From the jaw-dropping ceiling of the Durbar room at Queen Victoria’s Osborne, to the ethereal canopy of the Star chamber at Bolsover Castle, English Heritage cares for some of the finest ceilings in the country. Yet reports from visitors suggest that many miss these architectural triumphs simply because they can’t properly see them. So, this October, the charity is inviting its visitors to lie down and look up.

For one month, visitors at five historic attractions across the country will be encouraged to lie down in some of England’s grandest rooms and take their time admiring the beauty above their heads. For those wanting to get really comfortable, cushions will be provided.

Ceilings in historic places are a vital part of the story of the people who lived there and of the buildings themselves. They might demonstrate the architecture fashions of the period, the wealth and power of the owner or the finest craftmanship. They are a crucial puzzle piece in the story of the past. However, too often they can go, quite literally, over our heads.

Jeremy Ashbee, English Heritage Head Curator of Properties, said

“Ceilings are often the crowning glory of an historic building. Designed to inspire awe, they can be wonderfully distinctive - with decoration that survives remarkably well.  But when visiting a historic place, there’s not always the opportunity to enjoy a splendid ceiling to the fullest.  So, this October, we’re inviting visitors to put formality to one side, make themselves at home, linger, even lie down and enjoy the view up above.”

English Heritage has selected five sites with ceilings too spectacular to miss:

• The Durbar room, Osborne, Isle of Wight: One of many decadent rooms in Victoria and Albert’s luxurious seaside retreat on the Isle of Wight, the Durbar room was designed by Rudyard Kipling’s father, Lockwood Kipling, and master carver Bhai Ram Singh. This unique room is detailed with intricate Indian-style plaster work to reflect Queen Victoria’s status as Empress of India. The ceiling is the room’s pièce de resistance, made up of intricate floral plasterwork and honeycombed muqarnas vaulting.
• The Star Chamber, Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire: The creation of horse-mad Cavalier playboy William Cavendish, this breathtaking castle high on a ridge is full of remarkable wall paintings and interiors. The stunning star chamber gets its name from its striking sky-blue and teal ceiling, which is decorated with 254 gleaming gold-leaf stars, casting a constellation above visitors’ heads.
• The Great Hall, Eltham Palace, South East London: The Great Hall at Eltham is a reminder of the palace’s Tudor origins. The house was purchased in the 1930s by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld, who created an art deco party palace. The Great Hall, with its magnificent oak hammerbeam roof, is the most impressive remnant of its Tudor architecture. Commissioned by King Edward IV, the original roof dates from the 1470s and was dismantled and reassembled in 1911–14.
• The New Hall, Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, Northumberland: Set within the evocative landscape of Northumberland’s ‘border country’, Belsay is both a medieval castle and a Greek Revival mansion. The 19^th century New Hall is a masterpiece in the Greek Revival style, and one of the earliest examples of its use in domestic architecture in England. The overall impression is that of an ancient temple. Looking upwards from the centre of the hall creates a truly remarkable view, where the full scale and symmetry of the space can be appreciated.
• The Drawing Room, Wrest Park, Bedfordshire: There are many gems to be found within the intricate wall and ceiling décor of this 19th-century ‘French château’ style mansion. Pause in the drawing room and take in the ornate ceiling painting depicting Venus and Cupid soaring through the sky.

English Heritage’s ‘Lie Down and Look Up’ campaign runs from 1^st October – 1^st November 2026. For more information, visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/autumn