Historical Buildings in and near York

York’s magnificent historical buildings are a testament to its position as one of England’s heritage cities. One of York’s most beautiful historical buildings is Fairfax House, the finest Georgian townhouse in England, with its beautiful Venetian window and delightful decorative plasterwork. A group of historical buildings not to be missed in York is at the Fountains Abbey Estate.

Ripon Cathedral

For over 1300 years people have been coming to worship and pray at Ripon. The Cathedral building itself is part of this continuing act of worship, begun in the 7th century when Saint Wilfrid built one of England’s first stone churches on this ... more

Historical buildings in England range from palaces to town houses, but they all have something in common: they vividly tell the story of England through the ages and give one insight into the country's rich heritage.

The writer Samuel Johnson said: "When a man is tired of London he is tired of life!" It's certainly true that it would take a visitor a lifetime to do justice to the city's attractions, particularly its splendid architectural and historical gems. The variety of historical buildings in London is inexhaustible.

A great number of the historical buildings are the carefully-preserved homes of illustrious Londoners, so if you have a particular interest in specific writers, painters, architects, scientists and so on, you will enjoy seeing how they lived. Keats, Dickens, Johnson, Darwin and many others have specific house museums devoted to them.

Many of the historical buildings in London are royal palaces, and many are still used as residences for the royal family. Some of the royal residences are not always open to the public so check before visiting.

Clarence House, which stands beside St James's Palace, was built in the 19th Century for King William IV and was the London home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1953 until 2002. Today it is the official London residence of Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and is open to the public during the summer months each year.

Another significant historical building in the heart of London is Apsley House, home of the first Duke of Wellington and his descendants, which stands at Hyde Park Corner. For over 200 years, this great mansion has been known colloquially as ‘Number 1 London', because it was the first house encountered after passing the toll gates at the top of Knightsbridge.

Kew Palace, in the Royal Botanic Gardens, is the smallest and most intimate of the royal palaces. The four-storey brick house was built c. 1631 by Samuel Fortrey, a merchant of Dutch origin, and this explains the Dutch appearance of the gabled façade.

The distinguished title of the oldest house in London belongs to Sutton House in Hackney, East London, a Tudor building which showcases five centuries of family history and features an authentic Tudor kitchen with objects to touch and smell.

Stately country homes around Oxford include Waddesdon Manor, which was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the 19th century to display his excellent collection of art treasures.

Buscot Park is another highlight of the Oxfordshire countryside: built between 1779 and 1783, the house is an elegant example of the 18th Century taste for Italian style architecture.

Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, is famous as the birthplace of Winston Churchill. But the palace is worth a visit for more than its links to the famous statesman. The beautiful Baroque building is set in 2100 acres of stunning parkland and is surrounded by vast lawns, formal gardens and a splendid lake.

One of the highlights of the historically rich York is the Treasurer's House, which is an attractive town house dating from medieval times. Visitors can admire four centuries of decoration in the house's fascinating interior and can even see a model ship made of bones. Who knows, you might even catch a glimpse of the ghosts of the Roman legion that are said to march through the cellars!

Norton Conyers, near York, is a mid 14th Century house most famous for its links with Charlotte Bronte: the author visited in 1839 and heard the legend of a mad woman who had been confined in the attic in the 1700s. This is said to be the model for the mad Mrs Rochester in Bronte's novel Jane Eyre and the house in Jane Eyre, Thornfield, is said to be based on Norton Conyers.

Another impressive building near York is Benningborough Hall, a spectacular Georgian mansion which also contains many famous portraits.

The countryside around the historical town of Bath abounds with stately homes whose fine architecture tells the story of different eras in England's history.

One of the best examples of high Elizabethan architecture in Britain can be seen at Longleat House near Bath. The elegant house was completed by 1580 and is set within 900 acres of magnificent parkland, which was landscaped by the famous garden-designer, 'Capability' Brown. Longleat is also home to an impressive Safari Park a number of other attractions including fun-rides and a scaled down steam railway, so a visit is guaranteed to be an exciting day out.

If you're serious about visiting England's best historical buildings, make sure that you visit the unique country village of Lacock near Bath, and its Abbey. Lacock Abbey is a country house created out of a medieval abbey. The village is beautifully preserved : the architecture reflects various historical eras, which led to it being chosen as the location for a number of well-known films including Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice and The Other Boleyn Girl.

Every town you visit in England will have wonderful historical architecture to discover, and visiting historical buildings will help you delve into the country's intriguing past.