Celebrate Hampshire’s historic venues with Heritage Open Days

Hampshire residents and visitors will be able to experience many of the county’s venues in fun and interactive ways – and all for free – as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days.

A number of Hampshire County Council sites will open their doors, as part of the national initiative, held every September.

Hampshire County Council Leader, Councillor Keith Mans, said: “The preservation of Hampshire’s culturally and historically significant buildings is very important to us as a local authority. Alongside our financial investment in key projects, the expertise of our Property Services team to preserve landmarks such as the Chapel at Royal Victoria Country Park, is second to none. We also collaborate with partners including the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This work is vital to ensure that current, and future generations can continue to enjoy venues such as The Great Hall and Hampshire Record Office, and take in the county’s rich history, of which we can all be proud.”

The County Council’s Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage, Councillor Seán Woodward, said: “Hampshire’s landmarks and venues offer something to suit everyone’s interests – whether it’s historical, musical, or military – there are always new discoveries to be made. Heritage Open Days events will be delivered in fun and interactive formats including tours, talks, performances and exhibitions. We hope people of all ages will have a fantastic time.”

Heritage Open Days being held at County Council venues include:

The Great Hall, Winchester – 20 and 22 September, 1.00-2.30pm

In the place where the iconic Round Table of Arthurian legend takes pride of place, savour the serene sounds of musicians playing traditional Tudor musical instruments – viols and recorders.

Hampshire Record Office – 21 September, tours at 11am and 2pm

Go behind the scenes and discover the work which takes place to preserve Hampshire’s documentary heritage. See how staff preserve and repair damaged documents in the conservation department and have a glimpse of the climate-controlled strong-rooms.

Winchester Discovery Centre – daily, 13 to 22 September inclusive

A fun, informative look at the history behind some of our Hampshire fare and some of the many foods which have become popular across the UK and beyond.

More details on Heritage Open Days in Hampshire from 13 to 22 September can be found at www.heritageopendays.org.uk

You are able to keep up to date with our articles, news and publications by following us on our social media channels below: