The UK has now entered a second lockdown period and just in time for Christmas shopping! What to do? For the last few weeks, we’ve been sharing some of our favourite British buys – food, beverages, household items, books, and more – so that you can help to support struggling businesses during the pandemic. This week, we look at some of the various items available from English Heritage. Whether you are looking for a gift for someone else or for yourself you can find some great items here to suit your budget.
Note: In the interests of disclosure, the following links are affiliate ads for English Heritage. This means that if you buy something via the links, I make a few pennies of commission to help support this site. You will not incur any extra cost.
I know it’s a Christmas tradition, but I have always found nutcrackers a little creepy. I think it’s far too many memories of being terrified by the rat king when I was younger. But even I have fallen in love with these Nutcracker Christmas cards. These charming designs are printed on sustainable board and come in biodegradable packing. An added bonus is that these cards, like all English Heritage products, will help to support the organisation’s historic properties. £12 for a pack of 24 cards.
While we’re on the subject of Christmas, English Heritage sells a wonderful range of ciders, liqueurs, meads, and wines. This Christmas Pudding wine sounds intriguing. Produced by Lyme Bay Winery (who also make an excellent ginger wine for EH), this is described as “a deliciously warming wine that embodies the character of a classic Christmas pudding”. Drink at room temperature or slightly warmed. Now you can eat your Christmas pudding AND drink it. That sounds like the perfect Christmas Day to me! £11 for a 70cl bottle.
English Heritage shops also stock an impressive range of jams and marmalades for your morning toast. My personal favourites are their Rhubarb and Ginger Preserve and this All Butter Ginger Curd. Made exclusively for English Heritage with free range eggs, this rich, spicy curd won a Great Taste Award in 2015. I love it oozing into a toasted crumpet. And if ginger is not to your liking, there are lots of other flavours to choose from. All Butter Ginger Curd: £4.
Special Offer: Get a free jute jar bag when you buy any 3 jars of curd, preserves, or condiment before 31st December, 2020. Use the code JUTEJAM when checking out.
This snowglobe lets you watch snowflakes fall silently over Dover Castle without leaving the comfort of your living room and without breaking any social distancing rules. The walls and path of the castle lead up to the keep, encased in a glass globe and ready for a quick snowstorm with just one shake. The Dover Castle Snow Globe is available in two sizes. The large snowglobe costs £18.
English Heritage has plenty of choices for booklovers of all ages. Mary S. Lovell takes a look at one of the Tudor era’s most impressive women, albeit one that many still have not heard of. Most historians of the era focus on Henry VIII’s wives or daughters. However, Lovell turns to Bess of Hardwick, who through a string of marriages climbed the social ladder to the highest ranks of the court. With one husband, she built Derbyshire’s Chatsworth House. By the time her 4th husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury, died, Bess was one of the shrewdest business people in the country, and England’s wealthiest woman, second only to Queen Elizabeth I. Read about this fascinating woman in Lovell’s book, available in paperback for £12.99.
While you’re digesting your Christmas dinner, what better way to burn off a few calories than with a rousing board game. And what better board game than this special edition of RISK. Battle against Granny and Dad to gain control of medieval England and claim the crown as the rightful King or Queen. This version of RISK is exclusive to English Heritage and is for 2 to 5 players. English Heritage RISK: £40.
Hang a classical tapestry on your wall and your gain an instant air of historical knowledge. So impress guests with your own Bayeux Tapestry. Or perhaps opt for this wall hanging of The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse. Tennyson’s 1883 poem, ‘Lady of Shalott’ provided the inspiration for this famed Pre-Raphaelite work. It depicts the lady floating on her final voyage to Camelot, and although she dies before reaching her destination, Lancelot is captured by her beauty. Care instructions are available with purchase. Lady of Shalott Tapestry: £125.
Brighten up your dark winter morning with a ray of sunshine, Little Miss Sunshine that is. This mug bears the beloved children’s Mr Men and Little Miss characters celebrating the sunrise in front of one of English Heritage’s most beloved properties: Stonehenge. It’s sure to add some cheer to your day. Stonehenge Mr Men Little Miss Sunrise Mug: £8.50.
Every Christmas we would buy my grandfather socks but they were always plain blue or grey. These would have livened up his sock drawer. There’s an entire range of Stonehenge socks, from these ones with the night sky to sheep grazing beneath the monument or even an aerial view. Choose one design or buy them all. The socks are anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, keeping that sweaty whiff at bay. But you don’t have to tell the recipient that. Instead, focus on their superb softness and their organic cotton. Bamboo socks: £7 per pair.
Each time I visit Whitby, I spend hours gazing in the windows trying to pick just the right piece of jet. I always come away empty-handed, overwhelmed by the choices. It’s not hard to see why Whitby jet is so popular. Its deep black colour (the gem comes from fossilised wood) pairs beautifully with silver settings. Whitby jet can be worn every day or for that special occasion. This piece and the others available from English Heritage are all hand carved in England and are made from genuine Whitby jet. Jet Silver Twist Pendant on an 18 inch chain is £120.
You’ve chosen your perfect piece of Whitby jet jewellery. Now how about this bat umbrella to complete your look? It would make the perfect accompaniment at Whitby’s annual Goth Festival. Or it adds a bit of style as you dodge the clouds on another British rainy day. From the outside, it is elegantly businesslike with its plain black fabric and wooden handle. Open it up to set the bats free and cause everyone to take a second look. Whitby Bat Umbrella: £25.