GCSE History: Historic environment sites 2026-2028
Specified historic sites covered in the historic environment element of the British depth studies in the specification
Published
Thursday 4 Sep 2025
We're delighted to announce the following specified historic sites for our GCSE History exams in 2028. These are covered in the historic environment element of the British depth studies in the specification.
- Norman England, c1066—c1100: The White Tower
- Medieval England, the reign of Edward I, 1272—1307: Acton Burnell Castle
- Elizabethan England, c1568—1603: Kenilworth Castle
- Restoration England, 1660—1685: St Paul’s Cathedral
To help you in teaching the sites, we’ll provide you with updated and improved resource packs that will help you in preparing your learners for the exams in 2028. These resource packs will be released in the autumn term two years before the exam (from September 2026 for the summer 2028 exams) and will be available in the teacher support section of Centre Services.
GCSE History: Historic environment resource packs 2027
Look out for the 2027 GCSE History Historic environment resource packs which will be available on Centre Services in September 2025.
The Historic Environment Sites for 2027 are:
- Norman England, c1066—c1100: The Battle of Hastings
- Medieval England, the reign of Edward I, 1272—1307: The Battle of Stirling Bridge
- Elizabethan England, c1568—1603: The Spanish Armada
- Restoration England, 1660—1685: The Dutch Raid on the Medway, June 1667.
Historic environment sites for 2026
We change the specified sites/locations each year, and you can find information about the sites that will be assessed for summer 2026 below.
- Norman England, c1066—c1100: Pevensey Castle
- Medieval England, the reign of Edward I, 1272—1307: Caernarfon Castle
- Elizabethan England, c1568—1603: The Globe
- Restoration England, 1660—1685: Ham House
The resource packs for 2026 can also be found on Centre Services under Assessment and Training>Teacher Support Materials.