diff --git a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
index 9ae3534c76..5dfbc81b8f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ jobs:
     env:
       IRIS_TEST_DATA_LOC_PATH: benchmarks
       IRIS_TEST_DATA_PATH: benchmarks/iris-test-data
-      IRIS_TEST_DATA_VERSION: "2.18"
+      IRIS_TEST_DATA_VERSION: "2.19"
       # Lets us manually bump the cache to rebuild
       ENV_CACHE_BUILD: "0"
       TEST_DATA_CACHE_BUILD: "2"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yml
index 81f5132ccf..46cc319c49 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yml
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ jobs:
             session: "tests"
 
     env:
-      IRIS_TEST_DATA_VERSION: "2.18"
+      IRIS_TEST_DATA_VERSION: "2.19"
       ENV_NAME: "ci-tests"
 
     steps:
diff --git a/docs/src/whatsnew/latest.rst b/docs/src/whatsnew/latest.rst
index bb7efb9aa9..d92711d285 100644
--- a/docs/src/whatsnew/latest.rst
+++ b/docs/src/whatsnew/latest.rst
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ This document explains the changes made to Iris for this release
    :meth:`iris.cube.Cube.rolling_window`). This automatically adapts cube units
    if necessary. (:pull:`5084`)
 
+#. `@lbdreyer`_ and `@trexfeathers`_ (reviewer)  added :func:`iris.plot.hist` 
+   and :func:`iris.quickplot.hist`. (:pull:`5189`)
+
 
 🐛 Bugs Fixed
 =============
diff --git a/lib/iris/plot.py b/lib/iris/plot.py
index 8cd849b716..f87d74b020 100644
--- a/lib/iris/plot.py
+++ b/lib/iris/plot.py
@@ -1704,6 +1704,36 @@ def fill_between(x, y1, y2, *args, **kwargs):
     )
 
 
+def hist(x, *args, **kwargs):
+    """
+    Compute and plot a histogram.
+
+    Args:
+
+    * x:
+        A :class:`~iris.cube.Cube`, :class:`~iris.coords.Coord`,
+        :class:`~iris.coords.CellMeasure`, or :class:`~iris.coords.AncillaryVariable`
+        that will be used as the values that will be used to create the
+        histogram.
+        Note that if a coordinate is given, the points are used, ignoring the
+        bounds.
+
+    See :func:`matplotlib.pyplot.hist` for details of additional valid
+    keyword arguments.
+
+    """
+    if isinstance(x, iris.cube.Cube):
+        data = x.data
+    elif isinstance(x, iris.coords._DimensionalMetadata):
+        data = x._values
+    else:
+        raise TypeError(
+            "x must be a cube, coordinate, cell measure or "
+            "ancillary variable."
+        )
+    return plt.hist(data, *args, **kwargs)
+
+
 # Provide convenience show method from pyplot
 show = plt.show
 
diff --git a/lib/iris/quickplot.py b/lib/iris/quickplot.py
index 6006314265..c992cfdbf0 100644
--- a/lib/iris/quickplot.py
+++ b/lib/iris/quickplot.py
@@ -324,5 +324,30 @@ def fill_between(x, y1, y2, *args, **kwargs):
     return result
 
 
+def hist(x, *args, **kwargs):
+    """
+    Compute and plot a labelled histogram.
+
+    See :func:`iris.plot.hist` for details of valid arguments and
+    keyword arguments.
+    """
+    axes = kwargs.get("axes")
+    result = iplt.hist(x, *args, **kwargs)
+    title = _title(x, with_units=False)
+    label = _title(x, with_units=True)
+
+    if axes is None:
+        axes = plt.gca()
+
+    orientation = kwargs.get("orientation")
+    if orientation == "horizontal":
+        axes.set_ylabel(label)
+    else:
+        axes.set_xlabel(label)
+    axes.set_title(title)
+
+    return result
+
+
 # Provide a convenience show method from pyplot.
 show = plt.show
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/results/imagerepo.json b/lib/iris/tests/results/imagerepo.json
index 92f0d8fc20..2313c25270 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/results/imagerepo.json
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/results/imagerepo.json
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@
     "iris.tests.test_plot.TestPlotDimAndAuxCoordsKwarg.test_default.0": "b87830b0c786cf269ec766c99399cce998d3b3166f2530d3658c692d30ec6735",
     "iris.tests.test_plot.TestPlotDimAndAuxCoordsKwarg.test_yx_order.0": "fa85978e837e68f094d3673089626ad792073985659a9b1a7a15b52869f19f56",
     "iris.tests.test_plot.TestPlotDimAndAuxCoordsKwarg.test_yx_order.1": "ea95969c874a63d39ca3ad2a231cdbc9c4973631cd6336c633182cbc61c3d3f2",
+    "iris.tests.test_plot.TestPlotHist.test_cube.0": "b59cc3dadb433c24c4f16603943a793591a7c3dcb4dcbccc68c697a93b139131",
     "iris.tests.test_plot.TestPlotOtherCoordSystems.test_plot_tmerc.0": "e665326d999ecc92b399b32466269326b369cccccccd64d96199631364f33333",
     "iris.tests.test_plot.TestQuickplotPlot.test_t.0": "83ffb59a7f00e59a2205d9d6e4619a74d9388c8e884e8da799d30b6dddb47e00",
     "iris.tests.test_plot.TestQuickplotPlot.test_t_dates.0": "82fe958b7e046f89a0033bd4d9632c74d8799d3e8d8d826789e487b348dc2f69",
@@ -216,6 +217,8 @@
     "iris.tests.test_quickplot.TestLabels.test_pcolor.0": "eea16affc05ab500956e974ac53f3d80925ac03f2f81c07e3fa12da1c2fe3f80",
     "iris.tests.test_quickplot.TestLabels.test_pcolormesh.0": "eea16affc05ab500956e974ac53f3d80925ac03f2f81c07e3fa12da1c2fe3f80",
     "iris.tests.test_quickplot.TestLabels.test_pcolormesh_str_symbol.0": "eea16affc05ab500956e974ac53f3d80925ac03f3f80c07e3fa12d21c2ff3f80",
+    "iris.tests.test_quickplot.TestPlotHist.test_horizontal.0": "b59cc3dadb433c24c4f166039438793591a7dbdcbcdc9ccc68c697a91b139131",
+    "iris.tests.test_quickplot.TestPlotHist.test_vertical.0": "bf80c7c6c07d7959647e343a33364b699589c6c64ec0312b9e227ad681ffcc68",
     "iris.tests.test_quickplot.TestQuickplotCoordinatesGiven.test_non_cube_coordinate.0": "fe816a85857a957ac07f957ac07f3e80956ac07f3e80c07f3e813e85c07e3f80",
     "iris.tests.test_quickplot.TestQuickplotCoordinatesGiven.test_tx.0": "ea856a95955a956ac17f950a807e3f4e951ac07e3f81c0ff3ea16aa1c0bd3e81",
     "iris.tests.test_quickplot.TestQuickplotCoordinatesGiven.test_tx.1": "ea856a85957a957ac17e954ac17e1ea2950bc07e3e80c07f3e807a85c1ff3f81",
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/test_plot.py b/lib/iris/tests/test_plot.py
index c9eba31e58..f4f41f6aa4 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/test_plot.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/test_plot.py
@@ -1001,6 +1001,15 @@ def test_non_cube_coordinate(self):
         self.draw("contourf", cube, coords=["grid_latitude", x])
 
 
+@tests.skip_data
+@tests.skip_plot
+class TestPlotHist(tests.GraphicsTest):
+    def test_cube(self):
+        cube = simple_cube()[0]
+        iplt.hist(cube, bins=np.linspace(287.7, 288.2, 11))
+        self.check_graphic()
+
+
 @tests.skip_data
 @tests.skip_plot
 class TestPlotDimAndAuxCoordsKwarg(tests.GraphicsTest):
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/test_quickplot.py b/lib/iris/tests/test_quickplot.py
index 06f170c666..df2db12de6 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/test_quickplot.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/test_quickplot.py
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 
 # import iris tests first so that some things can be initialised before importing anything else
 import iris.tests as tests  # isort:skip
+
+import numpy as np
+
 import iris
 import iris.tests.test_plot as test_plot
 
@@ -281,5 +284,21 @@ def test_without_axes__default(self):
         self._check(mappable, self.figure2, self.axes2)
 
 
+@tests.skip_data
+@tests.skip_plot
+class TestPlotHist(tests.GraphicsTest):
+    def test_horizontal(self):
+        cube = test_plot.simple_cube()[0]
+        qplt.hist(cube, bins=np.linspace(287.7, 288.2, 11))
+        self.check_graphic()
+
+    def test_vertical(self):
+        cube = test_plot.simple_cube()[0]
+        qplt.hist(
+            cube, bins=np.linspace(287.7, 288.2, 11), orientation="horizontal"
+        )
+        self.check_graphic()
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     tests.main()
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/unit/plot/test_hist.py b/lib/iris/tests/unit/plot/test_hist.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8a74ff8701
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/unit/plot/test_hist.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# Copyright Iris contributors
+#
+# This file is part of Iris and is released under the LGPL license.
+# See COPYING and COPYING.LESSER in the root of the repository for full
+# licensing details.
+"""Unit tests for the `iris.plot.hist` function."""
+# Import iris.tests first so that some things can be initialised before
+# importing anything else.
+import iris.tests as tests  # isort:skip
+
+from unittest import mock
+
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+
+from iris.coords import AncillaryVariable, AuxCoord, CellMeasure, DimCoord
+from iris.cube import Cube
+
+if tests.MPL_AVAILABLE:
+    import iris.plot as iplt
+
+
+@tests.skip_plot
+class Test:
+    @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+    def create_data(self):
+        self.data = np.array([0, 100, 110, 120, 200, 320])
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "x", [AuxCoord, Cube, DimCoord, CellMeasure, AncillaryVariable]
+    )
+    def test_simple(self, x):
+        with mock.patch("matplotlib.pyplot.hist") as mocker:
+            iplt.hist(x(self.data))
+        # mocker.assert_called_once_with is not working as expected with
+        # _DimensionalMetadata objects so we use np.testing array equality
+        # checks instead.
+        args, kwargs = mocker.call_args
+        assert len(args) == 1
+        np.testing.assert_array_equal(args[0], self.data)
+
+    def test_kwargs(self):
+        cube = Cube(self.data)
+        bins = [0, 150, 250, 350]
+        with mock.patch("matplotlib.pyplot.hist") as mocker:
+            iplt.hist(cube, bins=bins)
+        mocker.assert_called_once_with(self.data, bins=bins)
+
+    def test_unsupported_input(self):
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="x must be a"):
+            iplt.hist(self.data)