Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history & culture, taking place every September and involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Stories are told, traditions explored and histories brought to life. The festival provides members of the general public with the chance to see usually hidden places and try out brand-new experiences. And what’s more, it’s all absolutely FREE...

The event returns this year from Friday 12 to Sunday 21 September - and here are just some of the venues you can explore around Worcestershire...

The Commandery
Sidbury, Worcester, WR1 2HU

Set in the heart of historic Worcester, The Commandery is famous for being the Royalist headquarters during the deciding battle of the English Civil War: the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

Heritage Open Days visitors will be able to enjoy the museum and beautiful gardens for free. They will also have the option of listening to a talk by Nick Joyce, one of the Midlands’ leading architects specialising in building conservation. Nick will be chatting about his work with The Commandery across the decades.

Sunday 21 September | 10am-3pm. Talks at 10.30am and 1pm, pre-booking required

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Forge Mill Needle Museum and Bordesley Abbey Visitor Centre
Needle Mill Lane, Redditch, B98 8HY

Forty years after Queen Elizabeth II opened the museum, Forge Mill is this month celebrating local heritage in the company of a number of community groups. Motorbikes will be on display courtesy of the Royal Enfield Owners Club, model boats will be provided by the Little Radford Model Boat Club, and there will be live music from Indigo Arts. Worcestershire Wildlife Trust will also be playing a part in proceedings.

Visitors can enjoy free entry to the museum and join an informative tour led by one of the experienced volunteer guides.

Sunday 21 September | 10am - 4pm, no pre-booking required

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The Guildhall Worcester
The Guildhall, High Street, Worcester, WR1 2EY

Situated on the High Street, The Guildhall boasts the remarkable Assembly Room, described by King George III as “a handsome gallery” when he stopped off there in 1788.

Visitors can retrace footsteps to admire the Italianate ceiling and numerous striking portraits of royals and former mayors.

Free tours provide an opportunity to discover fascinating stories about the Guildhall’s rich past and find out how the building is being used in modern times. There will also be spooky visits to the venue’s cells, where many prisoners once awaited their grim fate.

Saturday 13, Friday 19 & Saturday 20 September | Saturday 13 10am - 3pm, Friday 19 2pm - 3.30pm, Saturday 20 10am and 11am, no pre-booking required

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Hampton Lovett Church and Parish Rooms
The Forest, Hampton Lovett, Droitwich, WR9 0LU

Celebrating 200 years of the railways, visitors to the church can check out the Hampton Lovett Heritage Railway - which looks at Hampton Lovett's relationship with the railways, and in particular the Worcester & Wolverhampton railway line, which opened in 1850.

Visitors can also explore the Grade I listed church and discover its notable architectural features and monuments. Guided tours of the tower, and video tours, are also available.

Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 September | Saturday 10am - 4pm, Sunday 10am - 2pm, no pre-booking required

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The Tudor House Museum
38-42 Friar Street, Worcester, WR1 2NA

Tudor House Museum is hosting family-friendly curator tours (suitable for children aged seven-plus), which will take a look at the architecture of the 16th-century timber-framed building.

Visitors can investigate all the nooks and crannies and find out more about Tudor builders, building techniques and special features. Children will receive a building investigators tick-list, to record all the architectural features they spot along the way.

Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 September | Sat tours 10am, 12pm and 2pm, Sun tours 12pm and 2pm, pre-booking preferred

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Worcester News Newspaper Archives
Friary Walk Shopping Centre, Worcester, WR1 3LE

Worcester Civic Society will be hosting guided tours of the Worcester News newspaper archives at Friary Walk Shopping Centre in Worcester.

The archives contain 100 boxes of press cuttings & photographs, millions of black & white and colour negatives, 1,500 glass plate negatives dated from 1936 to 1965, and 254 editions of the Berrows journals, dated from 1801 to the 1990s.

Saturday 20 September | 12pm & 2pm, pre-booking preferred

 

For further information about Heritage Open Days across the region, visit the website at heritageopendays.org.uk

Check out other regions -

BIRMINGHAM

WOLVERHAMPTON AND BLACK COUNTRY

STAFFORDSHIRE

SHROPSHIRE

WARWICKSHIRE