Discover Dorset's best kept secrets as sites across the county throw open their doors for this year's Heritage Open Days festival
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.
From historic houses to factories, museums to music halls, formal gardens to graveyards, places and spaces will again open for free between September 6 and 13. Across the country, thousands of intriguing events and fun new experiences will happen as part of HODs, the country’s largest festival of history and culture, which they have been since 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 HODs 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. With more than 100,000 events and more than 39 million visits across 30 years, it has grown from just 700 events in the first year to more than 5,250 in 2023. 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 scale and diversity of HODs is just incredible – every year thousands of passionate people help visitors to make doorstep discoveries and connect with history and heritage in every part of England,' says the event's marketing and projects manager Liam Montgomery.
'This year though, it will be extra special as we celebrate three decades worth of stories and all the brilliant people and places that have made it, and continue to make it, all possible!'
The festival will again feature thousands of events and activities across Dorset, including:
· Portland House not normally open to the public, offers a rare opportunity to see inside a very special 1930s house. It has original 1930s features, is beautifully furnished and sits in stunning grounds with far reaching sea views.
· Join the collections team at Dorset Museum and Art Gallery Collections for an exclusive opportunity to explore behind the scenes at the state-of-the-art Collections Discovery Centre where they look after a collection of over 4 million objects!
· Dorset Museum and Art Gallery Thomas Hardy Tour to explore the galleries and learn about the life and works of Thomas Hardy through a carefully curated tour of objects from the collections.
· -Discover Kingston Lacy, an opulent family home built to resemble a Venetian Palace. There's plenty to see, from spectacular artworks to beautiful landscapes.
· Visit and discover the stunning Lulworth Castle & Park and walk in the footsteps of royalty as you explore the 17th Century Castle. Discover the stunning landscapes, beautiful 18th Century Roman Catholic Chapel and unrivalled views from the Castle tower.
· Discover White Mill, a corn mill with original wooden machinery in a peaceful riverside setting. An 18th-century corn mill in a peaceful, rural setting. Rebuilt in 1776 on a site marked in the Domesday Book, this substantial mill was extensively repaired in 1994 and still retains its original elm and applewood machinery (now too fragile to be used). Enjoy a stroll over White Mill bridge or sit in the garden and enjoy the tranquillity of the River Stour.
· Sturminster Newton Heritage Trust Mill - A fascinating working mill in the heart of the Dorset countryside. Recently discovered evidence suggests this mill largely dates from 1566, on a more ancient milling site which could date back to 1016. Powered by a 100 year old turbine, the machinery will be running and a supervisor will be in attendance to give extra information.
· Visit Dorchester's striking The Keep Military Museum as part of Discover Dorchester Come along to The Keep Military Museum, once the gatehouse for the Depot Barracks of the Dorsetshire Regiment, and now a regimental museum which is a fascinating piece of Victorian architecture. Built in 1879 in the style of a Norman castle, the building has many of the original features from its time as a working barracks, including military cells, an original lift, and breath-taking views across Dorchester from the roof top terrace.
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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.
For further information, and to register your event, visit heritageopendays.org.uk
