Heritage
Discover our unique heritage spanning over 40,000 years in South West England. Visit natural wonders and man-made masterpieces, uncover national treasures and see the developments of history in our fantastic museums – there’s lots of places to see for many great days out in the west country!
Explore our complete history and heritage… begin with the pre-historic natural masterpiece of Cheddar Caves and Gorge, the ancient heritage of Old Sarum iron-age hillfort and the mystery and legends of Glastonbury Abbey. Then marvel at the beautiful medieval splendour of the Cathedral in Salisbury, and Longleat House - one of the best examples of Elizabethan architecture. Discover the Palladian splendour and a stunning art collection at Wilton House. See some of the finest exemplars of Georgian England, Stourhead house and gardens and the Fashion Museum situated in Bath’s Assembly Rooms. Uncover the golden age of Victorian invention onboard Brunel's ss Great Britain and rediscover the Edwardian baroque City Museum and Art Gallery.
Choose a Heritage Attraction:
For 2000 years pilgrims have visited this sacred Abbey- once the largest and richest in England-and traditionally the earliest British Christian sanctuary.
Discover “the most beautiful structure in England”, with its 750 years of history and tradition and unique treasures including the finest surviving Magna Carta!
Marvel at the world's first great ocean liner 'afloat' on a sea of glass in her original dry dock.
17th Century Palladian House, ancestral home to the Earl of Pembroke since 1542.
Visited by every monarch since Elizabeth I.
Sarum, an important site in our heritage, Doomsday Book to 'Rotten Borough', few places can have been so important.
Stourhead House and Garden, King Alfred's Tower, Iron-age and Neolithic hill forts are all part of the 6,000 year-old story of the estate.
Set within landscaped grounds, Longleat House is regarded as one of the best examples of high Elizabethan architecture in Britain.
Over 400 years of fashion on display in one of the finest Georgian buildings in the world.
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Our Museum of British Prehistory is also the world's first Museum of Cannibalism, celebrating 40,000 years of cave life.
Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery
Unearth Bristol's past in the archaeology gallery and learn about the city's geological, social and industrial history.