Why join?

Hundreds of historic houses, castles, and gardens that open to the public on a regular basis extend free admission to members of Historic Houses when you show a valid membership card.

The free-for-members scheme is perfect for those looking to explore Britain’s stunning independent heritage.

Four times a year we publish a magazine packed with articles and pictures from our houses and gardens. Regular features include: in-depth explorations of the history, art, and architecture of our impressive buildings; gardening tips and insights.

Our annual handbook lists all the places that offer members free entry, plus all those that offer charged pre-booked tours, and those in which you can stay overnight. Every entry contains a photo and a potted history. It’s the indispensable gazetteer for the truly committed historic-house spotter!

Our most popular and oversubscribed tours can only be booked by members for the first few weeks tickets are on sale, and some tours and events are only open to members. Your card is a passport to beat the queues.

Our website is packed with extra info on the histories and contents of our houses and gardens, plus video tours, live and rewatchable lectures from owners, historians, and experts, and archived copies of our magazine. We also run regular competitions for members only, challenging your creativity and your general knowledge – perhaps you could win!

The UK has some of the finest and best preserved historic houses, parks and gardens in the world. Most British stately homes are independently owned and have been cared for and added to continuously for centuries. Now they’re jewel boxes – mellow, time-worn historic architecture full of exquisite, important collections of furniture, paintings and sculptures. From Sudeley Castle to Holkham Hall, Mapperton House to Scone Palace, we think that makes them the most beautiful heritage sites in Britain.

Most Historic Houses places are not museums, echoing only to the sounds of visitors peering into roped-off set pieces during the day and still and lifeless at night. Most of them are lived-in family homes, with resident families often able to trace their lineage there back hundreds of years. They’re still full of new life, and their interiors represent the continued evolution of fashions and the changing personal tastes of their owners. When you explore these ancient buildings and grounds at your own pace, you’ll have fun and discover the unexpected; you might perhaps bump into the dog, the gardener, or even the owner.

We’re not at all like the National Trust or English Heritage. We don’t own or run our member places – we represent and advise them but they’re all quite different and each has its own approach and feel. You won’t fine the same branding, the same logo, or the same food in the café or gifts in the shop, in any two of our member sites. But membership offers a unique chance to explore their stunning collections of art and architecture with one card. With hundreds of different places all with different ways of doing things, exploring and discovering our collection rewards those who seek out the unusual.

Delve deeper into the histories and heritage of your local area, and find places even nearby that you didn’t know were open to the public. With around three hundred places across the UK offering our members visits for free, including over 240 places in England and almost 50 houses in Scotland, we’re the largest nationwide collection of historic attractions and you’re never far from somewhere to step inside for the first time.