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Join Which? TravelHow to get an English Heritage pass for £1
By spending £1, you can get a pass worth up to £50, offering free entry to one castle, palace, country house or historic site of your choice until 14 June
The cost of planning an autumn day out can stack up, but with English Heritage’s latest giveaway, you can visit a popular UK historic site without paying any admission fees.
The free family pass, worth up to £50, covers up to two adults and three children, or one adult and four children, to visit an English Heritage property across England, Scotland and Wales until 14 June.
You could use it for a trip out to the site of the 1066 Battle of Hastings, or to Housesteads – Britain’s most complete Roman fort, to Dover Castle, or Whitby Abbey, among many others.
You’ll need to sign up fast, though – there are just 30,000 passes to be claimed between now and the deadline of 17 May across the Reach plc newspapers and sites, including the Daily Mirror, Daily Express and some regional papers.
To claim one, you’ll need to pick up a copy of any participating papers, or you can sign up and pay £1 to subscribe to premium digital account on any of the newspaper sites offering the passes. Just make sure to turn off the auto-renew setting from within the Premium settings part of the site, to avoid being charged £4.99 automatically next month.
What is a free English Heritage day pass?
With a free English Heritage family day pass, up to two adults and three kids, or one adult and four kids, can enter an English Heritage property.
It would usually cost up to £50 per family, but with the current offer a family can visit for nothing. Kids must be 17 or under. Under-fives always have free admission.
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Can one or two adults without kids use an English Heritage family pass?
Yes. Couples and individuals can use a pass without kids.
How to get a free English Heritage pass
You can sign up for your pass by picking up a copy of the Daily Mirror or Daily Express and many other Reach plc regional newspapers. Otherwise, you can sign up for one month’s Premium access to any participating newspapers’ online sites. Just remember to turn off auto-renew in the Premium settings area on the site, so you aren’t charged for a second month’s subscription automatically.
You’ll then receive an email with a barcode, which you can use for a one-off visit to a participating English Heritage site until 14 June.
The giveaway is limited to one pass per household.
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When is the offer on until?
If you’d like to take part, you should claim your pass as soon as you can.
Alhough in theory you can claim your digital pass until 17 May, offers like these are popular and are once the passes are gone, they’re gone.
When do I need to use my free pass by?
You can use it any day up to and including Saturday 14 June 2026.
Where can I visit using the free English Heritage pass?
There are more thann 350 properties to choose from in England, Wales and Scotland — but you can’t use the free pass at all English Heritage sites, so make sure you’re only visiting a location that's included in the deal.
The free pass isn’t valid on any dates at:
Stonehenge, all National Trust, Cadw, Wales sites, guided tour sites and locally managed properties including: Hylton Castle, Calshot Castle, Castle Rising Castle, Chiswick House, Denny Abbey and Farmland Museum, Hurst Castle, Landguard Fort, Longthorpe Tower, Lulworth Castle, Maison Dieu, Rochester Castle, Upnor Castle, Alexander Keiller Museum, Avebury, Cumbria's Museum of Military Life, Aldborough Roman Town, York Cold War Bunker, Stott Park Bobbin Mill, Jewry Wall, Kirby Muxloe Castle, JW Evans Silver Factory, Ranger’s House, Hill Hall, Apethorpe Palace and Rushton Triangular Lodge, Aydon Castle and Prudhoe Castle. Belsay Hall & Castle are also excluded from 15-17th May 2026.
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Do I need to book my visit in advance?
Because this digital pass is a barcode to be scanned on site, it isn’t possible to book your visit ahead of time with this giveaway.
Similar giveaways in the past have come with a promo code that you can type in when booking online to claim the discount. But on this occasion, it seems the only way to claim is through scanning the barcode emailed to you – so you’ll have to just turn up on the day.
If you have questions or need help, you can email customers@english-heritage.org.uk.
Is parking free with the English Heritage pass?
No. The pass doesn’t cover parking costs (although not all properties charge).
How is this different from a National Trust pass?
The English Heritage pass giveaway is similar to the free National Trust pass giveaways, in that they both offer access to a free day out at participating sites, usually claimed through a selection of Reach plc newspapers and their websites.
But you will spot different options for visits out across the National Trust and English Heritage, as they are responsible for different sites — though some sites are jointly managed by both, such as Hardwick Hall, for example.
How to get cheap English Heritage membership
You can also sign up for a cheaper English Heritage membership by using the promo code REACH20. This entitles you to 20% off an annual membership.
Another discount code, MYTH60, is currently available on the English Heritage website, which brings down the cost of a family membership from £82 to £65.50
Are there any other ways to enjoy a free family day out in the UK?
Yes. In our recent survey of historic attractions in the UK, we discovered that 17 of the top-rated attractions (by Which? members) were free to visit.
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