BEFORE YOU GO

Planning a visit.

Our map shows historic places. Some welcome visitors, while others are private, closed or unsafe to enter.

Check the opening arrangements

Start with the official visitor page linked from the place record. Check the date, booking requirements and the parts of the site included. Contact the operator if you need information about steps, surfaces or other access needs.

If no public visit is offered, you need permission from the landowner. A place being old, empty or protected as a historic building does not make it open to everyone.

Use public paths and visitor routes

Follow the operator’s directions and local signs. Do not cross barriers, enter railway land, climb structures or open hatches. A nearby place on the map may need a completely different route to reach it.

Choose an organised underground visit

Do not enter unstaffed mines, tunnels, shafts, drains or bunkers because they appear in a heritage record. Unstable structures, flooding and dangerous air may not be visible from outside. Where a museum or operator offers a guided visit, use its booking and safety arrangements.

Leave the place as you found it

Leave objects and remains in place. Do not dig, mark buildings or disturb wildlife. Respect residents, other visitors and the people looking after the site.

Use the map for locations, not entrances

Our points come from historical records and may mark part of a building or a wider site. They are not directions to a safe entrance. Nearby distances are measured in a straight line, not along roads or paths.

Many places still have unconfirmed access. Where we have found visitor information, the page links to its source and shows when it was checked. Conditions can change, so confirm the details before setting out.