About Us
English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites - from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edges of the empire to a Cold War bunker. Through these, we bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year.
We are a charity, no. 1140351, and a company, no. 07447221, registered in England.
Our Places
We protect an internationally-important collection of historic sites and artefacts which span six millennia, from the ancient past to the present day and include palaces, houses, hill figures, castles, abbeys, industrial sites, Roman forts and even deserted medieval villages.
Caring for these places and their collections for the benefit of this and future generations is a cornerstone of everything we do. The generous support of many donors enables us to do this. We have now embarked on the largest conservation programme in our history. Highly skilled conservation work will be carried out on an unprecedented scale, and we will allow the public to witness this as it progresses.
What Matters to Us
Gone are the days when people learned about history simply from reading books. People are increasingly looking for experiences that bring history to life in an engaging way and nothing beats standing on the spot where history happened.
We offer a hands-on experience that will inspire and entertain people of all ages. Our work is informed by enduring values of authenticity, quality, imagination, responsibility and fun. We want people to experience the story of England where it really happened.
Our People
The skill, knowledge, enthusiasm, and commitment of our staff and volunteers make English Heritage a special place to work.
As a registered charity, we are governed by a board of trustees who delegate day-to-day responsibility for the running of the organisation to a senior management team. Sir Tim Laurence is Chairman of the board of trustees and Kate Mavor is Chief Executive. The range of roles and expertise we cover is immense and draws people from a wide range of sectors and backgrounds.
Our Priorities
With our new freedom as a charity, independent of government, our ability to engage with millions of people is now greatly strengthened. We have identified four major priorities going forwards - Inspiration, Conservation, Involvement and Financial Sustainability.
We want to create inspiring visitor experiences that bring the story of England to life. We will also make sure our historic sites and artefacts are expertly cared for, so that they can be enjoyed by future generations. We'll find new ways to involve more people in our work and our target is to ensure we're financially independent by 2022/23.
Tell us what you think
We want you to enjoy your experiences with English Heritage online, at our many events and at the historic places we care for.
We’d love to hear from you. Your feedback is crucial in improving our offering, so please consider taking a minute to tell us about your experience of English Heritage.
Get in touchCareers with us
Being part of English Heritage means working somewhere a little different. No matter what they do and where they do it, our people play a crucial role in protecting and presenting some of the greatest places in England for the benefit and enjoyment of all.
Annual Report 2019/20
In 2019/20, we welcomed over 6.2 million people to our staffed sites, including 325,000 education visitors. We launched an appeal to help fund important conservation work of the country’s largest collection of historic wall paintings, raising over £135,000 from our Members and supporters. However, early in 2020, with just three financial years to run until we became self-funding, the Covid-19 crisis struck.
This report reflects on the work undertaken during 2019/20, culminating in the lead into the start of the global pandemic.
View report