Explore the wonders of English Heritage thanks to the Express

From medieval espionage to Cold War bunkers, Roman intelligence ops, special forces training and D-Day deception, scores of English Heritage sites have a covert side. And these days you don’t have to go undercover to gain entry… our brilliant free passes worth up to £50 unlock free admission for all the family.

We're giving away the passes to our Express Premium customers – you can subscribe here – but you can also get them by buying the Daily Express any day this week. Each pass is valid until Sunday June 14, 2026, inclusive for one use only per household and terms and conditions apply. In the meantime, here are some English Heritage sites guaranteed to bring out the secret agent in everyone!

Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight

This great fortress began life as an earthwork defence against Viking raids before the Normans built the great keep on the central mound that endures today. After his defeat by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, Charles I was held here for 14 months. During that time Jane Whorwood, a secret agent in the service of the monarchy and vital link to wealthy London merchants who helped finance the Royalist cause, tried to free him from captivity.

Humiliatingly, one attempt failed when he became wedged in the bars of his window. A second saw a hacksaw and nitric acid smuggled in. Meanwhile, Jane chartered a ship and waited at Queenborough on the River Medway for five weeks, intending to take the King to Holland. A final escape attempt was foiled when the King was betrayed by his guards, and Charles was executed in January 1649 in Whitehall.

Today you can walk the walls that contained a king, stand below the window where he is said to have attempted to escape from, and look out across the entire island, imagine life as a medieval soldier, try on armour, and even fire a mini-cannon. For the softer side of Carisbrooke, enjoy the Edwardian-style Princess Beatrice Garden, inspired by Queen Victoria’s daughter, or visit the castle’s best-known modern residents, the Carisbrooke donkeys which still demonstrate the treadwheel that once raised waterfrom the castle well.

Dover Castle, Kent

Commanding the shortest crossing between England and the continent, our mightiest castle played a role in the defence of the kingdom for more than nine centuries. But its finest hour perhaps was during the Second World War. Not only was Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk in May and June 1940, planned here in secret tunnels dug into the cliffs but the castle would be central to Allied deception operations – codenamed Bodyguard – in the 12 months preceding D-Day.

An elaborate scheme known as Fortitude convinced the Germans the main Allied landings would be across the Strait of Dover in the Pas-de- Calais – not Normandy. For weeks on end, British and Canadian units worked around the clock in the tunnels to send a host of coded fake radio messages all over Britain to simulate communications.

It was a resounding success; even after D-Day, the Germans kept vital units away from the main fighting in Normandy, saving thousands of Allied lives, because they were still expecting a second, larger invasion in the Calais area. Today, families can explore both Medieval and Secret Wartime tunnels, while youngsters enjoy the siege warfare play area and test their own skills as they scale walls and fire the mighty trebuchet.

Scarborough Castle, North Yorks

Recent discoveries at Scarborough Castle include a lost Cold War lookout that would have been used by the Royal Observer Corps to plot nuclear bombs falling across Britain. In a recent archaeological dig, experts have opened the entrance and lowered cameras into the chamber below to assess its condition. Constructed in 1963-64 and one of 1,500 that once dotted the UK, the post is located on the headland within the grounds of the castle.

Sealed and buried in 1968, its location and condition remained unknown until its rediscovery. Designed to withstand attack, the posts were built to a near-identical spec, including communications facilities and bunk beds. They were manned by the Royal Observer Corps, a civil defence organisation which once had more than 20,000 volunteers. All in all, a striking modern twist for Scarborough Castle, whose 12th-century Norman keep remains its stunning centrepiece.

Viewing platforms offer incredible views over the town, harbour and bay. But leave plenty of time to explore the vast grassy headland and its gigantic wildflower meadow bigger than 12 football pitches. An exhibition takes visitors on a tour through the castle’s dramatic history from prehistoric times.

Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden, Warwickshire

Once standing at the heart of a vast hunting ground, even in ruins Kenilworth remains one of England’s most spectacular castles. At its height, it represented a rich prize to generations of great men. In 1253, Henry III gave the stronghold to the Earl of Leicester Simon de Montfort in a doomed attempt to buy his loyalty. When the nobles rebelled in the early 1260s, it became a bastion against the King’s rule.

But in July 1265, Leicester’s second son Simon Jnr suffered a devastating defeat after camping outside Kenilworth in a vulnerable position. Posing as a man, a female spy known as Margoth tipped off the King’s son, Lord Edward, and he marched overnight to launch a surprise attack. The rebels were routed and the castle was eventually retaken.

Its fortifications were dismantled in 1650. With stunning views over the surrounding countryside, Kenilworth is a spectacular day out for all the family, and for those lovers of Elizabethan history, visit Elizabeth I’s apartments and private staircase – especially built to woo the queen to marry.

Audley End House and Gardens, Saffron Walden, Essex

Familiar as the backdrop to TV and radio shows including Antiques Roadshow, Gardeners’ Question Time and Flog It!, Audley End played a remarkable role in the Second World War in the training of Polish special forces. Known as the “Cichociemni” – or Silent Unseen – these elite paratroopers were trained in covert operations, sabotage and intelligence gathering. Between 1941 and 1945, 316 Cichociemni were dropped into occupied Poland.

Of these brave men and women, 103 were killed in combat with the Germans or executed by the Gestapo. A further nine were killed by the communists after the war. Audley End had been requisitioned by the Ministry of Works in March 1941 following the death of its owner, Henry Neville, 7th Lord Braybrooke. Turned over to military use, it was initially occupied by local Army units but in October the Special Operations Executive (SOE) – Britain’s secret organisation for espionage and sabotage – began using the site as a packing station for canisters used to drop supplies to its agents.

The first Poles arrived in April 1942 to set up their main training base, known as Station 43, and at any one time there were around 60 to 80 trainees at Audley End. Today, children can run wild across acres of perfect parkland where the Poles trained – or plonk them in the playground while you enjoy tea and cakes at the Cart Yard Cafe. Make time for the huge Jacobean mansion and Victorian service wing. And don’t miss the mature tree collection, which includes a stunning Cedar of Lebanon planted in 1762.

Eltham Palace and Gardens, South London

When millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld were looking for a semi-rural property within easy reach of Central London in the 1930s, they chanced upon Eltham Palace. Taking a 99-year lease from the Crown, they restored the medieval and Tudor remains of the palace, adding a magnificent art deco mansion with sumptuous interiors.

During the Second World War, George Courtauld, a cousin of Stephen and head of personnel for SOE, stayed at Eltham and it is likely potential recruits were invited for dinner and informal vetting. The Courtauld company, concerned in textiles, was also involved in producing silk maps – for agents dropped into Europe – and parachute canopies. Indeed, many of the members of the British Arctic Air Route Expedition, funded by Stephen pre-war, later served in SOE.

In September 1944, when the Courtaulds left Eltham, they passed the remainder of their lease to the Army (later Royal Army) Educational Corps. Staff provided support for the education and language training of soldiers and officers, helped them resettle when they were demobbed and ran overseas Army schools. Don’t miss the beautiful gardens, with their mix of medieval remains and Arts and Crafts influences. There’s a shop and a café in the glasshouse, as well as a children’s play area.

Osborne, Isle of Wight

Queen Victoria’s former home on the Isle of Wight was used as a convalescent home for injured officers during the Second World War. Less well known is the part Osborne Bay and the Queen’s former private beach played in preparations for the D-Day landings. To meet the conditions expected during a huge amphibious assault, special technologies had to be developed, including two artificial ports, called Mulberry harbours, and a petrol pipe-line under the ocean (“Pluto”) from the Isle of Wight to Cherbourg.

An array of amphibious tanks had to be adapted and Osborne Bay and beach were used in the months before D-Day as testing grounds by the 79th Armoured Division under Major-General Percy Hobart. A range of extraordinary tanks, nicknamed “Hobart’s funnies”, included amphibious vehicles with collapsible waterproof screens and propellers. Osborne was ideal for practice landings. Vehicles were loaded aboard Landing Craft Tanks and transported across the Solent.

At around 1,200 yards off Osborne beach, they would offload and navigate towards the shore in about 15 minutes at 4.4 knots. Today, visitors can take in sumptuous interiors and art collections inside before a paddle or swim from the sand and shingle beach – then relax with an ice cream or steamy coffee from the café.

Hadrian's Wall: Birdoswald Roman Fort, Cumbria; Housesteads Roman Fort and Chesters Roman Fort, Northumberland; Corbridge Roman Town, Northumberland

Hadrian’s Wall, stretching across what is now Northumberland, Cumbria and Tyne & Wear, was the edge of the Roman Empire from AD 122-410. But that didn’t mean the Romans never ventured north. Soldiers stationed in the forts positioned along the 73-mile frontier were sent on regular scouting trips for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.

The Wall itself functioned as a controlled frontier, with forts, milecastles and turrets giving clear views into the lands beyond Roman control. They also acted as bases for scouting units – known as “exploratores” – to be sent beyond the Empire’s boundary into the Barbaricum beyond. One surviving tablet (Tab. Vindol. II 164) may be an intelligence report from the exploratores – describing the fighting characteristics and qualities of the native Britons.

It reads: “The native Britons are unprotected by armour. There are very many cavalry. The cavalry do not use swords nor do the wretched Britons mount in order to throw javelins.” Today’s visitors can walk the course of the Wall and visit the remains of the forts and towns that once kept watch; use a periscope at Birdoswald, set to the top of the wall to mimic the view of soldier guarding the fort, or stand in the North gate looking North of the Wall from Housesteads, or see rare Roman artefacts and take in spectacular views at Chesters.