2022 sees record numbers of visitors to various English Heritage sites

Several English heritage The charity said the sites had a record number of visitors in 2022.

Tintagel Castle Art Cornwall and Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire were among the 10 sites that saw the most visitors last year.

After the end of Corona virus infection covid restrictions, in 2022 the total number of members of the charity was almost 1.2 million people – the highest level.

Despite record numbers in some places, the total number of visits to all English Heritage sites in 2022 was 5.3 million, not beating the 2017 record of 6.5 million.

Visitors to Tintagel, linked to the legend of King Arthur, increased by 5% compared to 2021, while Whitby Abbey, which inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula, saw a 25% increase in visitors compared to 2021.

The site of Tintagel, which has been inhabited since the late Roman period, entered popular mythology when the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth claimed that the mythical chieftain was conceived here.

It is believed that Richard, Earl of Cornwall, was inspired by this history of the kings of Great Britain, Historia Regum Britanniae, to begin construction of the castle in the 1230s.

Meanwhile, last year marked the 125th anniversary of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula.

In the 1897 book, the abbey is the place where the earl is believed to have come ashore, and it is mentioned in the diary of the main character, Mina Harker.

Visitors also headed to the Roman town of Corbridge, a former army supply base, to mark the 1900th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall, which saw a 4% increase in visitors compared to 2021.

Kate Mayvor, chief executive of English Heritage, said: “Last year was a year of recovery for English Heritage, with domestic tourism returning to pre-pandemic levels and in many cases exceeding them.

“Many of our best-known attractions have seen their best years in 2022, which is clear evidence that homegrown tourism is thriving again in areas like Cornwall and Yorkshire.”

“However, it is notable that many of our smaller properties, located away from traditional tourist destinations, also reported record years.”

Yarmouth Castle in the Isle of Wight and Okehampton Castle in Devon reported their best ever years in 2022, with visitor numbers up 28% and 14% respectively compared to 2021.

Rounding out the record 10 properties are Marble Hill, Clifford Tower, Boscobel, Mount Grace Priory and Rest Park.

Meanwhile, other sites in Kenilworth, Richmond, Portland and Pickering saw their best visitor numbers in ten years.

In 2023, English Heritage has announced that a new museum off the coast of England at Lindisfarne Priory will open in mid-February.

It will feature recent excavations on Saint Island and a monument dedicated to Saint Cuthbert.