Heritage Archives - UK Explorer

A panoramic view of Oxford’s historic city centre showing the Radcliffe Camera’s domed roof in the foreground, surrounded by the ornate spires and towers of All Souls College and other university buildings under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

Oxfordshire has long perfected the art of looking effortlessly clever. This is where honey-coloured buildings meet ancient libraries, punts drift under low bridges, and grand …

People punting on the River Cam in Cambridge, with lush green lawns, weeping willows, and historic college buildings in the background on a sunny day in Cambridgeshire, England.

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Cambridgeshire is where England gets quietly clever

Updated on October 2, 2025October 2, 2025

Tucked into the east of England, Cambridgeshire is one of those counties that manages to feel ancient, flat and faintly intellectual all at once. The …

Charming honey-coloured stone cottages with flower-filled gardens line a quiet street in Broadway, a picturesque village in the Cotswolds area of Worcestershire, England, with lush green hills in the background.

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Worcestershire: more than just a sauce

Updated on September 23, 2025September 23, 2025

Tucked between the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills, Worcestershire is one of those counties that does not demand attention but rewards anyone who stops to …

Aerial view of Leicester city centre at sunset, showing historic red-brick buildings, the clock tower, and modern blocks in the distance, with golden light illuminating the rooftops and streets

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Leicestershire is where England’s past pops up in surprising places

Updated on September 20, 2025September 20, 2025

Right in the centre of England, Leicestershire offers a fine mixture of countryside, industry, ancient battles and the occasional surprise king turning up in a …

A stone statue of King Alfred the Great stands against a cloudy sky, depicting the Anglo-Saxon king wearing a crown and cloak. His right arm is raised high, holding a cross-topped sword, with a stormy sky in the background

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Alfred the Great, the king who saved England

Updated on September 19, 2025September 19, 2025

Few figures from the early Middle Ages have loomed quite so large in English history as Alfred the Great. Born in the ninth century, when …

Ludlow Castle in Shropshire, England, viewed from a hillside with lush greenery in the foreground and the historic market town of Ludlow and rolling Shropshire Hills in the background.

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Shropshire is where England hides some of its best bits

Updated on September 19, 2025September 19, 2025

Tucked along the border with Wales, Shropshire is one of those counties that people often forget about, which suits the locals just fine. It is …

View of Hereford in Herefordshire, featuring the historic stone bridge over the River Wye with Hereford Cathedral in the background on a sunny day with blue skies and scattered clouds.

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Herefordshire is where England slows right down

Updated on September 19, 2025September 17, 2025

Tucked away along the Welsh border, Herefordshire is one of England’s quieter counties. The roads narrow, the fields spread out, and the rivers wind gently …

Close-up of a bronze statue of Robin Hood drawing his bow, with a quiver of arrows on his back, set against a backdrop of wooden shingles

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Nottinghamshire is where England gets a bit legendary

Updated on September 9, 2025September 9, 2025

Nottinghamshire is one of those counties where history and myth have become thoroughly tangled. This is Robin Hood country, where men in green tights still …