2023/2024 ENGLISH HERITAGE MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS AND MORE FOR UK RESIDENTS
This post about English Heritage Membership Benefits was last updated on February 17, 2023
Click this link for your EXCLUSIVE 15% OFF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS + GIFTS
*T & C applies
English Heritage, formally known as English Heritage Trust is the popular entity that cares for England’s national collection of historic sites and monuments.
To help keep the various ongoing programmes operational to a good standard for the benefit of current and future generations, the English Heritage charges visitors an entry fee at some of their historic sites. They also have valuable schemes to help with the costs so to encourage more visitors enjoy the remarkable heritage of England.
English Heritage Membership is a scheme that caters for different types of members: family, joint, individual and lifetime.
In addition, English Heritage offer an Overseas Visitor Pass which is great value for money option if you are visiting England for more than nine days. More details on all of these below.
Recommended read: The Best of England
ABOUT ENGLISH HERITAGE
English Heritage is a non-governmental entity, that became a self-financing charity in 2015.
According to English Heritage website, they are the guardian of “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”.
Their purpose is to “bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year“
They curate activities for people to experience history in an engaging way and offer hands on experiences to inspire imagination and authenticity in their young visitors for whose interests these historic sites are protected.
Going forward, English Heritage is committed to “Inspiration, Conservation, Involvement and Financial Sustainability.”
In addition, English Heritage also educate, commission research, advise all sorts of people and bodies on England’s heritage, from the government to individuals who own listed buildings. Undoubtedly all of these costs money.
As a charity, a substantial amount of its running costs is met by the UK government, ultimately the British taxpayer. To supplement this support, English Heritage charges an entry fee for some of its properties.
The entry fee varies, from under ten pounds to up to twenty pounds per person. The good news is that entry to over two hundred fifty properties are free including Maiden Castle, Dorset, St Katherine’s Oratory, Isle of Wight and Hadrian’s Wall, the most celebrated Roman monument in Britain built in 122 AD.
However, if you wish to visit some of the most intriguing and interesting sites that pull the most visitors such as Stonehenge, Dover Castle, Osborne House, and Bolsover Castle, the entry fee will quickly add up!
Whether you live in England and visit English Heritage properties as a favourite past time or you are visiting the country from overseas, the costs of visiting the must-see historical sites will add up. Even if you decide to spread it across the year or the duration of your vacation and pay as and when you visit, it will take you well over sixty pounds per individual quite easily.
To help with the costs, and to encourage more visitors to embrace majestic castles, the archaeological and historic sites in England, English Heritage run two main schemes – English Heritage Membership mainly targeted to residents of UK and the Overseas Visitors Pass for visitors on a short-term vacation.
ENGLISH HERITAGE MEMBERSHIP
English Heritage Membership provides for various groups of visitors. Currently the scheme caters for four main groups with sub-categories – Family, Joint, Individual and Lifetime. All membership schemes lasts a year. You could buy a membership for yourself or buy as a gift for another.
English Heritage Membership for Family
Family memberships are available for either one adult with children or two adults with children.
Membership costs:
| One adult + up to six children >> £66.00 a year |
| Two adults + up to twelve children >> £115.00 a year |
English Heritage Membership:Joint Membership
Joint memberships are available in three categories:
Membership costs
| Two adults >> £115.00 a year |
| One adult + one senior >> £103.00 a year |
| Joint Senior >> £92.00 a year |
English Heritage Membership: Individual Membership
English Heritage individual membership cater for three categories of people:
Membership costs
| Individual adult >> £66.00 a year |
| Individual Senior >> £59.00 a year |
| Young adult/student >> £53.00 a year |
English Heritage Lifetime Membership
The Life Membership is offered to four categories:
Membership costs:
| Individual adult (18+ years) >> £1580.00 |
| Senior (65+ years) >> £1240.00 |
| Joint adult (both 18+ years) >> £2140.00 |
| Joint Senior (both 65+ years) >> £1590.00 |
**All prices are correct at time of update, February 25, 2023
As the membership scheme is available to a wide range of people and appears reasonably priced, there may still be questions asked and debated about.
IS THE ENGLISH HERITAGE MEMBERSHIP VALUE FOR MONEY SCHEME?
One of the many questions people debate about before joining a membership scheme, any membership scheme for that matter, is whether it is a value for money scheme. In other words, does the benefits outweigh its costs? In short, a membership scheme is value for money if it is used correctly. While joining the English Heritage membership provides for considerable savings to be made, the membership comes with so much more than just savings.
As an example, below is an illustration of the savings a family, would make in a year if they were to visit the following five of the most popular of English Heritage sites, including Stonehenge which is one of the most popular heritage site in UK for both residents and tourists alike.
Stonehenge, Wiltshire | Dover Castle, Kent | Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire | Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire | 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield, East Sussex
This may not be a representative sample of the top five sites that people would visit but it does give an idea of how much savings a family (2+3 kids) could make with a membership.
| Heritage Site | Price per adult £ | Price per child £ | Family (2 adults + 3 kids) £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stonehenge | 24.00 | 14.40 | 62.40 |
| Dover Castle | 24.00 | 14.40 | 62.40 |
| Kenilworth Castle | 14.20 | 8.50 | 36.90 |
| Whitby Abbey | 11.20 | 6.60 | 29.00 |
| 1066 Battle of Hastings | 14.20 | 8.50 | 36.90 |
| Total price per adult/child/family | 87.60 | 52.40 | 227.60 |
| Total price per family – 2 adults and up to 12 kids | Annual membership = £115.00 ) | FREE | FREE | FREE |
**All prices are correct at time of update, February 25, 2023
Taking this example a little further for individual visits, you would still make savings out of an annual membership which is currently at £64.00. The table does not give a comparison for over 65s, students and visitors but it does give a good idea of savings you would make if you had an English Heritage membership. Circling back to whether this membership is value for money – without a doubt it is provided you utilise it by visiting the heritage sites sprinkled around England in an annual period.
As necessary as it may be to make savings, English Heritage Membership benefits does not end with just free entry to over 400 properties in England. There is more.
ENGLISH HERITAGE MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
With an annual English Heritage Membership, you will enjoy the following benefits:
Free access to over 400 historical sites.
During the annual period, a member has free access to all 400 and more of English Heritage sites and can visit a site multiple times as you may wish. English Heritage properties includes castles, gardens, forts, defences, prehistoric sites, historic houses and abbeys. You could find a place to visit here.
Kids go free with an accompanying adult.
As you can see from the table above, up to six children get free entry to a site. There are events specially curated for kids during school term holidays and summer vacation that create imagination, responsibility and fun which are invaluable experiences for children.
Free or reduced entry to hundreds of events throughout the year.
Many of the English Heritage sites run varied programmes throughout the year for visitors. Members enjoy reduced entry fee or no fee at all to these events.
Free or reduced entry to other attractions in UK.
Members also get reduced price entry to heritage sites in Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Membership Pack.
The membership pack contains your membership card along with a Members’ Handbook, Members’ Magazine, Information on Members’ Events and Members’ Rewards.
Members’ Handbook + Members’ Magazine
The complimentary Member’s Handbook worth £10.95 helps you plan inspiring days out and pre-book events before the general public. The Members Magazine is delivered four times a year with more colourful pictures and inspiring events to get involved in.
Members’ Rewards Scheme
The Members’ Rewards scheme offers members to take advantage of money- saving offers and deals from over 60 of English Heritage partners.
Simple pleasures of being part of English Heritage community
Besides getting great value on the very many English Heritage properties and the heritage sites in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where there are free or reduced entry costs, the benefits of joining the English Heritage membership allow for all sorts of simple pleasures.
Remember that your membership fee goes to a great cause – the protection of England’s most precious, and amazing of historic sites. You can see, enjoy and delve deeper into the discovery as well as the painstaking research that goes into preserving the monuments that represent English history as and when you are able to. In addition, your contribution goes towards preserving the historic sites for future generation – nothing quite beats the rhythm of history or standing on the very spot where historic events took place
The Members’ Magazine sets out forthcoming events where you can plan ahead of time and the Members’ Reward scheme is a great way to spoil oneself with something special for example a weekend getaway.
While the English Heritage Membership benefits are enjoyed by UK residents, visitors to UK may also enjoy the benefits of exploring the ancient historic past via a dedicated scheme – Overseas Visitor Pass.
ENGLISH HERITAGE AND OVERSEAS VISITORS PASS
Visitors to UK can enjoy free entry to over 100 heritage sites with an Overseas Visitor Pass.
Briefly, the Overseas Visitor Pass is a scheme available to overseas residents who are visiting England for a specific time. The Pass is valid for a duration of 9 or 16 days from first activation and includes free entry to popular English Heritage sites such as Stonehenge and Dover Castle.
For convenience, the benefits and the prices of the Overseas Visitor Pass scheme is dealt with in another article where you can learn more of its benefits specifically for overseas visitors.
On a final note…
On a final note…the English Heritage membership is a great value for money scheme provided the benefits are utilised. However, if circumstances are such that you are not able to visit sites to cover the initial outlay, cherish the idea that your contribution goes to a good cause which benefits future generation.
Joining the English Heritage Membership scheme could not be easier. Whether you are signing up for yourself or buying the English Heritage membership as a gift, you could do so easily online with a couple of clicks. Click the graphic below and join today.
Have a splendid time exploring the precious and timeless monuments of English Heritage.
Georgina xx
What’s new
I was a member of the NT for a couple of years but some decisions out me off renewing. This a is a good reminder of other options, not least despite where we live my wife has never been to Stonehenge. Moreover, because we don’t like wasting monies, when we have membership it does tend to encourage us to get out and explore places more.