Find the nearest History & Heritage
Our History and Heritage category brings all Coast Radar’s listings related to looking for something to do or a place to visit together where they offer some form of historic or heritage based activity.
Finding the best things to see and do on a day out with your family or friends is easy – simply explore the historic and heritage links below, hit the jump to my location button or use the search bar to plan your next UK and Ireland activity.
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- Beauly Priory was a Valliscaulian monastic community located at “Insula de Achenbady”, now Beauly, and is one of three founded by the order in 1230. A plaque tells of Mary Queen of Scots’ visit here in 1564 and her travels in the Highlands. Descriptive plaques point out all the points of interest.
- Inishmurray is an uninhabited island situated 7 km (4 mi) off the coast of County Sligo and the island covers .9 km2 (0.3 mi2). There are remains of an early Irish monastic settlement, that contains various ecclesiastical buildings including enclosures, a stone-roofed oratory, two churches, a clochan, a large beehive-shaped cell, a holy well and other remains including cross slabs suggesting foreign influences.
- York Guildhall is a medieval building in York, North Yorkshire, which served as a meeting place for the guilds of York. Built originally during the 15th century, the Guildhall suffered damage during an air raid in 1942, so the present building is a reconstruction. The stone walls escaped destruction and they were incorporated into the newly reconstructed hall.
- Christchurch Mansion is a stately home within Christchurch Park. A Grade I listed building, the mansion houses a collection of pottery and glass, a contemporary art gallery and a collection of paintings by artists including John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough. There are rooms preserved as past inhabitants would have known them, complete with original items of fine clothing. The house sits within a 70 acres (280,000 m2) public park which features many beautiful trees, rolling lawns and ponds.
- St Saviour’s Church church existed at least as early as 1087 and is stone vaulted with a tiled roof, and has a central tower with a battlemented parapet and a stair turret. St Saviour’s church is linked with Lillie Langtry, the actress nicknamed “Jersey Lily”. She was born in the rectory, and married twice in the church. She was later buried in the churchyard in the family grave. There is a bust of Lillie carved in white marble on a granite plinth.
- Benwell Roman Temple and Vallum Crossing (Hadrian’s Wall). The remains of a small temple to the native god ‘Antenociticus’, in the ‘vicus’ (civilian settlement) which stood outside Benwell fort.
- The Albert Memorial Clock is a clock tower situated at Queen’s Square in Belfast, it was completed in 1869 after a competition for the design of a memorial to Queen Victoria’s late Prince Consort, Prince Albert, was won by W. J. Barre, who had earlier designed Belfast’s Ulster Hall.
- Chester City Walls consist of a defensive structure built to protect the city with their construction being started by the Romans when they established the fortress of Deva Victrix between 70 and 80 AD. Today the Chester city walls are a major tourist attraction for visitors to the city and form an almost complete circuit of the city as it was in the medieval era. The walk is almost 2 miles (3.2 km) on a continuously elevated walkway, apart from a short section on the south of the city.
- Caldey Island lies off the Pembrokeshire coast near Tenby in south-western Wales. Separated from the mainland by Caldey Sound, a ferry service runs between Tenby and Caldey Island during the spring and summer months. Caldey is probably best known for its monastery, Caldey Abbey, with the current building dating from 1910. However, a monastery was founded on the island in the 6th century so the island has known a community of monks for centuries. Visitors today can explore the historic Old Priory and the medieval churches of St David and St Illtud, as well as browse the village shops where perfume, chocolate and shortbread made on the island is sold.
- The 700-year-old Buckland Abbey was later home of Elizabethan seafarers Drake and Grenville. The Abbey is part museum, part house and gardens within the beautiful Tavy Valley estate.
- Nothe Fort is at the entrance to Weymouth Harbour, constructed on three levels, with lift access, the Fort is filled with displays, guns and display areas that describe the history of this Victorian Fort. The Fort is a labyrinth of underground passageways and outdoor areas with stunning views of the coast.
- Max Gate was the home of novelist and poet Thomas Hardy – it is believed Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure and the Mayor of Casterbridge were written here. Thomas Hardy designed this red-brick mansion himself and lived here for the last 40 years of his life, and died here on 1928, although his ashes were buried in Westminster Abbey, Thomas was a Dorset man through and through.
