−−− BY LINZI DAVIES −−−
Heritage Open Days (HODs) returns this month between the 6th-15th with thousands of free events and experiences.
Brought to you by the National Trust, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and run by thousands of local organisations and volunteers, HODs brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community, and history. From historic houses to factories, museums to music halls, formal gardens to graveyards, places and spaces will again open for free as part of Heritage Open Days. The country’s largest festival of history and culture began in 1994 – the same year the world’s first smartphone came to market, the Channel Tunnel opened, and Sunday trading was legalised in England. Over the three decades since Heritage Open Days began it has grown in scope and scale. What began as a weekend dedicated to revealing buildings not normally open to the general public has exploded into a ten-day festival, celebrating a myriad of different aspects of heritage and culture.
Still committed to its founding principles of free access and being community led, it’s a much-loved event that many look forward to every year. Hundreds of activities will adopt this year’s theme, Routes – Networks – Connections, bringing together the past and present in a festival that includes workshops, talks, hidden spaces, walks and activities for all the family. The festival will again feature thousands of events and activities across the country. Here is a selection from around our region:
The Leeds Goth
QR Code Challenge
Jumbo Records, Merrion Street, 1-3 Merrion Centre, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 8NG
● Friday 06 September: 8am-5:30pm
● Saturday 07 September: 8am-5:30pm
● Sunday 08 September: 10am-4pm
● Monday 09 September: 8am-5:30pm
● Tuesday 10 September: 8am-5:30pm
● Wednesday 11 September: 8am-5:30pm
● Thursday 12 September: 8am-5:30pm
● Friday 13 September: 8am-5:30pm
● Saturday 14 September: 8am-5:30pm
● Sunday 15 September: 10am-4pm
● Pre-booking not required
Find out about the history of Leeds as the birthplace of Goth culture. QR codes have been hidden across the city centre, each marking sites significant to the history of Goth. Scan the codes to discover facts about each location and complete the challenge.
The Story of Waddingtons
West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds, Nepshaw Lane South, Gildersome, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS27 7JQ
● Tuesday 10 September 0930-1600
● Wednesday 11 September 0930-1600
● Thursday 12 September 0930-1600
● Pre-booking not required
Visit WYAS Leeds to see a pop up exhibition on the history of Waddingtons, the Leeds company behind Monopoly, Cluedo, playing cards and much more. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to journey through decades of entertainment and nostalgia!
From classic board games to behind-the-scenes stories, immerse yourself in the history of this local company that became a national treasure. View a curated collection of original archives relating to the history of Waddingtons, from its roots in printing to its production of classic board games loved by generations.
Sound Leisure – Classic Jukebox Manufacturer Factory Tour
Sandleas Way, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS15 8AR
● 11 September: 10am
●
Pre-booking required
For further information, to book places, contact
helen.tooley@soundleisure.com or visit www.soundleisure.com
See where the magic happens and meet the talented team who build the incredible jukeboxes on a guided tour of the factory and showroom together with an overview talk and look at some of the jukeboxes they have built in Leeds and exported since 1978.
The factory is a place of wonder, they are passionate about UK manufacturing! Take the tour and you will see the entire jukebox manufacturing process in one location, from raw wood entering one end of the building to the final masterpieces leaving the other. To ensure quality is built into every component, they complete as much of the production process as is humanly possible in-house, right down to manufacturing their own printed circuit boards.
They also manufacture jukeboxes under licence for other world reneowned brands including Wurlitzer and Marshall amplifiers too.
Behind the Scenes at the
M&S Archive
Michael Marks Building, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9LP
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11 Sep 2024 at 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30 & 15:00
●
Pre-booking not required.
Ever wondered how the M&S collection is cared for? Or where it is kept? Join the archivists for a behind the scenes tour and find out.
Tours of the archive Strong Room (not usually open to the public) will be running every half hour from 10:30am to 3pm, and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
You’ll also have the opportunity to explore the interactive M&S Archive exhibition which tells the story of M&S from the early days of the Penny Bazaars to present. With new displays and interactive exhibits, the exhibition is full of opportunities to get closer to the collection and experience the M&S story for yourself. Go shopping in the Penny Bazaar, try on fashions of the past in the Design Studio, take a seat and enjoy their film collection in the cinema area and find out more about the people that make M&S so special.
Free refreshments will also be available.
Hunslet’s Rugby History
Middleton Grove, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS11 5DJ
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13 Sep 2024 19:30 – 21:00
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Pre-booking not required.
From Union to 1895 Northern Union breakaway to Rugby League, explore the 141yr history. See the1883 Minutes Book. Meet the first rugby superstar, the first black professional player, the players who went to war, and the present players training. At the club ground, in the Phoenix bar, the club will display old Minute books for the first time, artefacts and lots of pictures with explanatory captions and information. See from where around the world their players came including PNG, NZ, Australia, and where they went to, including Canada and USA. Plot on the map where Hunslet RLFC have been based. Explore their exploits in WW1, learning about those who sacrificed most and those who survived. Learn about the triumphs of the first team to win All Four Cups, first team to have an American player, first team to have joint Lance Todd trophy winners, first to have tuning fork goal posts. See their Hall of fame, Heritage Certificates and Timeline. Browse the extensive programme collection. The Phoenix Bar will be open from 7:30 to 9pm. Watch the present team training on the pitch. Reminisce about old times.
1940s day at the Museum and
Old Kings Arms Horsforth
5 The Green, Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS18 5JB
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14 Sep 2024 From 1100 – 1700 at the museum and 1730 at Old Kings Arms
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Pre-booking not required.
The Horsforth Walk of Art volunteer team have partnered up with The Museum and Old Kings Arms to create a fun packed day of all things 1940s. Learn about how Horsforth helped to end WW2 2 years early with talks from special guests and visit the Museum’s unique exhibition.
Learn how to make a morse code box with simple electronics and then try your hand at their ‘Operation Codebreaker’ training.
Finally join them for a well-earned drink at the Old Kinds Arms from 5.30pm to be entertained by the joyous ‘The Hummingbirds’. Performing Classic Songs from the 30’S & 40’S In traditional close vocal harmony style.
The story of Garforth.
Domesday to modern town
Garforth, Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS25 1PY
●
15 Sep 2024 – 14:00
●
Pre-booking required, using www.eventbrite.co.uk. Please note this walk isn’t suitable for young children or pets.
A guided walk round sites of historic interest, including some with links to the former coal mining. Many people do not realise that Garforth has many features with historical links, some to the mining which took place, others to the farming and other industries that were here, most long since gone. This walk will highlight some of Garforth’s history and features of interest that can still be seen and give an insight into Garforth’s past.
How Stean Gorge
How Stean Gorge, Lofthouse, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 5SF
● 09, 10, 11, 12 September: 0900-1700
● Pre-booking not required.
How Stean Gorge is a limestone ravine and natural wonder you can explore not just observe. As a Site of Special Scientific Interest, you can explore the caves and follow the winding paths around the gorge.
Grab A Hard Hat at the ticket desk, you’ll be given a map to help you explore every nook and cranny of this natural hidden gem.
It is advised you arrive in wellies and have a torch handy to help you explore the deep dark caves and tunnels. There are interpretation panels highlighting the history and interesting legends of that particular location. You can look down into the gorge and see the water flow over the unusual rock formations. Gorge walkers are often seen scrambling below too.
Explore the Deep Dark Caves. Trust the steely ‘snake’ by the wooden carved oak lion to take you down into the shallow water. This is where your journey into How Stean Tunnel begins… Follow the tunnel around the corner. Here’s an opportunity to whoop and holler and hear the echoes! You’ll finally come out into the light. Return to the lion and follow the path towards the entrance ready for Tom Taylor’s Cave. Squeezing through the narrow cave you’ll eventually come out in the middle of the car park!
Wildlife to look out for: trout in the stream, bats in the caves, birds in the trees, and fossils in the rocks. Get ready to try the orienteering course (free). There are 10 punches to find, they are bright orange, you’ll have to hunt high and low to spot them. The Activity Pack (£6.99) includes magnifying glass, activity sheets, plant a tree kit & more.
Knaresborough Castle
Sallyport Tours
Knaresborough Castle, Castle Yard, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, HG5 8AS
● 11 Sep 2024 Tours at 10:15, 11:00, 11:45, 14:00, and 14:45
● Pre-booking required.
One of Knaresborough Castle’s most unusual features is the Sallyport. The hidden tunnel was used for secret entry and exit to the castle. It was large enough for a small group of armed men to leave the castle quietly at night and launch an attack on any besieging troops.
Built in the late 13th or mid-14th century, it is cut out of the solid rock and slopes steeply down to the level of the bottom of the dry moat or ditch, where there is an exit. Its entrance was likely to have been hidden by a slab in the stone floor of a building, known only to a trusted few.
Today, one of the team will lead you through the Sallyport for an exclusive look at one of the castle’s best kept secrets.
Explore Beadlam Roman Villa
Helmsley Archaeological Store, Old Station Yard, off Riccal Drive, Helmsley, North Yorkshire, YO62 5DP
● 13 Sep 2024 10am
● Pre-booking required.
This site is normally closed to visitors and only opens a few times a year – don’t miss out!
Visit Helmsley Archaeology Store for a guided tour around Roman highlights held in English Heritage’s research collections for Beadlam Roman Villa and other Roman sites from the North of England. Then head over to nearby Beadlam Roman Villa for a site tour to explore the history of the site and its archaeological remains. This event is a partnership between English Heritage and Ryevitalise Landscape Partnership Project in the North York Moors National Park and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
This is a two part event, and you will need transport between the two sites, although a 6 seater van is available for lifts to the site. Parking is available on site at Helmsley Archaeology Store. For access to Beadlam Roman Villa parking is available at Beadlam Grange Farm shop and then you will be led on foot to Beadlam Roman Villa.
The walk to the villa site is around 10 minutes, through a field with uneven terrain and sometimes muddy under foot. Please wear appropriate footwear such as boots or wellies.
STEAM POWER
The Story of Fish, Ships & Chips
The Old Parcels Office, Railway Station Car Park, Westborough, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 1TU
● 12,13, 14, 15 September: 11am – 4pm
● Pre-booking not required.
The development of the steam engine in the nineteenth century brought radical change to the centuries’ old fishing industry in Scarborough. Fishing and its related activities provided work for many Scarborough men, women, and children and the ‘Steam Revolution’ changed their way of life forever.
This exhibition starts with two key aspects of the town’s sea fishing history before the advent of steam power – the medieval fishing boom, reflected in the Royal Charter granting Scarborough Fair in the reign of King Henry III, and ‘coble’ fishing, which survived from the medieval period until recent times.
It goes on to focus on the immense impact of the coming of the railways and the wider Steam Revolution on Scarborough’s fisherfolk in the second half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. Finally, to bring the story closer to our own times, it looks at the challenges faced by the industry in the twentieth century, the replacement of steam power by the internal comb
There will also be an opportunity to look round the Old Parcels Office which was originally built in the 1880’s as a set of additional waiting rooms to cope with the growth in visitors traveling by rail to Scarborough.
This exhibition has been made possible with the help of Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre and the generous support of Spawforths.
Into Battle! The Art of
British War Comics
York Army Museum, 3 Tower Street, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9SB.
● 12, 13 September: 1000-1630
● Pre-booking not required.
Explore the art and history of the best of British war comics. View this new touring exhibition, created by Rebellion Publishing & Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum. See original comic cover and panel art on public display for the very first time. Drop in to view this colourful exhibition, drawing on comics such as War Picture Library and Battle Action, to explore the art and history of British war comics.
The exhibition tells the story of war comics decade by decade. From satirical comic strips and patriotic illustrated story papers of 19th Century and early 20th Century, to the revolutionary comics of the 1970s, which presented much more gritty, authentic and emotionally-charged stories.
Long-time readers of comics will be given a nostalgic look back at some of their favourites, while younger and more recent fans will gain an insight into how their favourite medium has developed over the years.
Alongside much to capture the interest and imagination of adults, the exhibition will offer younger visitors the chance to discover how comics are made and have a go at creating comics themselves.
Acle Saxons Re-enactment Camp Gisborough Priory
Gisborough Priory, Church Street, Guisborough, North Yorkshire, TS14 6HG
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14 September:10.00am – 5.00pm 15 September:10.00am – 4.00pm
● Pre-booking not required.
Before the founding of Gisborough Priory in 1119, Guisborough was a Saxon settlement, and Acle Early Medieval Re-enactment Society (Acle Saxons) are setting up a village in the Priory grounds to show what life was like at that time. Food for hungry Anglo Saxons is authentically cooked on an open fire using authentic ingredients from the early Medieval period, giving you the chance to learn about the food that was enjoyed. Villagers quenched their thirst with mead and ale. Learn more about how these were brewed. From carding the wool, to spinning and then weaving the threads, villagers demonstrate the meticulous process of creating fabric used to make their clothes. Bees were extremely useful to early medieval people because of the different uses of honey and beeswax. Villagers use skeps to demonstrate how this may have been done. Learn about the process of beekeeping and its links to religious orders. Villagers have their own coin mint where, for a small charge, you can strike your own coin and take it home. Other aspects of Saxon life will also be on display. The Harrying of the North was an attempt to wipe out the Saxons by William the Conqueror. The warriors of Acle will be demonstrating combat from the early Medieval period, with displays of tactics and formations as well as how each weapon may have been used. The warriors also teach ‘Kids combat’ in which they will learn how to form a shield-wall and have the opportunity to fight the warriors of Acle.
For further information, and view many more sites which are opening their doors, visit: www.heritageopendays.org.uk.
