Literature

The comic world of Gilbert & Sullivan

From Barataria to Titipu, the rollicking, madcap light operas of Gilbert & Sullivan parodied Victorian England and still delight audiences around the world.

John Andre: Westminster's unknown poet

Devoteés of great literature pass by John Andre's monument at Westminster Abbey's Poet's Corner in puzzlement. Yet his death, more than two centuries ago, caused a sensation both in England and the United States.

The truth about Queen Victoria's relationship with John Brown

We know Queen Victoria was devoted to Prince Albert, but did she really have an affair with a servant after his death? Historian Julia Baird certainly thinks so.

The “Queensberry Curse" and how it impacted Oscar Wilde

What is the 'Queensberry Curse', an affliction that has permeated one of Britain's oldest families for generations?

Was William Shakespeare a fraud?

Is everything we know about The Bard, William Shakespeare, true?

Robin Hood's merry England - the folk heroes tales in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire

The tale of the notorious outlaw has lived on long after he and his band of merry men have gone.

Who was Samuel Pepys: London's greatest diariest

Samuel Pepys bore witness to some of London's most notable events, but who exactly was the famous diarist?

Britain's last romantic poet Dylan Thomas

The upbringing, genius and eventual demise - everything you need to know about the Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas.

The secrets of Queen Victoria

From 1832 Queen Victoria, kept detailed personal journals for 69 years mapping out the monarch's reign but her secrets were edited out after her death.

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.

"The Book Lover's Guide to London" brings our favourite British writers to life

"The Book Lover's Guide to London" brings literature lovers on a journey through London, from Chaucer in the 14th century to present day.

Touring the peaks in the footsteps of Jane Austen's Lizzie Bennet

Jane Austen knew the Peak District and the journey of Ms. Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice illustrates that brilliantly.

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.

Literary Britain - uncovering the fiction of London

Discover specific locations from wonderful novels you'll find around the great city of London.

What to read? Top five British Royal biographies

Here are the top 5 British Royal biographies which may take your fancy!

What would Jane Austen do? A tour in the West Country

Sandra Lawrence blazes the trail in Jane Austen's the West Country and shares her experience.

The life and times of "Emma" author Jane Austen

Jane Austen may have written her books over 250 years ago, but their themes remain as relevant today as ever before. But what do we know about her? What do we know about the life and times of Jane Austen?

British landscapes from your favorite books to explore on vacation

Bring British literature to life by visiting the setting of one of your favourite novels, from Jane Austen to D.H. Lawrence we take a look at ten of the best.

The life of Oscar Wilde in his own words

Oscar Wilde is one of the most quotable writers of all time, and here are his most famous quotes used to tell his life story.

Ten of the best historic literary homes

The varied homes and birthplaces that have influenced the lives of writing of some of Britain's most iconic writers.

Follow in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes in London

A look at Sherlock Holmes' London and the life of his creator Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Brontë Sisters and their inspirations

It's no secret that the Brontë sisters were inspired by their surroundings, but was it their hometown of Haworth that inspired them or the nearby moors?

What is the Magna Carta? Everything you need to know

On this day, June 15, 1215, King John set his seal to what would become the Magna Carta.

Greenway House: At home with Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple both visited this town on River Dart, in Devon, where the world's best-selling author, Agatha Christie, called home.

On this Day: Venerable Bede - England's first great historian passed away

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.

Walking through Thomas Hardy's Casterbridge also known as Dorchester

The Mayor of Casterbridge, by Thomas Hardy, is the single work that readers in the early 21st century can recognizably walk through virtually scene by scene, in Dorchester, Dorset.

The legend of King Arthur

Many and various tales about the legend of King Arthur have continued to arise throughout history - but what can we take as real and what can we dismiss as lore?

London - a cherished literary capital of the world

Writers have loved London for as long as London has existed. Here's a look into it's fascinating history.

Daphne du Maurier's Cornwall

Daphne du Maurier came from a line of distinguished eccentrics.

On This Day: English Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson passes away

On this day, Oct 6 1892, the English Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, passed away. Today we explore his home region of the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Q&A with Simon Langton, Director of the BBC's Pride and Prejudice

Two decades after the famous 1995 BBC series Pride and Prejudice, starring Colin Firth, British Heritage Travel caught up with Direct Simon Langton to get the inside scoop.

Thomas Hardy’s Wessex Country

Still far from madding crowds, Sandra Lawrence explores the countryside of Dorset.

Celebrate Scotland's Burn's Night online this year

This Jan 25th, lovers of Scotland and the bard Robert Burns are being invited to enjoy a very different Burn's Night, using #BurnsNightIn and #VirtualBurnsNight.

The house that inspired Wuthering Heights is for sale

Do you want to live in the house that inspired Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall? Because Ponden Hall is for sale

Exploring Dorchester and Thomas Hardy country

Perhaps the most complete literary landscape in Britain is the fictional region of Wessex, where late Victorian writer Thomas Hardy set all of his major novels.