By Linzi Davies
Heritage Open Days (HODs) returns this month 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. The packed programme of more than 5000 events features everything from historic houses to factories, museums to music halls, formal gardens to graveyards, places, spaces and communities across the country who are once again hosting free events.
Hundreds of activities will adopt this year’s theme, Creativity Unwrapped, sharing England’s colourful history of creativity. The festival will celebrate the experts and enthusiastic amateurs whose passions and skills add something special to our daily lives. Liam Montgomery, Heritage Open Days Marketing & Projects Manager says: “Whether it’s art, music, writing, or another outlet, creativity moves us and shapes our history and culture. This year organisers have once again come up trumps and created a stellar programme of events which put the spotlight on the people and places who give England’s heritage the X-factor and inspire festival-goers to engage with thousands of years of creativity. And it is the organisers who make this possible, and whose hard work enables over a million people to engage with heritage, for free, on their doorstep, every September.”
The festival features thousands of events and activities across the country including a wide range of places that usually charge, free sites that put on extra special events for the festival and places that aren’t usually open to the public.
Founded in 1994, Heritage Open Days has captured imaginations for almost 30 years. Last year more than 45,000 organisers and volunteers ran nearly 5,000 events across the country, attracting one million visits. Around one-third of visitors had not visited a heritage site/event in the past year while 80% of festival-goers said their visit made them more proud of their local area. A visitor from 2022 said “Such passionate individuals who were generous enough to share their knowledge. Forever grateful for their time and effort. It allowed me to connect with sections of the society that I do not normally interact with within the specific context.”
And organisers see a real benefit: “I feel that Heritage Open Days is really important, both to provide access to less visited/usually closed places and also to bring about more of a diverse audience than usual, opening up places for people who may usually avoid heritage attractions.”
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said, “Once again Heritage Open Days organisers have come out in force for this fantastic opportunity to explore, celebrate, and enjoy England’s national heritage. It’s wonderful that our players are helping to ensure Heritage Open Days events are accessible and free for all. In fact, Postcode Lottery players have now raised over £1.1 billion to support thousands of great causes, including this amazing event and many others run by the National Trust.” Heritage Open Days is brought to you by the National Trust with support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Every single Heritage Open Days event is free, including access to many sites that usually charge for admission.
Here are a selection of events you can find in Yorkshire:
Leeds Minster
Kirkgate, Leeds LS2 7DJ
“A Centenary of Wedding Gowns” by Kevin Thornhill
Kevin has been collecting wedding gowns for 40-years. There are 45 gowns & accessories from 1885 to 2017 on display.
The exhibition explores how gown styles & materials have changed over the decades.
Leeds Minster is very pleased to host this unique collection of wedding gowns.
We honour the gift of marriage and the celebration of weddings.
These gowns represent something of the hopes & aspirations of those who committed themselves to each other – “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.”
In this place of Christian worship, where many hundreds of couples have received prayer and made life-long vows, in the presence of God, we pray that you, also, will know God’s generous love.
Canon Paul Maybury, Rector of Leeds city
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 September 11am-2pm with additional tours and lectures on certain days. Pre-booking preferred. Contact Pauline Lancaster 01132452036 or email contact@leedsminster.org
Fishergate Postern Tower
Friends Of York Walls, Fishergate Postern Tower, Piccadilly, York YO1 9AF
See inside this watch-tower on York’s City Walls. Rarely open to the public, volunteers are on hand to show off the spiral staircase, Tudor toilet and timber roof. Find out about the history of the Walls and look out for any approaching invaders!
The Tower was built around 1505 where the City Walls ended on the banks of a swollen river Foss, with York Castle on the opposite bank.
The narrow, 500 year old stairs twist to the right as you go up, making it difficult for a right-handed attacker to use a sword (or any weapon) as effectively as a defender facing him from above. The stairs take you up to the first floor room, which has a small twisted corridor off it leading to the garderobe, for human waste to drop straight into the river. The Foss had been made very broad by the building of a dam in the time of William the Conqueror, which raised the level of the river so it flooded the land between the Tower and the Castle, where the modern road called Piccadilly is.
You can see the modern lie of the land if you continue up the spiral staircase to the top floor (look out for masons’ marks on your way) and look through the windows, which were the open embrasures of battlements for the first few years of the Tower’s life. The roof beams may be older than the Tower itself: the roof was added in the late 1500s, using second hand timbers that carry obvious signs of their earlier uses.
Saturday 9 September: 1000-1600
Saturday 16 September: 1000-1600
Booking Details
No booking required
Hidden Histories of New Briggate:
Carnival Legacy
New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU
East Street Arts is a visual arts organisation, and registered charity, that supports artists across a variety of programming, permanent and temporary studios and spaces, artist residencies, commissions and everything in between – using artists wherever possible to affect positive change to the places we live and work.
East Street Arts’ Hidden Histories of New Briggate project is part of the country-wide High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) initiative, celebrating the past, present and future of our high streets and is supported and funded by Leeds City Council and Historic England.
Conservation, repair and refurbishment are the foundations of this national project, and in partnership with organisations such as East Street Arts, the public are invited to collaboratively research, explore and celebrate the heritage of their cities – with Leeds in particular having lots to celebrate!
This month, Leeds West Indian Carnival makes a spectacular return to Leeds city centre, in collaboration with East Street Arts. A pop-up street performance, on New Briggate, celebrates the rich Caribbean history and inclusive culture of the Carnival – a landmark annual event, now in its 56th year, that is enjoyed by everyone!
With steel-pan, soca and calypso you can expect an explosion of musical dance, colourful costumes and storytelling throughout. Come along and be a part of this unique and historic cultural event as part of East Street Arts’ Hidden Histories of New Briggate.
Saturday 16 September: 1200-1600
Booking Details
No booking required
Creating A Brewing Legend: The Story Of Joshua Tetley
Shadwell Independent Library, 99 Main Street, Shadwell, Leeds LS17 8HL
Shadwell Independent Library welcomes Professor John Chartres who will give a talk about Joshua Tetley and the development of Tetley’s brewery.
The talk will explain the origins and development of the Tetley brewery in Leeds from its origins to the present day, in the wider context of the growth of the city, and the changes in brewing in more recent times.
Tuesday 12 September: 19.30
Pre-booking: Required
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creating-a-brewing-legend-the-story-of-joshua-tetley-tickets-648779696537
Max 35 people per tour/session. The talk will last approximately one hour. Please respect the needs of local residents when parking on nearby streets.
Organised by
Leeds Civic Trust/Shadwell Independent Library
Scarborough Spa
The Spa Theatre, The Spa,
Scarborough YO11 2HD
The Spa Theatre & Spa Grand Hall will be open from 1000 to 1600 for free public access.
A member of the Spa staff will be available to answer any questions or queries if required.
Scarborough Spa is a Grade II* listed building in South Bay, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It is a venue for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment, live music and events on the Yorkshire Coast. Originally built around the source of Scarborough’s spa waters, it is owned and managed by North Yorkshire Council.
The Spa has a Grand Hall, which seats 1,500 and hosts live entertainment including the Scarborough Spa Orchestra and the annual Scarborough Jazz Festival. The Spa Theatre, a 557-seat Victorian theatre, is home to summer season shows and Christmas pantomimes.
Both these spaces are normally closed off to the public when not in use but will be opened up twice to celebrate the HOD.
Friday 8 September: 10.00 to 16.00
Sunday 17 September: 10.00 to 16.00
No booking required
Tours Of The Leeds Library
The Leeds Library, 18 Commercial Street,
Leeds LS1 6AL
Discover a magical world of books & Georgian splendour
As part of Heritage Open Days, the Leeds Library is delighted to offer free tours giving you a behind-the-scenes look at one of the city’s oldest-surviving buildings and its treasure-trove of rare books. An exhibition will also be on display in the foyer throughout Heritage Open Day week exploring the creativity of library members and partners they have worked with.
The Leeds Library is the oldest-surviving members’ subscription library in the UK. Founded in 1768, the Library moved to its current purpose-built premises on Commercial Street in 1808, and many original features remain in this much-loved home.
From the Georgian splendour of the Main Room, with its Victorian sunlight burners, to the labyrinthian basement deep under Commercial Street, there is an unexpected treasure around every corner. And you never know, you may even meet the Library’s ghost…
Friday 8 September: Tour 1300 – 14:00
Saturday 9 September: Tour, 11am – 12pm; 1pm – 2pm
Sunday 10 September: Tour, 11am – 12pm; 1pm – 2pm
Monday 11 September: Tour 1300 – 14:00
Tuesday 12 September: Tour 1300 – 14:00
Wednesday 13 September: Tour 1300 – 14:00
Thursday 14 September: Tour 1300 – 14:00
Friday 15 September: Tour 1300 – 14:00
Saturday 16 September: Tour, 11am – 12pm; 1pm – 2pm
Sunday 17 September: Tour, 11am – 12pm; 1pm – 2pm
Booking Details
Pre-booking: Required
The Leeds Library is free to look round to non-members but free tours must be booked in advance.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/heritage-open-days-2023-2231249
Wilberforce House Museum
Kingston Upon Hull City Council,
Street Life Museum Of Transport, 26 High Street, Hull HU1 1NQ
Visit the birthplace of William Wilberforce and discover the story of the historic struggle to abolish the slave trade.
The museum tells the story of the transatlantic slave trade and its abolition. as well as dealing with contemporary slavery. The galleries also offer a fascinating glimpse into West African Culture.
The permanent displays at Wilberforce House include journals and items that belonged to William Wilberforce.
Including original costume. There are many significant items linked to slavery and the campaign to abolish it.
As well as leaning about Wilberforce and slavery you can also visit the East Yorkshire Regimental Gallery, Clock Gallery and Edwardian Parlour.
Friday 8 September: 10.00 to 16.30
Saturday 9 September: 10.00 to 16.30
Sunday 10 September: 11.00 to 16.00
Monday 11 September: 10.00 to 16.30
Tuesday 12 September: 10.00 – 16.30
Wednesday 13 September: 10.00 to 16.30
Thursday 14 September: 10.00 to 16.30
Friday 15 September: 10.00 – 16.30
Saturday 16 September: 10.00 – 16.30
Sunday 17 September: 11.00 – 16.00
Booking Details
No booking required
Catacombs And Tours @ York Cemetery
York Cemetery Trust, The Gatehouse,
Cemetery Road, York YO10 5AJ
Join York Cemetery Trust underground for a peek into the rarely opened Catacombs under the Chapel at York Cemetery. Then enjoy a short talk and fascinating walk around the Cemetery with an expert guide.
Founded in 1837, York Cemetery encompasses 24 acres and is cared for by York Cemetery Trust. It is recognised as a place of significant historical importance. The peace and tranquillity of this green oasis with its butterfly walk, woodland, pond, herb garden, rockery, and much more, provides an important haven for wildlife and visitors.
The cemetery’s natural beauty, together with its fascinating historic monuments and architecture, inspires artists and attracts curious children and interested adults alike.
Join a tour of the Catacombs, beneath the neoclassical chapel. Learn about the few people interred here and why it fell out of favour.
Also enjoy a short talk and tour of some of the special areas of the cemetery, hearing about York’s social heritage.
No dogs are allowed in the Cemetery grounds apart from assistance dogs.
Sunday 17 September: Catacombs every 30 minutes between 12noon and 3pm. Talk and tour starts at 1pm and 2pm.
Booking Details
Pre-booking: Preferred
Capacity for each Catacombs tour is 25 people with priority for pre-bookings. Talk and walk around the Cemetery are open to all who come.
www.eventbrite.com/cc/catacombs-and-tours-york-cemetery-2490879
Old Magnesia Well Pump Room
Old Magnesia Well Pump Room, Valley Gardens, Royal Parade, Harrogate HG1 2SZ
The Old Magnesia Well Pump Room is a listed building designed by architect John Stead in 1858, to serve magnesia water to Harrogate Spa visitors. Inside is a working recreation of the pump and an exhibition of the history of the gardens.
At the heart of The Valley Gardens is a unique geological area called Bogs Field because of the 36 different mineral water springs that emerged in this area, no other place on earth has such a variety of waters so close together.
In 1841 wellheads were built and Bogs Field was drained, then as part of the improvements in 1858, the small pump room was built to serve one of the most popular drinking waters, the Magnesia Water.
After the opening of the Valley Pleasure Grounds in 1887 and the increase in visitors, a larger Magnesia Pump Room was needed, the New Magnesia Well Pump Room was built in 1895, which is now the cafe and the Old Magnesia Well Pump Room was closed.
The Old Magnesia Well Pump Room was unloved, forgotten and overgrown until the restoration by the Friends of Valley Gardens started in 2011. By 2015, the Friends had created an education and information centre and restored the adjacent Peat Garden and the rockery with a reservoir hidden underneath.
The Friends Of Valley Gardens have also restored the Japanese Garden which existed in the 1930s and was reopened by the Japanese Ambassador in 2018 and have recovered and restored the gates from the Rose Garden on Kings Road where the Harrogate Convention Centre now stands, these now form the Valley Drive entrance and have been named the King Edward VII Memorial Gates.
Saturday 9 September: 1030-1430
Sunday 10 September: 1030-1430
Saturday 16 September: 1030-1430
Sunday 17 September: 1030-1430
Booking Details
No booking required
For further information on these events plus many more visit
www.heritageopendays.org.uk.
