Cultural breaks in summer
Culture vultures won’t have to search very far to indulge in some English culture – it can be found be throughout this green and pleasant land from sculptures along the coast to outdoor film screenings on the grounds of country estates. Embark on a free trail exploring the filming locations for BBC Tudor drama Wolf Hall in Winchester, walk through the lavish State Rooms used as a filming location for Downton Abbey, or head into the forest to watch internationally acclaimed artists belt out their greatest hits in the Cotswolds.
July events: Open Studios Isle of Wight
It’s a rare opportunity to be invited into an artist’s creative space, but in the Isle of Wight, they’re happy to fling open their doors every July for you to come and take a look.
Location: Newport, Isle of Wight
Explore Brighton's Cultural Quarter
Find an exotic Royal palace, classical concerts, West End shows and fine art all within a moment’s walk of each other.
Location: Brighton & Hove, East Sussex
Go behind the scenes at Sunderland Empire Theatre
Tread the same boards as a young Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy and the Beatles on a tour of this enchanting old Edwardian theatre.
Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Kingston Lacy: an Italian palace in Dorset
Home to a rather fabulous collection that includes pieces by Rubens, Van Duyck, Titian.
Location: Poole, Dorset
See A-listers perform at Europe’s largest open air theatre
Elton John, Jessie J; you might think you’re reading the line up for a big city gig, think again.The stars flock to Scarborough.
Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Explore Cambridge University
Take a walking tour through the colleges that make up one of the most prestigious universities in the world – Cambridge.
Location: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Retrace the Cotswolds’ Arts and Crafts movement
Explore William Morris's Cotswolds as you relive the area's arts and crafts movement in Chipping Campden and Broadway.
Location: Chipping Campden & Broadway, Gloucestershire
Discover Cornwall’s rugged landscape on the Poldark Trail
Saddle up for Hallagenna’s horse riding trail across Bodmin Moor, taking in some of the stunning filming locations behind the BBC’s Poldark remake.
Location: Cornwall
Combine culture with Warwickshire’s great outdoors
Celebrate the Arts and Crafts movement at Compton Verney in Warwickshire.
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Go on location with Wolf Hall in Wiltshire
Following the BBC’s TV drama of Wolf Hall, go set-jetting to the Wiltshire TV locations used during filming.
Location: Wiltshire
On location with the world’s most popular heritage railway
Ride along with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway as it takes a starring role, from Dad’s Army to Harry Potter.
Location: Goathland, North Yorkshire
Rainy Day Activities: Visit much-loved author Beatrix Potter’s home
Uncover the life of the children’s author and illustrator as you explore the enchanting landscapes that inspired her.
Location: Near Sawrey, Hawkshead, Cumbria
Journey through British history at Kynren
Experience an epic storytelling journey through time at this spectacular live-action night show in Durham.
Location: Bishop Auckland, Durham
Discover the magic of film and TV within the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley
Discover a gateway to the far-away worlds of star warriors, magicians and the ancient lands of legendary, mythic heroes and villains.
Location: Forest of Dean and Wye Valley
Explore picturesque Clevedon, as seen on TV’s Broadchurch
Take your time exploring the coastal town of Clevedon near Bristol – filming location for the TV series Broadchurch.
Location: Clevedon, Bristol
Rainy Day Activities: Be inspired in Shakespeare's Schoolroom
Explore the historic building where William Shakespeare spent his schooldays and discovered theatre for the first time; an ideal thing to do when it rains.
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Visit New Place, Shakepeare's final home
Walk in Shakespeare's footsteps in the site of his final home, New Place.
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Pay homage to the written word in South Shields
Step inside The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, a state-of-the-art venue in South Shields.
Location: South Shields, South Tyneside
Discover Lord Tennyson’s Somersby
Visit Somersby House, Tennyson’s birthplace, and the village’s "silent woody places" that featured in much of the Victorian poet’s work.
Location: Somersby, Lincolnshire
Pay a visit to Virginia Woolf’s Monk’s House
Travel back in time to see how the poets, artists, intellectuals and philosophers of the Bloomsbury Group lived.
Location: Lewes, Sussex
Catch a musical at the Chichester Festival Theatre
Enjoy Broadway classics at one of England’s flagship theatres.
Location: Chichester, West Sussex
