Heritage Open Days

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Heritage Open Days

England's biggest heritage festival returns from the 11-20 September 2020. See hidden places and try out new experiences - all for FREE! Heritage Open Days runs in partnership with the National Trust and with generous support from players of People's Postcode Lottery.
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It is organised by a huge network of people who share a passion for places, history and culture. Locally, over 2000 organisations and some 46,000 volunteers organise thousands of site openings and events, jointly attracting over 1 million visitors. They make Heritage Open Days England’s biggest voluntary cultural event.

Operating as usual

12/05/2021

We're delighted that last year's DAWNS, made by non zero one and with James Bulley and National Trust, has been shortlisted for a Museum and Heritage Award.

Massive thanks to all involved and to everyone who tuned in at 3:43am on Saturday 16th May 2020 to experience the magic of dawn together.

Find out more about what happened HERE: https://dawns.live/

10/05/2021

We've been chatting to Katie Buckley, Head of Programmes at the incredible Waterloo Uncovered project.

This ground-breaking charity is using archaeology and history to support Veterans and Serving Military Personnel with their recovery and wellbeing.

Find out more HERE: http://ow.ly/ytmt50EIXsf

#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

08/05/2021

Happy #WindmillDay! 💨

Marvels of technology, engineering and industry - they are a highlight of any countryside walk!

What's your favourite windmill?

07/05/2021

Our festival may be in September, but behind-the-scenes preparations are going full steam ahead!

Get the tea (and biscuits!) on what's been happening HERE: http://ow.ly/l0gL50EH8l8

05/05/2021

Want a fantastic overview of the heritage sector? A chance to see behind the scenes of a national festival and gain valuable admin and customer service experience?

We’re looking for a registration assistant to help us bring together the extraordinary programme of events across the country for this year's festival.

Find out more and how to apply HERE: http://ow.ly/ibX250EFjnh

02/05/2021

Make time to listen 🔊

#DawnChorusDay

It's #LocalHistoryMonth - celebrating incredible communities, stories and places across the UK! 📜Check out the Historica...

01/05/2021

Local and Community History Month

It's #LocalHistoryMonth - celebrating incredible communities, stories and places across the UK! 📜

Check out the Historical Association's website for some fab online events taking place throughout May 👇https://www.history.org.uk/historian/resource/1567/local-and-community-history-month

Local and Community History Month will be held again next May! The aim of the month is to increase awareness of local history, promote history in general to the local community and encourage all members of the community to participate. Activities happen across the UK and include trips, library exhib...

30/04/2021

Interested in a career in the heritage sector? We're looking for a volunteer to join our friendly national team!

You’ll play a key role researching and promoting highlights for this year's festival and gain first-hand insights into how the sector works.

Find out more and how to apply HERE: http://ow.ly/wRY450EBAyC

Are you a talented Tweeter, inspirational Instagrammer and fabulous Facebook poster?We're looking for an experienced and...

28/04/2021

Work With Us - 2021 Festival | Heritage Open Days

Are you a talented Tweeter, inspirational Instagrammer and fabulous Facebook poster?

We're looking for an experienced and passionate social media professional to support our channels during our busiest festival months.

Find out more and how to apply 👇https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/news-desk/news/work-with-us-2021-festival

Work With Us - 2021 Festival Posted on 27th April 2021 by Andrew Henderson Are you interested in supporting and encouraging local communities across England to celebrate and share the places that matter to them? We have some paid opportunities and volunteer roles that will play a key part in the ...

26/04/2021

It's #NationalGardeningWeek! 🥕🥔🥦

To celebrate, horticulturalist and garden writer, Gary Webb, has been introducing us to the wonderful world of heritage produce - with stories more full of love and adventure than you might imagine!

Read about them HERE: http://ow.ly/AaVE50ExBxb

25/04/2021

This is Helen Cu***ng - heroine of the 19th century illicit whisky trade.

To fool tax collectors, Helen would disguise her Cardhu Distillery as a bakery and cover herself in flour. She would then raise a red flag as a warning to others to hide their illegal operations.

Today, bottlings of Cardhu whisky show a figure of a woman bearing a flag in testimony to Helen.

Find out more about her incredible tale and other whisky stories HERE: http://ow.ly/Qt7k50EvTAW

24/04/2021

We've been getting into the #BlossomWatch spirit with these stunning 'Williams' Bon Chrétien' pear tree flowers! 🌼 🍐 🌼

Check out our latest blog post exploring the wonderful world of heritage produce to find out more: http://ow.ly/NytO50Ewm9Q

23/04/2021

To dunk, or not to dunk, that is the question

#TalkLikeShakespeareDay #EdibleEngland

20/04/2021

Happy #VolunteerRecognitionDay!

Another opportunity to say a massive thank to the thousands of people people across England who volunteer their time for Heritage Open Days.

Your enthusiasm, dedication and passion makes everything possible 👏👏👏

18/04/2021

Happy #WorldHeritageDay! 🏛️ 🌉⛰️🔭

Here in the UK, we have 32 sites listed by UNESCO, including the Tower of London and Stonehenge.

How many others can you name?

15/04/2021

Anyone want to hazard a guess what this fearsome looking tool was used for?

Check out our latest blog post to uncover the answer: http://ow.ly/ffBU50EpuOW

12/04/2021

Happy #Ramadan2021 to all our participating mosques and Muslim organisers!

Here's a quick throwback to a fab Heritage Open Days 2018 event at Fulwood Mosque in Preston.

Fingers crossed that these types of wonderful community celebrations will be able to resume this year.

09/04/2021

It's both #UnicornDay and #CherishAnAntiqueDay...

So to kill two birds with one stone, here is a 16th century reclining unicorn cushion from the collection at Montacute House. 🦄

04/04/2021

Fancy some extra helpings of food history to complement your Easter Sunday roast?

We've been rummaging through the National Trust collections with curator, Katie Knowles, exploring some of the weird and wonderful baking paraphernalia used in the past.

Find out what we discovered HERE: http://ow.ly/pkYm50Een4p

02/04/2021

It's #GoodFriday, which can only mean one thing...hot cross buns!!!

Did you know, in the late 1500s Queen Elizabeth I actually tried to forbid the sale of these tasty treats? Anyone caught baking them outside of Good Friday, Christmas or for burials had to forfeit their buns to the poor.

Although this decree is no longer in place, we'd suggest eating all your hot cross buns today...just to be on the safe side.

#EdibleEngland

31/03/2021

Are you aged 18-25? Interested in a career in the cultural sector? Passionate about arts and heritage? This role might be for you!

’a space’ arts in Southampton are looking for two young people to co-produce an innovative and exciting late night event at their flagship venue, God’s House Tower. You’ll work with their creative programming team and GHT projects officer to research, develop and deliver an event as part #ProjectNewWave, our nationwide youth engagement programme.

Find out more and download the brief HERE: http://ow.ly/pnpQ50Edcxl

27/03/2021

Forget about sugar and tea and rum...today is #InternationalWhiskyDay 🥃

To celebrate, we've been talking to Lucy Naughton from the Scotch Whisky Experience.

So pour yourself a wee dram, get comfy, and discover incredible whisky tales HERE: http://ow.ly/uaOV50E8gBV

25/03/2021

"All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost." 💍

Today is #TolkienReadingDay. Much of Middle Earth was inspired by the English countryside. This includes The Shire, which was based on the area around the picturesque Sarehole Mill near Birmingham.

What's your favourite Tolkien quote?

21/03/2021

Happy #Census2021 day!

From the Babylonians to the Domesday Book, the roots of the modern census date back over 4,000 years.

Make your own bit of history and take the time to be counted.

18/03/2021

This is Victoria Drummond.

In the 1920s she became the first certified female marine engineer, overcoming fierce prejudice in the process.

During her 40 years at sea, she assisted the evacuation at Dunkirk and won an MBE for her bravery saving the cargo ship Bonita.

Find out more about her story and other pioneering women who worked at sea HERE: http://ow.ly/bSAt50DWaZ7

#WomensHistoryMonth

16/03/2021

Here's one for all you historic building enthusiasts...

Keymer Heritage Tiles are holding a free online seminar exploring the fascinating roots of traditional roofing and clay tile manufacture.

👇 Watch this video to find out more and book your spot HERE: http://ow.ly/VAuN50DZzPn

13/03/2021

This is Edith Sowerbutts.

Apart from having potentially the best last name we've ever heard, she helped chaperone unaccompanied women and children emigrating to America and Canada.

Naïve and unaccompanied migrants were sometimes preyed upon by s*x traffickers on disembarkation. Edith made sure her charges were safely delivered to the care of respectable employers and responsible sponsors.

Find out more about her story and other pioneering women who worked at sea HERE: http://ow.ly/bSAt50DWaZ7

#WomensHistoryMonth

11/03/2021

This is Violet Jessop who worked as a stewardess on board the Titanic.

When the ship sank, she spent the night floating in total darkness awaiting rescue. Yet barely 3 weeks later, she returned to sea on another White Star Line ship. Throughout her 43 year career, Violet survived 3 major maritime disasters, earning her the name 'the Unsinkable Stewardess'.

Find out more about the remarkable lives of pioneering working women who went to sea HERE: http://ow.ly/fdxI50DW9lW

08/03/2021

Want to hear tales of adventure, courage, camaraderie and conflict?

For #IWD2021, author Siân Evans has been telling us about her new book, Maiden Voyages, which celebrates pioneering women who worked at sea.

Discover their remarkable stories HERE: http://ow.ly/Iv4450DSowx

02/03/2021

🚨 ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET, GO! 🚨

Registration for this year's Heritage Open Days is open!

Find out how you can get involved with England's largest festival of history and culture here: http://ow.ly/eM5q50DMBdk

And massive thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery who make it all possible! 👏

Address

20 Grosvenor Gardens
London
SW1W 0DH

General information

Welcome to the official Heritage Open Days page. We love hearing from you and will always try our best to respond as quickly as possible. However, as we are a small team this is not always possible. So we thank you for your patience if you don’t hear from us right away! Are you an organiser? Got a great story, event or moment that you want us to shout about? Please email: [email protected] *House Rules* We want our page to be a place where people can share their experiences and thoughts about Heritage Open Days and talk about their experiences in a fun environment. We welcome feedback – both positive and negative. It helps us to learn and grow. These house rules aim to ensure everyone can enjoy themselves while they’re here. We ask you to be nice and polite to one another – you almost always are! - and respect each other’s views and comments. We ask all users to ensure your contributions are civil, polite, tasteful and suitable for all ages. We won’t tolerate disruptive, offensive or abusive behaviour, unlawful or objectionable content. This includes any material which might be defamatory, offensive, infringing, obscene, lewd, pornographic, violent, abusive, insulting, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, blasphemous, indecent or otherwise unlawful or objectionable. It also includes any material which is aggressive, argumentative or likely to be construed as bullying. No spamming or repetition, please, nor off-topic material in subject-specific threads or areas. *Moderation policy* In general, we don’t moderate posts – except on the rare occasion that someone has used offensive language or made libellous allegations about named or identifiable individuals on our page. We have a duty to protect our staff and volunteers, so while deleting comments is totally out of character for us, our legal position is that any post containing libellous accusations, should be removed. If an individual continues to post offensive, threatening or libellous content then we’ll be forced to block that person from the page. We won’t tolerate postings, content, or links that are racist, sexist or homophobic. We also don’t permit linking to or posting any content which endorses illegal activity, or any activities against the values of Heritage Open Days. If you’re concerned that a posting or user content has broken any of our house rules or you’re worried about any comment or content then please send us an email to: [email protected] and let us know. Finally, please note that the views expressed on our official social media channels or any affiliated channels are created by our community and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Heritage Open Days or any of the Heritage Open Days team.

Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 17:00
Thursday	09:00 - 17:00
Friday	09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+44 (0)20 7824 7180

Website

www.heritageopendays.org.uk

Alerts

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Contact The Museum

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Videos

Heritage Open Days is back – and a bit different! For the first time ever, 1000s of local people across England are celebrating their places, history, and communities not just in-person BUT ALSO online! Discover over 1,700 free events taking place from 11-20 September at: http://ow.ly/r1Iw50BlQy2

Gossip, hearsay and rumour was often the only way LGBTQ histories were recorded. But what did this look like and mean for the LGBTQ community? Artist Scottee decided to find out… Here’s what happened next: http://ow.ly/E9Tm50AcmHP #PrideMonth #NTPride

In need of a pick-me-up? This beautiful love story between two WWII soldiers (and the project that commemorated them) should do the trick… The story continues here: http://ow.ly/gH5250Acmaa #PrideMonth #NTPride

The life of 60s music maestro, Joe Meek, took a horrifying downward trajectory following his conviction for ‘importuning for immoral purposes’. Here’s how artist Julie Rose Bower told his story… Find out what happened next: http://ow.ly/OSjl50AcjxG #PrideMonth #NTPride

Regina v Turing - Short.mp4

2017 marked 65 years since mathematician, code breaker, and computer science pioneer, Alan Turing, was found guilty of gross indecency. Watch how his trial was brought back to life through VR and immersive theatre... Find out what happened next: http://ow.ly/Lkos50AciCu #PrideMonth #NTPride

Head on over to our Instagram feed from lunchtime tomorrow to watch behind the scenes footage of #DAWNSlive in preparation https://www.instagram.com/heritageopendays/

Way back in 2017, we heard from The Woodland Trust about the launch of their Tree Charter project 🌳 🌳 🌳 If like us, you’re appreciating the trees in your garden more than ever right now, why not why not have another read of our blog to find out how the project helps connect trees and people 👉http://ow.ly/1THS50za53b #NationalGardeningWeek

These days it’s all Skype this, and Zoom that… but it wasn’t until #OTD 1983 that Britain test launched its first cordless telephone. Did you have a BT Hawk? #TechHistory

Heritage Open Days - Why Take Part?

3…2…1…and we’re off! Registration for this year’s Heritage Open Days is now OPEN! Watch this video to find out what it’s like to take part... And then sign up to get involved HERE: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/organising/how-to-get-involved

🌳 🌳🌳 🌲🌳🌲 🌲🌲 🌲 🌳 🌲 🌳 🌳 🌳🌲 🌱🌱🌷 🌼🌼🌱🌱🌹 🌱🌱 🌹 🌷🌷 🌼🌼🌼🌱 🌸🌸 🌺🌺🌺 🌸🌸🌺 🌸 Do these make your heart beat that little bit faster? This job might just be for you: https://bit.ly/2UGdaaP

3…2…1…GO!!! Registration for our 25th Heritage Open Days is now open. 👏🎉🥳 Here are 4 stories from last year’s festival to give you some inspiration! 🔊 Find out how to tell yours HERE: https://bit.ly/2FREECZ

A special exhibition, mosque tour and dazzling array of snacks! The community came together at Fulwood Mosque in Preston last year to celebrate the achievements of some of the city’s early migrants 🕌 This is Naima’s Heritage Open Days…

20 bottle ovens, 12 miles and a whole bunch of bikes…intrigued? It was all happening in Stoke-on-Trent last September! 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️ This is A̳n̳d̳y̳'̳s̳ Heritage Open Days…

The crowds descended upon Keymer Tiles in Surrey last September. Crafting handmade tiles since 1588, they are one of the oldest manufactures in the UK and provide roofing materials to historic buildings such as Leeds Castle and Tewkesbury Abbey. One woman stood, high-vis jacket and stickers in hand, ready to face the swarm! This is Christine’s Heritage Open Days…

Want to know who makes our festival possible? It’s people like Nicky and Becky, who coordinated over 100 events in Winchester last year! This is their Heritage Open Days… Inspired? Find out how you can get involved HERE: https://bit.ly/2FREECZ

Hats off to Liskeard's Heritage Open Days programme in 2018! They celebrated local Extraordinary Women through puppet making, straw plaiting and story telling. Watch this short video to see what happened!

DAY 1: Aston Hall

DAY 1: AHH just one more sleep to go until England’s LARGEST heritage festival returns! Our final highlight is a real cracker…the magnificent Grade 1 listed Aston Hall in Birmingham! Built in 1618, you’ll discover stunning interiors and splendid grounds at this Jacobean mansion. More HERE: http://ow.ly/nz1G30lDsrt

DAY 2: The Red House

DAY 2: Heritage Open Days is almost here! Today we’re featuring The Red House in Suffolk, home to celebrated composer Benjamin Britten and his partner Peter Pears. Special activities will be put on throughout the afternoon in an event not to be missed by any music-lovers among you! MORE: http://ow.ly/ylng30lDslx

DAY 3: Fullers Mill Garden

DAY 3: We’re creeping closer towards the big day! Why not explore Fullers Mill Garden this Heritage Open Days, an enchanting little oasis on the banks of the river Lark in Suffolk! The garden is the life work of Bernard Tickner and features many rare and unusual plants. VISIT: http://ow.ly/z7br30lDsdz

DAY 4: The Vale of Avalon

DAY 4: Walk in the footsteps of legends this September at the Arthurian Centre in Cornwall. From ancient battle sites to pristine woodland, the Vale of Avalon is packed with history and stunning scenery! Plenty to explore for all the family! MORE: http://ow.ly/weiy30lDs9t

DAY 5: Canons House and Dovecote

DAY 5: Canons House and Dovecote in Mitcham is a real hidden gem! This grade II listed mansion will have special talks and family activities this Heritage Open Days, explaining their upcoming 4 year project to restore the house and grounds to their former glory. MORE: http://ow.ly/7OI630lDs4l

Comments

The Heritage Lincolnshire 2021 Calendars are now available for PRE-ORDER from our website https://www.heritagelincolnshire.org/shop/calendars/ There are twelve stunning pictures taken by members of the public from around our county! With every purchase you make, you are supporting us to conserve the rich heritage of Lincolnshire for the benefit of people who live and work in the area, and ensuring that it is around for many generations to come.

Ready to welcome visitors to the newly revamped Museum during #HeritageOpenDays 👓 Enjoy a socially distanced visit, book a slot or simply walk in! Enquiries & booking [email protected] or call 07773 579181 😁 @robertwrossesq @realerniekovacs @dreamingintelevision @hamillhimself @coventrycultureshow covmusic @andyhollingworth1 @fargovillagecov @hellocov @igerscoventry @covbible @coventrycomedyfestival @coventryempire @coventry2021 @coventrycitycouncil @moneymedalsnet @covcitycentre @talkingpicstv @the_herbert_cov #thephilsilversarchivalmuseum #thebritishphilsilversappreciationsociety #philsilvers #thephilsilversshow #talkingpictures #coventrycultureshow #museum #comedian #lovefargo #coventrycity #coventry2021 #ThisisCoventry #UKCityofCulture2021 #culture #Icons #visitcoventry #museumsaroundtheworld #whyilovemuseums #museumstogether The Phil Silvers Archival Museum

https://www.facebook.com/AdatYeshua.UBMS/posts/3585041621518757

St Mary Magdalenes church Sunderland has just had our heritage weekend

#HeritageOpenDays Guest Book Updates: 'Fantastic, what a great collection. Love that Guardhouse was sheer brilliance!' - David & Ian, Coventry. 'A fantastic place to visit.' - Chris & Faron, Oldbury. 'Fantastic. Will visit again.' - Jean & Tony, Euxton. 'Absolutely amazing, takes me back to my childhood watching the BBC.' 'Really interesting collection, great place!' 'A great visit, really enjoyed it. Thank you.' - Adam, Alice & Mark, Birmingham & Coventry. 'The improved Museum is FANTASTIC!' - Andy, Norfolk. 'What a Museum! TEN-HUT OUT OF TEN!' 'Fabulous!' - Ian & Jim, Alcester. 'Great memories.' - J Van Ryan, Coventry. @robertwrossesq @realerniekovacs @dreamingintelevision @hamillhimself @coventrycultureshow covmusic @andyhollingworth1 @fargovillagecov @hellocov @igerscoventry @covbible @coventrycomedyfestival @coventryempire @coventry2021 @coventrycitycouncil @moneymedalsnet @covcitycentre @talkingpicstv @the_herbert_cov #thephilsilversarchivalmuseum #thebritishphilsilversappreciationsociety #philsilvers #thephilsilversshow #talkingpictures #coventrycultureshow #museum #comedian #lovefargo #coventrycity #coventry2021 #ThisisCoventry #UKCityofCulture2021 #culture #Icons #visitcoventry #museumsaroundtheworld #whyilovemuseums #museumstogether #oldbury #euxton #birmingham #coventry #norfolk #alcester @ The Phil Silvers Archival Museum

Picked up a leaflet in Farnham on Green Spaces with HOD logo, which it is intended to continue after the event. Entertained me as I'd found SANG, socially assessable natural greenspaces, which had dropped the space to create the space. The President of the National Trust had a page in the magazine on wellbeing, greenways, and my local authority leaflets on exercise and mental wellbeing requiring access to parks and green spaces, so perhaps a chance to bring together activists organising socially accessible green spaces. I've found a bunch in my area but don't have Farnham's capability for posh leaflet.

Lots of free events from September 11th - 20th, some of which are on-line. (e.g. 7 on-line events in Cambs; 12 on-line events in East Yorks; 11 in Notts. and many more.) https://www.facebook.com/heritageopendays

Dover Greeters are so looking forward to meeting - and greeting - visitors to our fantastic seafront, we do free tours all year but you have to book a few days ahead as we are all volunteers with busy lives. Heritage Open weeks give us the opportunity to share our town ..... and signpost visitors to magnificent walks - with views !

Boxted Airfield Museum near Colchester Ess*x open on 12/13 September 10-4. see www.boxted-airfield.com

Early notification of one of the few of my public talks that has still survived the CoronaVirus pandemic!! It is scheduled for Saturday 19 September 2020 (13.30 opening - talk starts at 14.00) called "HOME, Sweet OMENS". Need to book - please see details below. This event is in support of St.Mary's Lowgate Church funds (http://stmaryslowgate.weebly.com/friends.html) and within context of Hull's Open Heritage 2020 season (https://www.facebook.com/heritageopendays). Cheers, Alec

For people living in North Somerset and wondering how to entertain the whole family, try 'Know Your Place'. Know Your Place is the free online mapping resource that is putting your neighbourhood’s heritage on the map. You can explore your neighbourhood’s heritage online through old maps, historic images and historical data and contribute to the published information yourself. To access the map and start exploring, head to www.kypwest.org.uk, click ‘Explore the map’ and scroll down to ‘North Somerset’. Find out more about the depth of history of your street or village, and explore historic maps going back further than 1840 to see when your house was built! Do you have any historic photos of places around North Somerset, or old family snaps that you’ve been meaning to sort through and would like to share? For parents with children at home, there is a downloadable Learning Pack, aimed at Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. This pack contains 6 themed lessons, each with a choice of activity that can be adapted, as well as case studies. It was developed in consultation with a range of teachers and group leaders: you can find the pack here:http://www.kypwest.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/831%20-%20KYP%20-%20Learning%20Pack%20(Digital).pdf The project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Great Weston Heritage Action Zone. Our volunteers have been busy adding new information to the map, check out the ‘Community Layer’ and click on a green diamond to find out a little more about a particular place. Know Your Place is free and available to everyone, so why not take 5 minutes and explore the map, North Somerset’s history and heritage is waiting for you! You can also find out more on: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/638416113618702/ Twitter https://twitter.com/KYPNorthSom

One weekend done, one to go. Near capacity over t eh weekend at Chatterley Whitfield.