COMPETITION: NOMINATE YOUR OWN HERO OF HISTORY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A £100 GOODY BAG!
Learn about five of the amazing people with a connection to our historic sites and monuments, from the builder of Hadrian’s Wall to one of the most brilliant scientists of all time. Then nominate your very own hero of history and tell us what makes them so great!
This competition has now closed.
EMPEROR HADRIAN (AD 76–138)
Emperor Hadrian wanted to protect the borders of the Roman Empire. In AD 122, he came to Britain, where he wanted to build a new wall to protect the northern frontier. When it was finished it was the most impressive barrier ever built by Rome.
It was over 5 metres high, almost 3 metres thick and 80 miles long. It was guarded by 10,000 soldiers in many different forts and watchtowers. Hadrian’s Wall is the largest archaeological feature that survives from Roman Britain. A visit to the Wall and its forts can tell you lots about who the Romans were and how they lived.
ST HILD (AD 614–680)
Hild had royal, pagan parents. As a teenager, she became a Christian and, at the age of 33, decided to dedicate her life to God and become a nun. Hild became abbess (the head) of the monastery at Whitby. She was well-known for her wisdom and kindness, and her monastery was a place of learning and holiness.
In 664, it was the location for the Synod of Whitby, a massive meeting of church leaders, which shaped the future of English Christianity. Legend has it that she rescued the nuns living at Whitby by turning a plague of snakes to stone. She died at Whitby and was soon regarded as a saint.
QUEEN ELIZABETH I (1536–1603)
Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Life wasn’t always easy for Elizabeth when she was young – she even spent a few months as a prisoner. She became queen in 1558 aged 25. She was a powerful ruler. She could also be an inspiring leader – in 1588, she was the figurehead of resistance to the Spanish Armada.
She never married but she had a close relationship with Robert Dudley. In 1575, Dudley hosted her for 19 days at Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire. He tried to impress her with festivities and let off fireworks that could be heard 20 miles away!
CHARLES DARWIN (1809–82)
Charles Darwin was one of the most brilliant scientists of all time. In the 1830s he travelled around the world on a British naval ship called HMS Beagle, studying geology, plants and animals. He realised that all living things change over time. That’s because they react to their environments.
He called this process ‘evolution by natural selection’. It changed the way we think about the natural world. Charles lived and worked at Down House in Kent, which is now open for visitors explore.
ADMIRAL SIR BETRAM RAMSAY (1883–1945)
Sir Bertram was an officer in Royal Navy. In 1940, he was stationed in the secret war tunnels deep below Dover Castle. Ramsay organised Operation Dynamo in 1940. This was the rescue of more than 338,000 British and Allied soldiers. They were trapped at Dunkirk on the French coast by the German army.
He also planned Operation Neptune in 1944. This was the naval part of D-Day, the biggest military landing in history, and the first stage in the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany.
SEND US YOUR NOMINATIONS
Now you’ve read about some of our heroes of history, it’s time for you to nominate one of your own. Click the button below to download a template, print it out and then fill it in to explain why they are so special. You can draw a picture of them, write about the five things that make them a hero and even colour in a special trophy with their name on!
Your hero of history could be someone famous you admire, either from the present-day or from the past. Or it could be someone you know – perhaps a friend or family member. Whoever your hero is, we want to know about it!
DOWNLOAD YOUR TEMPLATEHOW TO ENTER
Once you’ve filled in your hero of history template, you can enter it into our competition to be in with a chance of winning a goody bag of prizes worth £100 from our online shop. Ask an adult to scan or take a clear photograph of your form and send it to us at membersmagazine@ourmedia.co.uk, along with your full name and age, and your parent or guardian’s membership number, name and address.
Please make sure you have your parent or guardian’s permission to enter and check the terms and conditions below. Entries must be in by midnight on Wednesday 3 January 2024. Good luck!
ENTER NOWCOMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The closing date and time for entries is midnight on Wednesday 3 January 2024. The promoter is English Heritage. If you are under 13, you need permission from your parent/guardian before you can enter the competition. One winner will receive a goody bag of treats from the English Heritage online shop worth £100. For full terms and conditions, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/kids.