Once upon a time most of Britain’s important historical sites were in private ownership. If Lord Lottsaland wanted to knock down Stonehenge to make way for a new cow shed there wasn’t a law in the country that could stop him. Thanks to the work of Augustus Pitt Rivers, the first Inspector of Ancient Monuments appointed in 1882, conservation of our archaeological sites began. So what are you waiting for?

Get out in the spring sunshine and visit heritage attractions in the UK.

Hardwick Hall

This Elizabethan marvel is one of the most stunning houses still surviving from the 16th Century. Built in a time when glass was still an expensive commodity, the fact it was known as, “Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall” is telling.

Hardwick Hall

Built for Bess of Harwick, the second richest woman in England after the Queen, Hardwick Hall was only one of her many dwellings. Go here for the beautiful gardens and interiors stuffed with period novelties. Don’t forget to chat to the people wandering about in costume, they love teaching people about the local history of the house

Osborne House

Queen Victoria’s favourite retreat Osborne House on the Isle of Wight is like stepping back into a fabled world of Empire and opulence. There really is nowhere else that so completely sums up the life and times of England’s longest reigning Queen and her family. Despite being a prolific producer of babies, Victoria found them boring and wasn’t the most loving or understanding of mothers. Check out the scaled down Swiss Cottage where the royal children were drilled in household management. The grounds are beautiful, the personal artefacts of daily life fascinating and the magnificence of the interiors are breath-taking.

Maeshowe

Looked after by Historic Scotland, Maeshowe is quite simply fabulous fun for anyone who loves to see our past brought to life. Okay, so it is a little out of the way up in Orkney, luckily these islands have plenty to offer visitors so a trip is well worth it. This Neolithic edifice is over 5,000 years old, making the Viking graffiti scrawled on the interior the equivalent of someone drawing a moustache in Sharpie on the Mona Lisa.

Skara Brae

Another of Orkney’s wonderful heritage sites and again in Historic Scotland’s safe hands. Skara Brae is a Neolithic settlement that was uncovered after the great storm of 1850. There is much to marvel at here, built-in cupboards, a drainage system and a site that is so well preserved it seems like the locals have just popped out for a cup of tea. In fact we don’t know why the people who lived here left but we do know they spent many hundreds of years in apparent peace, plenty and comfort until then. This site will challenge your notions about human development and life in the Stone Age.

Culloden

If wandering about on ancient battlefields floats your boat then this is the ultimate in iconic locations. Kept in tip top shape by the National Trust this site contains a memorial cairn, graves of the clansmen who fought and died, the well of the dead, the Cumberland Stone and Old Leanach Cottage. Wandering amongst headstones bearing the names of the clans marking where the 1,000 victims of battle were buried, identified by their clan badge and the plant sprigs worn in their bonnets, is a chilling experience.