Wren’s churches - England's greatest architect at work

When the Great Fire of London that Samuel Pepys witnessed had burned out, England’s greatest architect Christopher Wren got right to work.

Scotland's mysterious Rosslyn Chapel

Long the focus of folklore and legend, including Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, what about an email from Mary Magdalene? Why not?!

The amazing London of Samuel Pepys

For four decades the gadabout diarist reported on the epic events of London city, most notably the Great Fire of London.

The Puritan migration - Albion's seed sets sail

Who were the Puritans? What do you know about them? We explore David Hackett Fischers' Albion's Seed.

Sites of Roman Britain - villas, towns and forts

Occupied by the Romans from the 1st to the 4th century, Roman historic sites abound in modern Britain. Here's where to found them.

The gilded cages of Mary Queen of Scots

Follow in the footsteps of Mary Queen of Scots by visiting the houses, castles, and areas she stayed in while imprisoned by her cousin Elizabeth I. 

Queen Elizabeth reveals where her father hid The Crown Jewels during WWII

Letters have revealed that in order to protect the royal jewels from the Nazis, they were hidden In a biscuit tin, 60 feet below Windsor Castle on the order of King George VI.

The Great Fire of London over 350 years later

Over 350 years later, London’s landscape still shows evidence of the Great Fire of 1666.

Visit living British history at open-air museums

Immerse yourself in more than 2,000 years of British history at some of the finest open-air museums in the world.

The best cathedrals in England

Each of these provincial ecclesiastical fortresses merits a place on our list of the ten best cathedrals in England

Our special relationship - the UK and the USA

The UK and the USA have long enjoyed a special relationship. We thought we'd take a look into it.

Queen Emma of Normandy found buried In Winchester Castle

Are the remains of Queen Emma of Normandy among the 1,300 bones found at Winchester Cathedral?

Did Henry VIII's grandmother Elizabeth Woodville die of plague

Does the discovered letter from 1511 prove that the White Queen died from the plague?

Everything you need to know about Margaret Thatcher

On Feb 11, 1975, Margaret Thatcher defeats Edward Heath for the leadership of the British Conservative Party.

King Edward II and Piers Gaveston, the real story of the King and his husband

The relationship between King Edward II and Piers Gaveston is one of the most infamous menages a trois in British royal history.

The effect the Battle of Hastings had on British history

In one battle, William the Conqueror led the Normans in sweeping away Anglo-Saxon rule.

The reign of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Eizabeth II is officially the world's longest reigning monarch, but what comparisons can be made between her reign and that of Queen Elizabeth I?

All the white horses - the history of Britain's chalk hillsides

From honoring King George to artistic expression here's everything you need to know about Britain's incredible white chalk horses and walkers or warriors.

Just how "black" was the Indian prison, Black Hole of Calcutta?

A genuine narrative of the deplorable deaths of the gentlemen who were suffocated in the Indian prison known as the Black Hole of Calcutta.

The COVID-19 pandemic isn't the first the British Royal family have weathered

The world is currently battling the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. Here is a look back at the pandemics through history and how the Royal Family fared.

Birthplace of Jane Grey, England's Nine-Day Queen discovered

Following in the footsteps of this tragic young Queen.

Is this Queen Elizabeth's finest speech?

Could this be Queen Elizabeth's best speech?

The personal life of Admiral Horatio Nelson

At the National Maritime Museum's Nelson Gallery, visitors catch a glimpse of the personality of England's greatest naval warrior Admiral Horatio Nelson

Visiting Cambridge - a history lovers heaven

Cambridge - Undoubtedly one of Great Britain's best-kept secrets.

The history of St. James's - the mall and park

It's been called the epicenter of modern Royal London, so Sandra Lawrence shows us around St James's Palace and surrounding attractions.

Viscount Coke: Opening the doors at Holkham Hall

Viscount Tom Coke, heir to the Earldom of Leicester, on his life running, and the history of Holkham Hall in Norfolk.

Bath's sacred spring

Bath's sacred spring at the ancient Roman bath and temple complex in the Somerset city reveals that cleanliness really was next to godliness. 

Owain Glyndwr's legendary fight for Wales

Welsh prince Owain Glyndwr arguably became the most famous and highly regarded figure in Welsh history.

Everything you need to know about Robert Falcon Scott on his birthday

On January 17, 1912, Captain Robert Scott, "Scott of the Antarctic's" expedition arrives at the South Pole, one month after Roald Amundsen. Discover facts about the life and death of polar explorer 'Scott of the Antarctic'.

Weapons the Normans used in The Battle of Hastings

You know that The Battle of Hastings was a bloody fight between the Normans and the Saxons, but do you exactly how the Normans were armed?

A history of the British cotton industry

Britain once produced half the world's cotton cloth without growing a single scrap of, so just how did British textiles come to clothe the world?

Ten of the best Royal residences in Britain

For those who love the mystery and the magic of the Royal Family, let's take a walk in their shoes.

Remembering King George III's on his birthday

Today marks the birthday of King George III, King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, and we celebrate by taking a look at his official biography.

God bless the Prince of Wales

A history, swashbuckling exploits and symbolic splendor of the role created in 1284 and carried out today by Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth's eldest son.

For the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation some interesting lesser-known facts

On June 2 1953 Princess Elizabeth was crowned as Queen Elizabeth II. Here are some top facts about the her coronation 67 years ago.

Celebrating Britain's most famous composer Edward Elgar at his Birthplace Museum

Happy Birthday Edward Elgar. We celebrate by looking at his life's achievements and the Elgar Birthplace Museum and Elgar Center in Worcestershire.

The reign of Charles II and the Restoration

Charles II was a polarizing figure. How much do you know about the former King?

Philip Sidney, 2nd Viscount De L’Isle, on the challenges of running Penshurst Place estate

Philip Sidney talks to BHT about his family estate, Penshurst Place, and how it feels to truly live, and preserve, the history.

The day Buckingham Palace was bombed during WWII

Friday 13th, a day that sends shivers down everyone's spine, and is known for bringing bad luck. Even to the Royal Family.

John Logie Baird - the forgotten pioneer of television

On Jan 26, 1926, the Scottish inventor John Logie Baird first publicly demonstrated colour television system, changing the world forever.

What you need to know about Francis Walsingham, Elizabethan spymaster

Meet the man who ordered the execution of Mary Queen of Scots while working as a spymaster for Queen Elizabeth I - Francis Walsingham

The Venerable Bede - England's first great historian

About 1,300 years ago, the Venerable Bede was early medieval Europe's greatest scholar and the first to record the history of the English nation.

What was life like in Britain in 1607?

What was life really like for people in Britain during the 1600s, those British who emigrated to America?

Five facts about Prince Albert

In 2019 Britain celebrated Prince Albert's 200th birthday, here are five unknown facts about Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria.

Sir Edmund Halley, a British scientific giant

English astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and physicist, Sir Edmund Halley is best known for his discoveries surrounding Halley's Comet. How much do you know about this scientific giant?

A British hero Alfred the Great King of Wessex

Many monarchs in the long history of Great Britain have been mediocre and worse. Some few have been quite good indeed. However, only Alfred, the 9th-century king of the West Saxons, has been honored by history with the sobriquet “Great.”

Industrial heritage sites - the engine houses of the modern world

Some of the greatest historic sites in Britain that illustrate how the world changed during the Industrial Revolution.

When coal was king in the Welsh valleys of the Rhondda

The Welsh valleys have a long and storied history within the mining industry. Read more to find out about it.

The real story and places behind Alice in Wonderland

The true history of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, the life of Alice Liddell, and what remains in real life of these fantastical tales.

A bloody field by Shrewsbury and an end to Sir Henry Percy's life

The Battle of Shrewsbury set the stage for the War of the Roses and ended Sir Henry ‘Hotspur’ Percy’s quest for England’s crown…and his life.

The military art of the Normans

Before we examine the Battle of Hastings and William the Conquer's subsequent victory, perhaps we should take a look at the history of military art in the 11th century 

The "Old Masters" mosaics of Roman Britain

The majority of Britain's mosaic masterpieces have been lost to the ages, but those that remain are absolutely stunning.

1,000-year-old British mill back in action amid COVID-19 pandemic

The Sturminster Newton Mill is in high demand as consumers are using more flour during the coronavirus lockdown.

Missing piece of Stonehenge returned after 60 years

A piece of Stonehenge, missing for more than 60 years, was finally returned in 2019 and may provide clues to the monument's origins.

The Westerham Triumvirate - Sir Winston Churchill, General James Wolfe and William Pitt the Younger

Steve Roberts takes a look at the town of Westerham, and its most famous sons.

A history of Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor of Aquitaine was a major figure in the middle ages and a prominent figure in women's history. So what do we need to know about this remarkable woman?

In the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie

Taking the High Road from Inverness to the Isle of Skye.

What is it that makes Stonehenge's stone circles so magical

While Stonehenge does not make Britain's other stone circles in size or setting it remains one of Britain's most fascinating tourist attractions and here's why...

Haltwhistle is still literally the center of Britain

In the heart of Roman Wall Country, the Northumbrian market town bristles with pride.

Weaving life at Quarry Bank Mill

Explore the hard lives of workers and families of Georgian England at the Quarry Bank Mill's, Apprentice House, in Wilmslow.

The incredible life of Sir Thomas Becket and his gruesome murder

Sir Thomas Becket changed from being a 'patron of play-actors and a follower of hounds to being a shepherd of souls.'

Historic battlefields across Britain

The fields where war was waged are historic and poignant.

Have you seen this footage of The Crown Jewels?

The Crown Jewels are consistently held up as one of the most impressive collections of their kind.

Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar

Lord Nelson was a brave and ferocious leader in war. Here's a fascinating account of his life.

England’s most medieval city has a small town feel

Compact and picturesque Wells makes a great visit.

Country manors in Britain that are well worth a visit

Family-friendly homes of gentry and merchant to visit on your next vacation in Britain.

Lindum Colonia - ecclesiastical powerhouse and Norman fortress

From the Iron Age to the Romans and into the Middle Ages - treasures left in Lincolnshire through the centuries.

Step into spring with British Heritage Travel’s latest edition

From the wonderland of the Forest of Dean to the Cornish coast and horrible histories of Britain, our March / April magazine is just out and jam-packed full of British history and travel inspiration.

POLL: Winston Churchill - Hero or Villain?

Was Winston Churchill a hero or a villain? Take our poll and let us know what you think.

The utopian cotton-spinning factory of New Lanark

Decent homes, fair wages and the first nursery school in the world