Winchester's amazing heritage festival returns this September
One festival, four days, 110 FREE events. Find out from Becky Brown exactly what's happening at the Winchester Heritage Open Days this year.
With events taking place across Winchester, Heritage Open Days is a great chance to learn more about the city
Winchester Heritage Open Days - 13th to 16th September 2018 - are a wonderful day out. This year we have guided walks, special talks, behind the scenes tours, heritage crafts, pop-up performances, Anglo Saxons and Vikings in the Cathedral close, Medieval Knights at the Westgate and a free film screening at Everyman Cinema!
The programme is now available from Winchester Tourist Information Centre and also on our website. Some events you can just turn up to but others need to be booked in advance via our online box office. Not surprisingly, tickets are already flying out the door for many of our special one-off events as well as the much-coveted behind-the scenes tours of buildings not normally open to the public.
“Tickets are already flying out the door for many of our special one-off events as well as the much-coveted behind-the scenes tours of buildings not normally open to the public. ”
Local residents and visitors who have not yet had a chance to book still have plenty of events to choose from though, such as:
Then & Now Exhibition at the City of Winchester Trust's Heritage Centre and an Extraordinary Women exhibition at The Great Hall
Open Days at Hospital of St Cross on Thursday 13th
The Grange on Friday 14th
Friends Meeting House over the festival weekend
Alresford Eel House on Sunday 16th
There are also still places on Winchester College's, St Swithuns' and the University of Winchester historical and architectural tours.
And seats still available for some of the theatrical performance and heritage talks, including;
Radio 4 Women’s Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray in conversation with The Very Revd Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester about 'A History of the World in 21 Women'
Dr Jane Robinson, Dr Fern Riddell and Professor Emma Rees suffrage talks on Saturday 15th September at Winchester Discovery Centre and Hampshire Records Office
2TimeTheatre's world premiere of ‘Sir Walter's Women’ at The Great Hall
Blue Apple's 'Fragments of Winchester' at Pilgrims’ Hall
We are pleased to announce that three new events have been added to the programme:
The Royal Oak, Winchester
Wessex Film & Sound Archive will be showcasing its new ‘Archive Film for Reminiscence project’ in the garden at Hampshire Record Office on Saturday 15th
WARG, the society for Winchester archaeology and local history, will be at Hospital of St Cross on Thursday 13th showcasing previous digs, interactive displays and activities.
The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum new touring pop-up Vote100 exhibition will be free to visit over the weekend
We are though sorry to advise that Sealed Knot Drills & Living History on Sunday 16th has been cancelled.
Please visit our website for the full programme and to book winchesterheritageopendays.org or pop into Winchester Tourist Information Centre. And remember every event is FREE!
About Winchester Heritage Open Days
The Winchester Heritage Open Days festival team is led by local volunteers Nicky Gottlieb and Becky Brown, and hosted by the City of Winchester Trust. The festival is funded by a combination of sponsorship and local authority grants; the main sponsor being Winchester College.