Heritage Open Days (also known as HODs) is an annual celebration of England's history and culture[1] that allows visitors free access to heritage sites and community events that are either not usually open to the public, would normally charge an entrance fee, or that are putting on something special for the festival. It also includes tours, events and activities related to history, nature and culture.
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| Purpose | Public access to historical landmarks |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 20 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH |
Region | England (except London) |
| Website | heritageopendays |
Heritage Open Days is England's largest festival of history and culture, bringing together over 2,500 organisations, 5,000 events and 40,000 volunteers. Heritage Open Days 2018 ran from 6-9 and 13–16 September.[2]
Heritage Open Days were established in 1994 as England's contribution to European Heritage Days, in which 49 countries now participate.[3][4]
Organised by volunteers (often property owners or managers), Heritage Open Days is one of England's biggest voluntary cultural events, attracting some 800,000 people every year. Until April 2009 the Civic Trust gave central co-ordination and a national voice to the event.
Heritage Open Days does not cover all of the United Kingdom as it only operates across England, there are four other European Heritage Days events in the UK that take place in September, in Wales there is Open Doors,[5] in Scotland there is, Doors Open Days, and in NI there is European Heritage Days,[6] additionally in London there is architecture festival, Open House London, which tis also a part of the Europe-wide initiative.
Heritage Open Days in 2018
editThe 2018 festival took place across two weekends in September 2018 for the first time.[7]
In 2018, Heritage Open Days celebrated 'Extraordinary Women', in order to profile underrepresented women, through non-zero one's put her forward initiative.[8] The project is funded by People's Postcode Lottery.[9]
Impact and Legacy
editHeritage Open Days has grown significantly since its inception. Each year, over 5,000 events are held, with participation from a wide range of heritage organizations, individuals, and communities. The festival has played a vital role in raising awareness about the importance of preserving England’s historic environment and fostering a sense of national pride.
Related Initiatives
editHeritage Open Days is part of the broader European Heritage Days programme, which involves over 50 countries. Other UK nations have similar initiatives, including Scotland’s Doors Open Days and Wales’s Open Doors.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Homepage | Heritage Open Days". www.heritageopendays.org.uk. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ Days, Heritage Open. "About | Heritage Open Days". heritageopendays.org.uk. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ "European Heritage Days (EHD) - Culture and Cultural Heritage - www.coe.int". Culture and Cultural Heritage.
- ^ "History". Heritage Open Days. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "Open Doors | Cadw". cadw.gov.wales. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "European Heritage Open Days | Department for Communities". Communities. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ Days, Heritage Open. "A Double Date in 2018! | Heritage Open Days". heritageopendays.org.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ Days, Heritage Open. "put her forward | Heritage Open Days". heritageopendays.org.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ "Creativity celebrated as Heritage Open Days announces 2023 theme". Wokingham.Today. 5 June 2023.
External links
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