Lancashire's English Heritage Open Days
Lancashire gets set for England’s biggest heritage event
Heritage Open Days, 10-13 September 2009 - www.heritageopendays.org.uk
Heritage Open Days 2009, Britain’s biggest and most diverse celebration of architecture, history and culture has been launched by Griff Rhys Jones and Baroness Andrews, Chair of English Heritage.
Over 4,000 places across the country are opening their doors for free as part of Heritage Open Days which takes place between 10th and 13th September 2009. A huge range of Lancashire attractions are among those that will be specially opening their doors.
Heritage Open Days offers something for everyone and this year for the first time is being run by English Heritage who stepped in to rescue it when the previous organisers, the Civic Trust went into administration earlier this year.
Around one million people are expected to visit thousands of properties of every style, period and function that will be opening their doors for free – and with 90 per cent of the population living within 30 minutes of a Heritage Open Days event; more and more people are celebrating their local areas.
A wide range of activities throughout Lancashire includes Waddow Hall in Clitheroe, a 17th century manor set in 178 acres of beautiful countryside, overlooking the river Ribble. Visitors can also see the servants quarters, where it is believed the ghost of servant Peg O’Nell still walks, an original school room and a Second World War children's hospital room. There will be tours around the property illustrating its chequered history, from Tudor to Georgian splendour right up to today where it operates as a Girl Guiding training and activity centre.
The magnificent Morecambe Winter Gardens were originally built as a swimming baths in the 1880s, and then developed into a People’s Palace. It housed the largest auditorium in the world and included a spectacular oriental ballroom. The Winter Gardens closed to the public in 1977, but the Friends of the Winter Gardens are working to restore it to its former glory as a multipurpose venue.
At St Mary's Nelson come and get your hands dirty at our Heritage Craft Skills Day on the Saturday when there will be a rare opportunity to not only observe the region's crafts people in action, but actually roll up your sleeves and have a go.
Elsewhere in the county Haworth Art Gallery on Manchester Road, Accrington, the home of Europe's largest public collection of Tiffany Glass, is open each afternoon from Thursday to Sunday whilst a moving yet uplifting experience is available at Donna's Dream House on Chapel Street, in Blackpool with the opportunity to see inside this wonderful house and gardens where terminally ill children, teenagers and their families enjoy a dream holiday in Blackpool.
Blackpool has several other attractions with the nearby Blackpool Comrades Club on Adelaide Street availble from Friday to Sunday for bookings to take a walk through a working artist's studio followed by a tour of the building with access to the model railway exhibition as well as an exhibition of paintings and display of various artefacts from both World Wars whilst Funny Girls on Dickson Road, Blackpool, previously the biggest Odeon Cinema outside Leicester Square, and now enjoying a new lease of life as one of the premier entertainment venues in Blackpool offers a fabulous opportunity to book for guided tours on Thursday and Friday.
From Thursday to Saturday there is a fantastic opportunity to visit St Stephens on the Cliffs on Holmfield Road in Blackpool, the historic church which houses the only Actors' Chapel in the world. It was paid for by actors who appeared at The Grand Theatre.
Fleetwood Lower Lighthouse on Fleetwood Sea Front helps provide a navigational guide to shipping coming up the Wyre Estuary and is open on Saturday and Sunday, as are the Winter Gardens on Marine Road, Morecambe, having been closed since 1977. It is now owned by the Friends of the Winter Gardens who have been campaigning for it since 1986.
St Walburge’s Church on Pedder Street, Preston, features a 309 ft spire, timber beam roof, rose window and a 14th century war memorial altar and is open on Saturday and Sunday
A full list of Lancashire attractions open during Heritage Open Days can be accessed via http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/directory/county/Lancashire/
Patrick Burke, English Heritage Outreach Manager, says: "Heritage Open Days is the free event that really does have something for everyone. Whether your passion is for industrial heritage or architectural splendour, natural habitats or the region at play, you'll find that there really is something for everyone and it won't cost you a penny. Get out and about over Heritage Open Days, make a weekend of it and find out what's really on your doorstep."
Last year, Heritage Open Days drew on the support of an army of 41,000 volunteers who opened up their buildings, gave tours and talks and organised activities and events.
This huge body of local people, from all walks of life, makes Heritage Open Days England’s largest voluntary cultural event. Jointly Heritage Open Days volunteers contributed 205,000 working hours which equated to a monetary value of £1,174,650.
Baroness Andrews, OBE, Chair of English Heritage, said: “Heritage Open Days are thrilling. They are an opportunity to explore places which, however familiar, are normally closed and therefore mysterious. They provide a chance not only to discover secret history, but to meet the people who live or work there, and are passionate about their subject. And, of course, because there are so many of these places, and they are so very different. That is what makes them so popular with adults and children alike.”
English Heritage Outreach Managers annually support Heritage Open Days by developing community projects around the country, expanding the scheme into new areas and encouraging people to open up properties and run activities that reflect the cultural diversity of their community.
Heritage Open Days is part of European Heritage Days, taking place across 49 countries during September as part of a mass celebration of Europe’s cultural heritage. The Heritage Open Days online directory listing all the events taking place in England can be seen at www.heritageopendays.org.uk .
Contacts:
COI North West
Phone: 0161 952 4513
Email: manchester@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Paul Brady
Phone: 0161 952 4504
Email: paul.brady@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Date Posted: 02/09/2009
|