Who doesn’t need some FREE days out ideas after the Summer holidays?!
Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture. Every year in September, places across the country throw open their doors to celebrate their heritage, community and history. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences in York – and it’s all FREE.
See the Mumbler top picks of Heritage Open Days in York below!
As part of Heritage Open Days, medieval re-enactors Frei Compagnie take over Bedern Hall for a Living History display. Hands on experiences of medieval food, crafts and arms. Have your photo taken with a Knight in shining armour!
🗺 Bedern Hall Co Ltd, Bartle Garth, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 7AL
📆 Sunday 10 September: 10:30 to 16:00
🎟 No booking required
See inside this watch-tower on York’s City Walls. Rarely open to the public, volunteers are on hand to show off the spiral staircase, Tudor toilet and timber roof. Find out about the history of the Walls and look out for any approaching invaders!
🗺 Fishergate Postern Tower, Piccadilly, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9AF
📆 Saturday 9 September: 10:00 to 16:00 & Saturday 16 September: 10:00 to 16:00
🎟 No booking required
You’ll be able to take a tour of the site, see (and handle!) some of the finds that have come out of the ground here, help celebrate the end of the excavation season. There are also kids activities – including sieving and finds washing!
🗺 Willow House, 34 Long Close Lane, York, North Yorkshire, YO10 4UP
📆 Saturday 16 September: 1000-1400
🎟 No booking required – Max 10 people per tour/session. Tour lengths vary according to the needs of the group, but generally last around 20 minute
All Saints North Street was recently awarded funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and private donors to restore our medieval stained glass windows. Visitors can view the restored windows in situ and experts from Barley Studio, the team who carried out the conservation work, will be on hand to demonstrate and explain the tools and methods used by the medieval craftsmen in making the windows, as well as the materials and techniques being used to conserve and protect them today.
🗺 All Saints North Street, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 6JD
📆 Saturday 9 September: 1000-1400
🎟 No booking required
Britain’s last surviving railway nursery, built in 1941, is now a volunteer-run local charity based in Poppleton, near York, set up to restore this historic site. A working plant nursery, it helps people recover from health issues.
Now a volunteer-run registered charity the nursery is preserving and restoring this historic site – the buildings, greenhouses and narrow gauge railway – using money raised through plant sales, grants and visitor donations.
🗺 Station Road, Upper Poppleton, York, North Yorkshire, YO26 6QA
📆 Saturday 16 September: 1000-1600
🎟 No booking required
Explore the evolving gardens and watch the harvest grow in the walled garden.
Head outdoors to see what’s in season in the walled garden, stroll among luxurious borders and sit under the Pergola. As the autumn harvest is starting, there will be apples and pears in abundance from over 90 varieties of fruit grown. Late colour is provided by dahlias and asters, especially along the south border. Families can let off steam in the wilderness play area.
Please note that the hall now open but the first floor art gallery will be closed as the autumn exhibition is being installed.
🗺 Beningbrough, York, North Yorkshire, Y030 1DD
📆 Friday 8 September: 1000-1700 & Saturday 9 September: 1000-1700
🎟 No booking required
You can search the WEBSITE for all the events happening near you and for digital events across the country.
