14 Places Where The History You Learned At School Actually Happened

From ancient caves to mysterious castles and even Viking villages.

Travel is restricted in England right now, but planning for the future isn't. Look forward by stepping into the past and planning to visit one of these historical landmarks that bring our history to life.

For the most recently updated government guidance on travel, head to the Gov UK website.

1. The murder of Thomas Becket took place at the stunning Canterbury Cathedral.

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Canterbury Cathedral is a uniquely beautiful, peaceful place to visit. However, it wasn’t all that peaceful on December 29, 1170, when a mob of armed men burst inside to murder the archbishop at the time, Thomas Becket. A childhood friend of King Henry II, relations between the two men had soured to the point where the king is believed to have expressed a desire to be rid of Becket. Four of Henry’s knights took this literally and headed to the cathedral to dispatch of him. Henry was reportedly saddened by his death, and Thomas was declared a martyr and later canonised.

Learn more about our history with the Connections project.

2. Walk along Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland.

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Spanning east to west across Northumberland's countryside, Hadrian's Wall was once a defensive fortification during the reign of its namesake, Emperor Hadrian. The building of the wall began in 122 AD, with the Romans building 16 forts, 80 milecastles, 3 bridges, and 160 turrets along its impressive 73 miles.

Designated a World Heritage Site in the 1980s, you can now visit various landmarks across the wall, including in the stunning Northumberland National Park. Learn more here.

3. Windsor Castle was the main residence of Queen Elizabeth I, the last of the Tudor monarchs.

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Speaking of William the Conqueror, as well as carrying out a thorough audit of his new lands, he also ordered the construction of Windsor Castle in the decade after the 1066 Norman conquest. The first king to reside there was Henry I in 1110, then it slipped in and out of favour among monarchs, eventually falling into disrepair. Queen Elizabeth I was a particular fan of Windsor and patched it up, adding new brass cannons, a huge stone terrace, and an outdoor banqueting house. After that, she spent a great deal of time at Windsor hosting diplomatic engagements. The castle is now the preferred weekend residence of our current Queen, Elizabeth II.

Discover more of what the west of England has to offer by riding the Great West Way.

4. Whitby Abbey was confiscated by the crown during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

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In the 7th century, the kingdom of Northumbria was the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, and a celebrated monastery was built on the imposing headland at Whitby. This later became the Benedictine Whitby Abbey, the stunning ruins of which are still perched on the same rocky outcrop. The abbey was a thriving centre of learning until it was destroyed in 1540 by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, after he passed the Act of Supremacy that separated England from the Pope’s authority, allowing him to seize Catholic assets.

Learn more about the Abbey and nearby attractions here.

5. The Roman baths in Bath are the home of "curse tablets".

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These days, if we want to vent, we usually take to social media and write a cutting subtweet about the person who’s vexed us. However, that wasn’t an option in the ancient past. Instead, the inhabitants of Roman Britain would visit the beautiful town of Bath and hurl "curse tablets" (defixiones) into the hot springs there, calling on the goddess Sulis Minerva to help them get revenge on those who had wronged them, including thieves. Archaeologists found the tablets in 1979/1980, and they’re now on permanent public display at the Roman Baths Museum in Bath.

Find out more about the incredible journeys you can take with the England Originals suggested itineraries.

6. Explore the secret wartime tunnels of Dover Castle.

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Just above the Strait of Dover sits the imposing medieval Dover Castle. While the castle that we see and know was first established by Henry II in the 1180s, a fortification was first built on the site in 1066, when William the Conqueror arrived in the area after the Battle of Hastings. Since the 12th century, the castle has been extended, including into the ground below, where tunnels have been constantly repurposed to suit the needs of varying war efforts.

A strategic stronghold, the castle played an important role in both world wars. In the second, it played a central role in the evacuation of British and allied troops in Dunkirk and the castle's underground network of tunnels were extended to include a hospital.

Explore more of the castle's fascinating history and its surroundings here.

7. The murder of King Edward II took place at Berkeley Castle.

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Few families can say that they’ve lived in the same place for 850 years, but the Berkeley family have had the rare honour of being this fairytale castle's custodians since it was first built in the 12th century, and can trace their heritage back to Anglo-Saxon times. They’re supremely lucky, as the stunning estate is filled with beautiful scenery, including a medieval deer park. However, it also has a more unsavoury claim to fame, as the place where the deposed King Edward II died in suspicious circumstances in September 1327 after being held captive in the castle.

Learn more about Berkeley Castle, Bristol, and beyond with the Great West Way.

8. Pennyhill Park was once a crucial wartime hub.

Pennyhill Park

These days, Pennyhill Park is a luxurious, ivy-clad 19th-century country house hotel and spa in Surrey. However, if you book a stay, it's not just luxury you'll get to experience, thanks to the hotel's fascinating, multi-century wartime history. It was used as the location of a warning beacon in the defence against the Spanish Armada in 1588. When the 151 invading ships appeared off the coast of England, bonfires were lit to warn of the attack. More recently, the house was used as a rest centre for World War I officers.

Explore all that the west of England has to offer on the Great West Way.

9. Castle Howard is built on the ruins of a lost Viking village (Henderskelfe).

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This magnificent house near York has an ancient claim to fame: It’s believed to have been built over the ruins of an ancient village called Henderskelfe or Hinderskelf, a Viking place-name that possibly meant a woman’s settlement or seat. During the late 9th and early 10th centuries, York was controlled by Norse warrior-kings. You can find out more about this fascinating period at the excellent Jorvik Centre nearby.

Find out more about Castle Howard and nearby landmarks here.

10. Sir Isaac Newton was born and developed some of his most famous theories at Woolsthorpe Manor.

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Woolsthorpe Manor might not be quite as grand or dramatic as some of the other historic houses on this list, but this modest, honey-coloured stone building is both pretty and fascinating, as it was the birthplace and family home of none other than iconic scientist Sir Isaac Newton. What’s more, the National Trust–owned manor is also believed to be the site where Newton famously saw an apple fall from a tree, leading him to formulate the law of universal gravitation. He also built the first practical reflecting telescope: not bad for a man born in 1642 into a shepherding farmstead in Lincolnshire.

Learn more about Woolsthorpe Manor and the stately homes nearby here.

11. The house where William Shakespeare was born is still standing in Stratford-upon-Avon.

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Born in 1564, William Shakespeare went on to become one of the English language's best writers and dramatists and his works are known the world over. His birthplace and home on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon still stands. Owned by his parents Mary and John, the pretty house doubled as a glover's shop for John's business. After his father died, William inherited the house and lived there for the first five years of his marriage to Anne Hathaway.

Plan your trip to Stratford-upon-Avon with England Originals.

12. Dedham Village is a history-filled jewel in Essex where some of the first British settlers in America came from.

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Dedham has pretty much everything you could possibly want in an English village. As well as being almost impossibly picturesque, this sleepy hamlet is also historically significant in a wide variety of ways. Its school (now private homes) was founded by none other than Elizabeth I, and famous landscape painter John Constable was educated there. Plus, settlers from Dedham founded a township in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635. Many US families can trace their ancestry back to these settlers, including famed civil war general William Tecumseh Sherman.

Learn more about Dedham Village and its connections to our past here.

13. Three Neolithic skeletons were found in Treak Cliff Cavern in 1921.

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Of course, the history of England isn’t all castles and battles: It stretches back much further than that, as workmen mining for fluorspar in Treak Cliff Cavern discovered when they unearthed the three Neolithic skeletons in 1921. The beautiful stalagmite- and stalagtite-filled show cave near Castleton in Derbyshire is now a popular visitor attraction, but in the Neolithic era (which means "New Stone Age") the caves in the area provided vital refuge to ancient people. As well as the skeletons, the miners found an axe made from volcanic rock and a worn red deer antler pick.

Discover more from the English National Park Experience Collection here.

14. King Edward I stayed at Chillingham Castle on his way to fight William Wallace.

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Last but by no means least is Chillingham Castle in Northumberland, which is allegedly one of the most haunted sites in the UK. The imposing building started life as a 12th-century monastery, and the ghosts that are supposed to inhabit the castle include the “blue boy”, who (confusingly) is said to haunt the Pink Room in the castle and manifests in a blue halo of light. Less spookily, the castle also played host to King Edward I in 1298: He stayed the night there when it was still a monastery on his way to Scotland to fight William "Braveheart" Wallace.

Discover more things to see and do in Northumberland here.

It's time to delve into our history. Wherever you decide to go next, VisitEngland has a wealth of information to help you get the most out of your journey into the past.