Lancashire’s rich heritage is yours to explore for free
Now, all we have to do is pledge to make the most of what we have on our doorstep, and what better chance is there than the annual Heritage Open Days.
This runs over four days next month – from September 11 to 14 – and offers people a chance to visit free of charge some of the buildings that normally either charge an entrance fee or which are not open to the public.
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Hide AdRead on to find out about some of the buildings that are taking part so you can plan at least one visit to somewhere you might never otherwise go.
Lancaster Maritime Museum, St George’s Quay, Lancaster
Overlooking the river Lune and the Georgian architecture of St George’s Quay sits Lancaster Maritime Museum. The museum is housed in the Port of Lancaster Custom House and warehouse buildings, which date from the second half of the 18th century. The former Custom House of 1764, designed by Richard Gillow, contains displays on the history of the Port of Lancaster and the local fishing industry and the adjacent warehouse houses focuses on the Lancaster Canal and the ecology of Morecambe Bay Several preserved vessels are also displayed, including ‘Sir William Priestley’ and ‘Coronation Rose’.
Open: Sunday, September 14: 11am - 5pm
The Priory, Roman Bath House and Wery Wall, St Mary’s Parade, Priory Close, Lancaster
The 15th century priory holds Viking ornaments, crusaders’ coffins and part of a Jacobean ‘three-decker’ pulpit. There are carved choir stalls with their misericords, which are nationally famous, making it one of the most frequently visited parish churches in the North West.
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Hide AdClose by you will find the remains of the Roman Bath House and Wery Wall, which formed a fort wall – probably dating from the fourth century. As a bonus, the priory has magnificent views across the city and Morecambe Bay.
Open: Thursday, September 11 to Sunday, September 14:10am - 4pm
Chapel of the King’s Own Royal Regiment, The Priory Church of St Mary, Lancaster, Church Street, Lancaster
The Regimental Chapel of the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment was built as a memorial to the fallen soldiers of the South African War (1899-1902). The Chapel is an extension to Lancaster Priory Church and, over the years, has expanded so it is now also a memorial to the King’s Own Royal Regiment, its soldiers and history. Around the walls are memorials to soldiers and suspended from the roof is the largest collection of regimental colours under a single roof. Join curator Peter Donnelly in a guided tour of the Regimental Chapel to discover more. Event not suitable for children under 13.
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Hide AdOpen: Friday, September 12: Tours 10.30am, 1.30pm & 3.30pm
Judges Lodgings, Church Street, Lancaster
Built in the centre of Lancaster against the backdrop of Lancaster Castle and Lancaster Priory this elegant, Grade I listed building is Lancaster’s oldest town house. The house was originally home to Thomas Covell, Keeper of Lancaster Castle and notorious witch hunter.
Between 1776 and 1975 the house became an impressive residence for judges visiting the Assize Court at nearby Lancaster Castle.The museum is now home to a renowned collection of Gillow furniture.
l As part of National Carers Day on the Sunday, advisors will be on hand to talk to visitors about dementia and encourage sufferers and their carers to make use of museums and galleries.
Open: Saturday and Sunday, September 13 and 14: noon – 4pm
The Storey Gardens, Castle Park, Lancaster
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Hide AdThe Storey Gardens in the centre of Lancaster have been closed to the public for several years. There is a magnificent copper beech in the first garden plus a large insect house and various self-seeded trees. In the second garden there is the remains of the art work The Tasting Garden by Mark Dion. This is surrounded by a flowering border, heritage fruit trees, herb garden and soft fruit trees.
Open: Saturday, September 13: noon - 4pm
University of Cumbria , Lancaster Campus, Bowerham Road, Lancaster
The university is inviting the public to take a tour behind the scenes to discover some fascinating artworks and hear the stories behind them. These seldom-seen artistic treasures include a large-scale painting by acclaimed ‘kitchen sink’ artist John Bratby in St Martin’s Chapel and a maquette (scale model) by Barbara Hepworth for her Winged Figure of 1962 on the John Lewis store in London’s Oxford Street. Children must be over age of six. Meet at University of Cumbria’s Bowerham Road campus, outside the chapel.
St Thomas and St Elizabeth RC Church, Thurnham, Lancaster
This Catholic church was built in 1848 on a private estate. It houses a collection of vestments and church silver, including Pugin monstrance, and a processional cross believed to be from Cockersand Abbey as well as windows by William Wailes. The grounds contain the Gillow family mausoleum (pictured) and a stone cross from the abbey.
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Hide AdThe chancel arch painting is by Henry Doyle, who was uncle to Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Open: Friday, September 12 to Sunday, September 14: 10am -16pm
Whalley Abbey, The Sands, Whalley, Clitheroe
The Cistercian Abbey of Stanlow, in Cheshire, moved to Whalley in 1296 and the church was built between 1330 and 1380, with the Abbot’s lodging and infirmary completed in about 1440. After the dissolution of the Monastery in 1537, the property passed into private hands and it remained a private residence until 1923, when the Church of England acquired it.
Open: Thursday, September 11 to Sunday, September 14: 9am -6pm
Ruskin Library, Lancaster University, Lancaster
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Hide AdThe gallery and the reading room will be open to the public to view the exhibition, ‘This Mountain Paradise’: Ruskin on the Continent, 1835.
Open: Thursday, September 11 and Friday, September 12: 10am- 4pm