A Little Curiosity
The Margate Crab Museum is the only museum in Europe dedicated entirely to crabs. It opened in 2021, it's free to enter, and it takes itself just seriously enough to be genuinely educational. How many days a week is it open? Answer at the end.
New on Land & Legacy
The historic places near me page is now live. Enter your postcode or town and it returns every heritage property in the area, searchable and filterable by organisation, with each result linking directly to the heritage map. Over 2,000 properties already in there. If you have ever wondered what is within reach of home, this is the quickest way to find out.
THE ONE TO SEE
Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk
Image source: Photo by mira66, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Felbrigg Hall is one of the most elegant country houses in East Anglia, and the interior is better than the exterior prepares you for. The Gothic Library, created in the 1750s and housing around 5,000 books, is worth the drive from anywhere in East Anglia on its own. A bird conservation exhibition by artist Jayne Ivimey runs at Felbrigg through 1 November 2026, putting the case for heritage and wildlife conservation in the context of a building that demonstrates precisely why it matters. The walled kitchen garden is currently accessible and in good shape this time of year, and the parkland walks are easy and well-signed.
Plan your visit → and see which other heritage sites are along the route
Discover More → on the official website
Four Worth the Drive
Castle Menzies, Perthshire
Image source: Illustration by Land & Legacy
A sixteenth-century tower house in the Tay valley, Castle Menzies has been restored by the Clan Menzies Society, now operating as Castle Menzies SCIO, rather than a national body, which gives it a different feel from the big managed castles. The Walled Garden is in good order, and the exhibitions inside include material on Prince Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, who stayed here. Open Monday to Saturday from 10.30am, Sunday from 11am. Adult entry is £16 for the castle and garden combined.
Plan your drive → and see which other heritage sites are along the route
Discover More → on the official website
Raglan Castle, Monmouthshire
Image source: Illustration by Land & Legacy
Raglan Castle was begun in 1435 by Sir William ap Thomas and is one of the last great castles built in Wales. The moated Great Tower still dominates the site, alongside formal courtyards and the remains of what was a significant Renaissance garden. It withstood a thirteen-week siege during the Civil War before falling to parliamentary forces, who slighted it deliberately. The ruins are extensive and the site is managed by Cadw with good facilities. Open daily 9.30am to 6pm through August. Adult admission £10, free for Cadw members.
Plan your drive → and see which other heritage sites are along the route
Discover More → on the official website
Fountains Abbey, North Yorks
Image source: Photo by Draco2008, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The circuit walk at Fountains Abbey takes you through the water garden, past the Moon Ponds, and along the River Skell before the full west front of the abbey comes into view. August is a good time to go: crowds are manageable mid-week, the water garden is at its best, and the light on the ruins in the late afternoon is something worth having a camera ready for.
Plan your drive → and see which other National Trust properties are along the route
Discover More → on the official website
Attingham Park, Shropshire
Image source: Photo by Poliphilo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Attingham is a late Georgian mansion built in 1783–85 to designs by George Steuart, with a Picture Gallery added by John Nash in 1807. The estate covers 200 acres of parkland along the River Tern, with a deer herd that has been here for centuries. It is one of the National Trust's better-kept secrets in the Midlands, partly because Shropshire does not get the visitor numbers of the Cotswolds, and partly because the house is genuinely interesting rather than just grand.
Plan your drive → and see which other National Trust properties are along the route
Discover More → on the official website
Hidden Gem
Mr Straw's House, Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Image source: Illustration by Land & Legacy
When William Straw senior died in 1932, his wife and two sons left the house on Blyth Grove almost exactly as it was. They kept his coats and hats in the wardrobe, his 1932 calendar on the wall, his pipes on the mantelpiece. When the National Trust took the house on in 1990, they found an Edwardian semi-detached built in 1905 that had not been touched in nearly sixty years. It is one of the most unusual properties in the Trust's portfolio, not because it is grand, but because it is not. Book a timed ticket in advance; numbers are limited, and that is part of what keeps it feeling like a genuine discovery.
Plan your visit → and see which other National Trust properties are along the route
Discover More → on the official website
Coming Up…
Moth Trap Morning, Crom, Northern Ireland
On 20 August from 11am to 1pm, a volunteer ranger at Crom will open up the overnight moth traps and go through what has been caught. It is free to join once you have paid normal estate admission, and suitable for families with children. Crom is one of the National Trust's quieter estates, sitting on the shores of Upper Lough Erne, and this is a good excuse to visit a part of Northern Ireland that does not get nearly enough attention.
Henley Country Craft Show, Stonor Park, Oxfordshire
Stonor Park hosts the Henley Country Craft Show from 28 to 31 August 2026, 10am to 5pm each day. Tickets are £10 until 23 August, rising to £12 thereafter; under-16s go free with an adult. Stonor has been in the same family for over 850 years. The Stonor family are now in their 29th generation here, and the park setting alone is worth the visit. The craft show gives you a reason to time it for the Bank Holiday weekend.
Autumn Model Railway Show, Spa Valley Railway, Royal Tunbridge Wells
On 19 and 20 September, the Spa Valley Railway hosts its annual model railway show alongside full-size steam and heritage diesel trains running on the line. Over 30 model layouts, unlimited train travel included in the ticket, and scenic walks from Tunbridge Wells West station. Adult tickets are £18, open 10am to 5pm both days. If you have children who are even slightly interested in trains, this one is easy to recommend.
Worth Knowing
Historic Houses Membership
Historic Houses membership costs £71 a year for an individual and covers entry to hundreds of independently owned historic houses, castles and gardens. These are properties that sit outside the National Trust and English Heritage networks entirely. Stonor Park and Castle Menzies are both on the list. If you are visiting two or three privately owned houses in a season, the membership pays for itself quickly, and the properties tend to be less crowded than the big National Trust names.
Worth knowing: the code LAK20 at checkout takes 20% off membership, bringing it down to £56.80. It is a Lakeland discount code, so it may not last. Worth trying while it does.
A Little Curiosity: The Answer
The Margate Crab Museum is open five days a week, Wednesday to Sunday, from 11am to 5pm. Free entry, donations welcome, and genuinely worth an hour of your time if you are on the Kent coast.
That is it for this week. If you make it to Mr Straw's House, book ahead. It sells out, and you will want to take your time in there.
About Us
Rob & Ali
We are Rob and Ali, two heritage enthusiasts who got tired of spending more time researching days out than actually enjoying them. Land & Legacy is our answer: a curated guide to the heritage experiences worth your time.
We are building something bigger behind the scenes, but for now this newsletter is our way of sharing what we find.
Hit reply if you have got a place we should know about.
Until next time,
Remembering the places that matter.