Heritage Archives - UK Explorer

JMW Turner, the man who painted with light

Updated on July 10, 2025July 10, 2025

Painting of an old warship, the HMS Téméraire, being towed by a small steam-powered tugboat at sunset. The ship appears ghostly and pale against a glowing sky of rich oranges, reds, and yellows. The calm water reflects the dramatic sky, while smoke trails from the tugboat’s funnel. The overall scene is peaceful but poignant, symbolising the end of an era.

JMW Turner didn’t just paint landscapes, he lit them on fire. Not literally, of course, though he was fond of a dramatic blaze or two. …

Two knights in full armour jousting on horseback at Warwick Castle, watched by a crowd behind red and gold banners on a sunny day.

Warwick Castle, A Thousand Years of Power and Pageantry

Updated on July 9, 2025July 9, 2025

Warwick Castle is one of the finest and most complete medieval castles in England. Set on a bend in the River Avon, this towering fortress …

Historic painting of the House of Commons in the late 18th century, showing a crowded parliamentary session with men in period dress seated on benches and gathered around a central table. A speaker stands addressing the chamber while others listen attentively. The scene captures the era of William Wilberforce and the abolition debates, with candlelight illuminating the ornate wooden interior and royal crest above the speaker's chair.

Great Britons Heritage Inspiration

William Wilberforce, The Relentless Reformer

Updated on July 8, 2025July 8, 2025

William Wilberforce was the unlikely powerhouse behind one of Britain’s greatest moral victories – the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. A politician, philanthropist and …

View of Berwick-upon-Tweed with the historic Old Bridge crossing the River Tweed, surrounded by red-roofed buildings and a church clock tower under a dramatic cloudy sky

Coastal England Heritage

Berwick-upon-Tweed, England’s Northernmost Curiosity

Updated on July 4, 2025July 4, 2025

Just before England runs out of road, before the River Tweed curls out into the North Sea, there is Berwick. A town that has changed …

Aerial view of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, surrounded by lush green trees and situated beside the calm River Avon, with the town and rolling countryside stretching into the distance under a blue sky.

Cities England Heritage

Stratford-upon-Avon beyond the Shakespeare connection

Updated on July 3, 2025July 3, 2025

Why there’s more to love here than just the Bard Stratford-upon-Avon is, of course, famously the birthplace of one William Shakespeare. And while that fact …

Historic timber-framed buildings in Warwick, England, including the Lord Leycester Hospital, with gabled roofs and leaded windows under a bright blue sky. The medieval architecture is well-preserved and richly detailed, showcasing the town’s centuries-old character.

Cities England Heritage

Warwick more than just the castle

Updated on July 3, 2025July 3, 2025

The medieval town with much more than just turrets and trebuchets It’s almost impossible to talk about Warwick without mentioning the castle. It’s big. It’s …