Step back in time and explore the glorious past of Great Britain with 10 historic trips to mark the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.
1 Stonehenge mystery
DB&B from £155 for two
Countless theories surrounding this 5,000-year-old stone circle abound.
New Age believers make the pilgrimage to this site eight miles from Salisbury for the winter and summer solstices – regarded as sacred times.
Admission from £15.50 adults, £9.30 children, free for English Heritage members, english-heritage.org.uk.
THE DEAL: Four-star Holiday Inn Salisbury has a one-night Stone-henge Experience for two costing from £155 which includes breakfast, three-course dinner and entrance to Stonehenge.
2 Get the lowdown on gravity
Doubles from £85pn
It’s 350 years since Sir Isaac Newton discovered the laws of light and gravity.
Now you can follow in the footsteps of the Lincolnshire scientist on a new self-guided trail, by car or by bike.
Newton’s Trail maps a hidden corner of his home county around Grantham, including the National Trust’s Woolsthorpe Manor in the village of Colsterworth where you can see the famous apple tree.
Newton was baptised in the village’s Saxon church in 1642 (gravityfields.co.uk).
THE DEAL: Best Western Angel & Royal Hotel in Grantham is said to be England’s oldest inn. Doubles from £85 per night for stays in November.
3 Walk Hadrian's Wall
B&B doubles from £100pn
Soak up an incredible slice of Roman history as you wander along Hadrian’s Wall.
Many parts of northern Europe’s longest ancient monument are still largely intact.
Among the sites of interest are Birdoswald, which has the longest surviving stretch of the wall, and fort Vindolanda, home to a fascinating collection of Roman daily life.
Entry from £6.75 adults and £4.25 children, vindolanda.com.
THE DEAL: Luxury hotel Battlesteads at Wark on Tyne, near Hexham has B&B doubles from £100 a night.
4 Cracking the code
DB&B from £150 for two
It was in the grounds of Bletchley Park, an old mansion on the outskirts of Milton Keynes, that Britain’s brainiest successfully battled with the cryptographics of the Third Reich.
The highlights of Bletchley are the Enigma machines, and the museum also holds amazing stories of espionage, deception, endeavour and bravery.
Wander around the grounds where maths genius Alan Turing used to walk his cat, and see the wartime mini-cinema too.
Adults from £16, kids £9, under-12s free, bletchleypark.org.uk.
THE DEAL: B&B at the Hilton Milton Keynes in October and November from £150 for two including dinner (£20pp), bottle of wine and tickets to Bletchley Park, with Great Little Breaks.
5 Incredible cloning
Doubles from £115pn
On July 5, 1996, the birth of a lamb caused a stir in the scientific world, because Dolly started life in a test tube – the first cloned mammal.
After her death in 2003 her body was donated to Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland.
You can say hello to Dolly in the new science and technology galleries. Free, nms.ac.uk.
THE DEAL: Just a 10-minute walk from the museum, Ten Hill Place Hotel BW Premier Collection is owned by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and all profits go to training surgeons worldwide.
In November a night in a double room starts at £115.
6 Ruling the waves
Doubles from £30pn
Salute our seafaring heritage at Portsmouth Historic Dock-yard where you can stroll along the decks of HMS Victory, explore Henry VIII’s Mary Rose, or learn about life on the mighty HMS Warrior.
The Action Stations will give you a taste of the Royal Navy today. All-attraction ticket from £23.10 adults, £16.10 kids, historicdockyard.co.uk.
THE DEAL: Doubles at the Premier Inn Portsmouth City start at £30 a night in November.
7 Go to battle in Hastings
B&B doubles from £100pn
1066 is arguably the most memorable date in our history and this year marks the 950th anniversary of the bloody battle, which was on October 14.
Today, the battlefield site in East Sussex is a peaceful place with flowers and birdsong – you can stand on the very spot where King Harold was felled in the ruins of the Benedictine abbey.
Then explore the new Battle Museum (english-heritage.org.uk).
THE DEAL: Right on Battle’s High Street, Grade II-listed Abbey Hotel has B&B in a double room from £100 per night.
8 The Magna Carta
Two nights’ B&B from £63pp
Last year marked the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the iconic Great Charter by King John and his barons.
You can see one of the originals in Lincoln Castle, which last year saw the £22m transformation of William the Conqueror’s imposing building into a fascinating visitor attraction.
Entry from £9.60 adults and £7.20 children (lincolncastle.com).
THE DEAL: Superbreak has two nights’ B&B at the Holiday Inn Express Lincoln City Centre from £63pp arriving October 30.
9 War of the Roses
Doubles from £80pn
Culminating in the battle of Bosworth, the 32-year War of the Roses is immortalised in history – it even had a star billing in a Shakespeare play.
The recent discovery of the remains of King Richard III – defeated at Bosworth – in a Leicester car park has put it back in the limelight.
The last English king to die in battle was re-interred in Leicester Cathedral and in the new King Richard III Visitor Centre, ground-breaking technology is used to bring to life the story of the last Plantagenet king.
From £7.95 adults and £4.75 children, kriii.com.
THE DEAL: The Hilton Leicester has double rooms from £80 a night.
10 Industrial Revolution
Doubles from £60pn
The industrial revolution established Britain as a global leader in manufacturing and agriculture.
World Heritage site Ironbridge Gorge is regarded as its birth-place.
You can see life in the Victorian era at the time of the boom at its 10 award-winning museums set in the River Severn valley, spanned by the world’s first iron bridge.
Annual ticket £25 /£15 kids, ironbridge.org.uk.
THE DEAL: Doubles at Mercure Telford Madeley Court Hotel from £60. Get up to 20 per cent on bookings before November 30 for stays until December 3.