A gift in your will

LEAVE A HISTORIC LEGACY THAT LASTS

Protect the heritage you love with a legacy that will inspire millions more people, for generations to come. 

Leaving a gift in your will to English Heritage, no matter how big or small, helps us share the historic sites, objects, and stories that you love today and ensures that others can be inspired by them tomorrow. 

Find out more about how to leave your gift in will, our free online will service and the impact of your legacy.

WRITE YOUR WILL FOR FREE

We inherited our incredible story from those who came before us, now it falls to us to protect it. By leaving a gift in your will you can ensure that story can be told forever.

To help you make a difference, we’re offering a free will writing service with makeawillonline.co.uk. It’s a straightforward process, and each will is checked by a fully qualified solicitor.

WRITE YOUR WILL FOR FREE

Your Support Makes a Difference

Thanks to you, England’s heritage will be protected for everyone to discover and be inspired by. With your help, we can continue to care for over 400 incredible historic places that span 6 millennia and bring the stories of England and its people to life.  

Your passion may be for the restoration of curious artefacts, the conservation of great ruins or the flourishing of glorious historic gardens. A gift in your Will, however large or small, protects these special places so that future generations can enjoy them just as much as you and your loved ones do today. 

How to leave your gift in will

Our Promises To You

After your friends and family have been remembered in your will, we hope that you will consider leaving a historic legacy to English Heritage. Gifts in wills ensure that the story of England survives to educate, involve and inspire for generations to come. 

  • When You Leave a Gift to English Heritage in your will
    • We will treat your information with the strictest confidence and will only contact you if you have given us permission to do so. 
    • We understand that your pledge is in no way legally binding and that your wishes may change over time. 
    • We understand that your loved ones come first. Even a small % residuary gift can have a huge impact and enable us to look after the heritage that matters to you long into the future. 
    • We are grateful for every gift, large or small, and will ensure your gift is used to support our most vital work. 
    • We will always try to meet your wishes. If you would like your gift to support a particular site or area of work, please get in touch before you write your will.
    • We won’t intrude on your privacy. You can choose how much you want to hear from us about how special gifts like yours are being used to care for England’s historic places. 
    • We will always treat your family and executors with integrity and kindness. 

Contact Us

  • To request your free digital gift in wills guide, please get in touch with us. 

    If you have any questions about your gift in will or would like to find out more about the impact of your gift, our legacies team are here to help.

Your gifts in action

  • Princess Beatrice Garden

    A legacy gift enabled the creation of the beautiful Princess Beatrice Garden at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight. This tranquil oasis was designed in the distinctive Edwardian garden style as a special and serene place for visitors to admire, stroll, and rest in for years to come.

  • Thornborough Henges

    A kind residuary gift in Will, along with funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, ensured the acquisition and reunion of ‘The Stonehenge of the North’ at Thornborough in North Yorkshire. This significant Neolithic monument can now be freely enjoyed by all and its history better understood.

     

We want our long-standing membership to have on-going depth, and to know that when we are no longer able to enjoy visiting properties and gardens that have become almost personal friends over the years, our gift will help the vitally important conservation work undertaken by English Heritage to continue.

Lin and Martyn

Members of English Heritage

On my frequent visits to Witley Court over many years, I have watched the monumental recovery of the building and its extensive surroundings and decided to include a bequest to English Heritage specifically to support its preservation.

Susan

Member of English Heritage

English Heritage looks after the buildings, landscapes and artefacts that tell us the story of our past, our history, our legacy. From the times of our ancestors and forebears directly to us. It is vital this process continues so that our descendants can know of and cherish their past.

Rob and Mira

Members of English Heritage

Guidance for Executors

If you're an executor or a solicitor, and you are administering a will that includes a gift to English Heritage, please get in touch with our dedicated legacy team who will be happy to help in any way they can

Information for executors

More to Explore

Back to support us

  • Donate Now

    Donate today and help care for historic places spanning 6,000 years of English history

  • How To Leave A Gift In Your Will

    Discover the ways to leave a legacy gift to English Heritage

  • Guidance For Executors

    If you are administering a will that includes a gift to English Heritage, please get in touch and we will be happy to help in any way we can.

Your FREE Will guide

We hope that this booklet provides everything you need to help you include a gift to English Heritage in your will. Our dedicated team can answer any questions you may have. Get in touch with them by email - legacies@english-heritage.org.uk

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE WILL GUIDE