Historic England

Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was a prominent women’s rights campaigner who could often be seen selling copies of ‘The Suffragette’ newspaper outside Hampton Court Palace. 📰 Natasha Billson explores the remarkable life of this princess, who used her royal status to champion the women’s suffrage movement in the early 20th century. Happy #SouthAsianHeritageMonth!

This unique three-way bridge in Crowland was originally built in the 14th century by Benedictine monks over the River Welland. Until the early 17th century, the river flowed through the village and was divided into two channels under the Holy Trinity Bridge. This photograph was taken by Herbert Edward Tuppen in the 1930s or 1940s. The Herbert Edward Tuppen photography collection captures England in the early 1900s. Some of the photographs didn't contain many details about the locations shown in the pictures, but with the help of volunteers, many of the places have now been identified. 👏

Have you visited York's famous medieval street, Shambles? 🤩 This photograph from our archive was taken in 1910. At the right of the image is a butcher's shop at number 44, which dates to the late 15th century. Originally lined with butchers’ shops and houses, each had a slaughterhouse at the rear. The street was intentionally designed to be narrow, helping to keep meat out of direct sunlight. Although the original medieval shopfronts haven’t survived, some buildings still have external wooden shelves, a nod to when meat was sold from open windows. #YorkshireDay

New evidence has revealed that the shipwreck of the Northumberland, an 18th-century English warship, is exceptionally well preserved on the seabed off the Kent coast. 🌊 The Northumberland was a third-rate, 70-gun warship built in Bristol in 1679 as part of Samuel Pepys' regeneration of the English Navy. It sank during a storm on 26 November 1703 on the treacherous Goodwin Sands, with 3 other warships, the location of which is still to be determined. Our latest survey, conducted in partnership with MSDS Marine & MSDS Heritage and Licensee Dan Pascoe, has revealed evidence of the hull structure on the seabed, exposed deck planks, well-preserved chests, musket balls, iron cannons and coils of rope. The 320-year-old Protected Wreck Site is at high risk of deterioration as shifting sands expose it to physical, chemical, and biological processes.

Good news! 🙌 8 First World War pillboxes in Norfolk have been listed at Grade II. These concrete structures were built to defend the inland waterways against the threat of German forces invading from the North Norfolk coast. The pillboxes still have their original steel doors, gun loop shutters and white-painted interiors that helped soldiers operate in these confined spaces.

Good news! Vital roof repairs at St John’s Church in Lancaster have been successfully completed. ⛪ Our £574,000 grant has not only made this Grade II* listed building watertight following storm damage, but it has also delivered exceptional training opportunities for the next generation of heritage craftspeople. Last summer, 21 trainees took part in our Heritage Building Skills Summer School in the local area, with 17 working on-site at St John's. They learned a variety of specialist skills, including slate roofing, joinery and plastering. We're encouraging other heritage property owners to consider similar on-site training opportunities. Now the building is free of damp, the Churches Conservation Trust aspires to restore the church as a community hub and event space.

Surrey Street Pumping Station in Croydon, London, was built in four phases from 1851, making it one of the first areas in England to have a combined water and sewage system. 💦 Before it opened, locals collected water from often-contaminated sources, such as the River Wandle and nearby streams. The pumping station was built under the terms of the Public Health Act of 1848, following a severe cholera epidemic in the area linked to poor sanitation. Croydon was one of the first towns to adopt the Act, and the new Board of Health began to improve sanitary and social conditions. It is commonly believed that the engine house was originally from West Croydon’s atmospheric railway station, built in 1845, and rebuilt on this site by Thomas Cox in 1851.

Step into the world of Bollywood at the former Liberty Palace Cinema in Southall. Natasha Billson explores the connection between British cinema and Bollywood during the 1970s, when the film industry faced several challenges. These included economic difficulties, changes in audience preferences, the impact of television and home entertainment, and shifts in social and cultural dynamics. Happy #SouthAsianHeritageMonth!

Women have played football for centuries, but the first organised match was in 1895, drawing over 11,000 spectators. ⚽ During the First World War, around 150 women’s teams were established, with their games a successful way of fundraising for the war effort. In 1921, the FA banned women from playing on its pitches, a ban that lasted 50 years. But women kept playing in public parks and smaller venues, and by the 1960s, 44 clubs formed the Women’s Football Association. The FA finally lifted the ban in 1971. Today, the Lionesses can make history again. Come on, England!

Do you recognise this view? 👀 The British photographer Eric de Mare took this photograph of Fowey in Cornwall between 1945 and 1980. As a woman walks down a narrow street in Fowey, the River Fowey can be seen in the distance. Almshouses are on the right, and the tower of the 14th-century church of St Fimbarrus can be seen above the greenery on the left.