CATEGORY · A HUDDLEPIN LIST
Castles, Historic Houses & Heritage in Leicester
Leicester has proper history on its doorstep. The King Richard III Visitor Centre sits right on the Greyfriars dig site, with under-4s free, while Leicester Guildhall is a free 600-year-old timber hall with medieval galleries and a family quest, both an easy walk from the centre. Head out to Sutton Cheney and Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre has an interactive battle exhibition and free country-park trails, tickets from £6.95. For a free day, the Guildhall, Leicester Cathedral and Newarke Houses Museum all cost nothing to enter, though Newarke Houses only opens Saturdays and holidays so plan around that. Bradgate Park, just out at Newtown Linford, is 830 acres of deer park with a ruined house and Old John Tower, good for younger kids who need space to roam rather than rooms to tiptoe through. Kirby Muxloe Castle suits older children keen on moats and gatehouses, while a longer trip out to Ashby de la Zouch gets you a proper climb-and-explore ruin with a siege tunnel, from £3.82.
23 places 3 upcoming events 10 free to visit
What's on: castles, historic houses & heritage
Places for castles, historic houses & heritage
from £3.82Ashby de la Zouch Castle
Ashby de la Zouch
Ruined Hastings Tower, siege tunnel and Ivanhoe-famous courtyards - a climb-and-explore castle day near Ashby.
ToiletsParkingPicnic areaDog friendly+1 more
FreeBagots Castle
Coventry
Free ruins of a 14th century castle to poke about in, with a visitor centre and a picnic spot, open weekends only.
Picnic area
from £6.95Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre
Sutton Cheney
Interactive Battle of Bosworth exhibition, Discovery Zone and free country-park trails near Market Bosworth.
ToiletsAccessible toiletBaby changeParking+7 more
FreeBradgate Park
Newtown Linford
830 acres of free deer park to roam, with a ruined house and Old John Tower to aim for.
ToiletsAccessible toiletParkingCafé+6 more
Canalside Heritage Centre
Beeston, Nottinghamshire
A recreated Victorian lock cottage by the River Trent, with lunch in the gardens if the weather's playing along.
CaféFood on sitePicnic area
FreeDerby Cathedral
Derby
Free to walk round, with a tower tour worth booking and monuments that'll keep older kids busy for a bit.
ToiletsCaféGift shop
FreeFoxton Locks
Market Harborough
Free walk around Britain's longest staircase locks - optional short canal cruises at weekends from spring to October.
ToiletsAccessible toiletBlue badge parkingCafé+6 more
FreeGlenfield Tunnel
Leicester
Seasonal guided walks into a historic 1829 railway tunnel near Leicester - free with donation, book via LIHS.
Booking required
FreeGreen's Windmill & Science Centre
Nottingham · ages 0+
Free-entry restored windmill, science centre and garden in Nottingham, climb the mill (when not under repair), try science experiments, and let the kids run round the community garden.
Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+6 more
from £12.50Jewry Wall Museum
Leicester
Roman bathhouse ruins and interactive museum on St Nicholas Circle - adults from £12.50, kids free through Oct 2026.
ToiletsWheelchair accessibleGift shopBooking required+3 more
from £12.50King Richard III Visitor Centre
Leicester
Museum on the Greyfriars dig site telling Richard III's story - adults from £12.50, under-4s free.
CaféGift shopWheelchair accessibleToilets+1 more
Kirby Muxloe Castle
Kirby Muxloe
Unfinished brick castle with moat and patterned gatehouse - English Heritage tours on select dates near Leicester.
ParkingPicnic areaDog friendlyBooking required
FreeLeicester Cathedral
Leicester
A free-to-enter cathedral with a Richard III history gallery, guided tours and quiet corners worth a wander with kids.
ToiletsCaféGift shop
FreeLeicester Guildhall
Leicester
Free 600-year-old timber Guildhall with medieval galleries and a family quest - open daily near the Cathedral.
ToiletsWheelchair accessibleGift shop
from £3.83Lunt Roman Fort
Coventry
Climb a reconstructed Roman gate, explore the granary and try a battle drill in the only known gyrus inside a Roman fort.
Birthday partiesBooking requiredParkingSchool visits
Maxstoke Castle
Birmingham
A guided tour round a genuine medieval castle, open on weekdays for a look behind its walls.
from £5Middleton Hall & Gardens
Tamworth · ages 2-17
A 950-year-old house, a walled Georgian garden and a nature trail to hunt through on a kids' trail, with your ticket covering the whole day.
CaféGroup bookingsPicnic areaPicnics allowed+1 more
FreeNewarke Houses Museum
Leicester
Free social-history museum with toys, a 1950s street and gardens - limited Saturday and holiday opening, so check dates.
School visitsGroup bookingsPicnic areaLockers
FreePickford's House
Derby · ages 0+
Free Georgian townhouse museum on Friar Gate - rooms, toys and a garden shop, Tue-Sat 10-5.
Bike parkingFree parkingGift shopParking+2 more
from £11.50Rockingham Castle
Market Harborough · ages 4-15
A 950 year old family home to explore on foot, with garden trails and free outdoor tours for the kids to tag along on.
Blue badge parkingCaféFree parkingOutdoor play+3 more
from £15Stanford Hall
Lutterworth · up to age 14
A guided hour-long tour round a Grade 1 listed 1697 hall, open only on a handful of set dates.
Booking required
from £6.95Tamworth Castle
Tamworth · ages 2-16
Climb 900 years of chambers and stairs, from Saxons to Victorians, in a proper working castle right by the town centre.
Toilets
from £18Wollaton Hall & Deer Park
Nottingham · ages 0-15
A dinosaur gallery inside a Grade I mansion, plus 500 acres of deer park to walk off the museum legs.
Baby changeBlue badge parkingBottle warmingBreastfeeding friendly+13 more
Good to know: castles, historic houses & heritage in Leicester
Are any of them free?
Yes, Bagots Castle, Bradgate Park, Derby Cathedral, Foxton Locks and 6 more are free to visit.
What does a paid visit cost?
Paid entry starts from £3.82 at Ashby de la Zouch Castle. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.
Which ones are indoor?
Derby Cathedral, Glenfield Tunnel, Jewry Wall Museum, King Richard III Visitor Centre and 4 more are indoor, good to keep up your sleeve for a rainy day.
Whereabouts are they?
You'll find castles, historic houses & heritage in Ashby de la Zouch, Coventry, Sutton Cheney, Newtown Linford, Beeston and 8 more. Every place we list is in or around Leicester, and each listing has the full address and directions.
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