Heritage open days
England’s biggest free heritage festival
Friday 6 to Sunday 15 September 2024
Heritage open days are a great opportunity to explore new places, seek out hidden treasures, and enjoy the fantastic heritage South Gloucestershire has to offer, all for free.
Details of new and returning South Gloucestershire venues are featured on this page. To find out more about what’s going on around the country, visit the Heritage Open Days website.
Due to the historic nature of these venues there is limited disabled access to some sites. Details are in the listing but if you have any questions, contact the venues directly or check their website for the latest information.
Dyrham Park – National Trust
Off the A46, near Dyrham village, SN14 8HY
Saturday 7 September, 10am to 5pm (last entry 4pm)
The National Trust’s Dyrham Park will welcome visitors for free on Saturday 7 September.
During your visit you can walk through 270 acres of ancient deer park with far-reaching views over to Wales. There are some set walking routes, or you can go your own way, and you might spot the herd of newly introduced fallow deer.
Explore the formal gardens including the avenue of planting and pools with beautiful borders. There is also an orchard and a peaceful wooded terrace area.
For those interested in history, step inside the newly revitalised baroque mansion house created by civil servant William Blathwayt in the 17th century and view the special exhibition about his life and the birth of modern Britain.
The revamped play area at Old Lodge includes a café and ice cream kiosks, and the tearoom in the parkland will be selling refreshments. The National Trust shop will be open for anyone wanting a souvenir of their special day or a plant for the garden.
Accessibility
The parkland is steep and uneven in places. There is a transfer vehicle to transport anyone who needs assistance from the car park to the garden and house, and wheelchairs can be loaned. Assistance dogs are welcomed.
Find out more about Dyrham Park on the National Trust website.
Brandy Bottom Colliery
Beside Avon cycle path 410 near its intersection with Coxgrove Hill, near Pucklechurch
Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, 10.30am to 3.30pm
Take a guided tour around the remains of the surface buildings of the 19th century coal mine, which are in the process of being conserved. Access to the site is as part of a guided tour only.
Accessibility
This is a working site, with rough paths, steps, and slopes, some of which are steep. Many areas are not accessible to wheelchair users or pushchairs. Visitors should wear suitable footwear. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Road parking is limited at Coxgrove Hill but there is easy access on foot or by cycling using the cycle path.
Find out more on the Avon Industrial Buildings Trust website.
Frenchay Village Museum
1 Begbrook Park, BS16 1SZ near the mini-roundabout on Frenchay Park Road
- Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, 2pm to 5pm
- Wednesday 11 September, 1pm to 4pm
- Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September, 2pm to 5pm
Join the 2024 commemorations of three significant Frenchay anniversaries: 10 years since the closure of Frenchay Hospital in May 2014, 30 years since the start of the Frenchay Tuckett Society, which runs Frenchay Village Museum, and 80 years since D-Day in June 1944, when the hospital was a major treatment centre for American soldiers wounded during the battles for Normandy.
The museum has something for everyone, including the world’s oldest chocolate bar, through connections with the Fry family, and a range of Victorian toys and clothes to try on.
Combine a trip to the museum with a tour around historic Frenchay Village. The museum has copies of ‘A Grand Tour of Frenchay’ available for sale to guide you around local points of interest.
Accessibility
There is reasonably level access to the main building and a stair-lift to the first floor. The outside toilet has a step-up. Car parking is available close by.
Find out more on the Frenchay Village Museum website.
Ram Hill Colliery
Broad Lane, Coalpit Heath, BS36 2TY
Sunday 8 September, 11am to 3pm
A tour of the archaeology of Ram Hill Colliery and the start of the Dramway. You will learn about the archaeology of the arch, the coal bunkers, the pit shaft, the horse gin, the engine and the chimney.
Suitable for all ages. Sensible footwear recommended and keep dogs on the lead.
Find out more on the Friends of Ram Hill Colliery Facebook group.
Aerospace Bristol
Hayes Way, Patchway, BS34 5BZ
Dates between 9 and 15 September. Contact Aerospace Bristol for more details.
A behind the scenes look at the Aerospace Bristol reserve collection and hidden features of the historic site not normally seen by visitors.
Suitable for adults and children aged 10 and over.
Accessibility
The tour will include entering storage areas inside historic hangars where the floor may be uneven, walkways narrow, and seating unavailable. It will also involve walking around the outdoor areas of the museum site.
Booking
Booking is essential. You will be able to book your place on the Aerospace Bristol website.
Yate and District Heritage Centre – heritage walks
Yate and District Heritage Centre is hosting two walking tours of the local area.
Wednesday 11 September, 6.30pm to 8pm
Walking tour of Chipping Sodbury covering Broad Street, Hatters Lane, and Horse Street. Meeting point to start the walk is at the Chipping Sodbury Tourist Information Centre.
Thursday 12 September, 2pm to 3.30pm
Walking tour of Kingsgate Park, Stanshawes Court, and the surrounding area. Meeting point to start the walk is at the front entrance of Stanshawes Court.
Refreshments can be purchased from local pubs and restaurants on Chipping Sodbury high street and in the Kingsgate Park area but do not form part of the walking tours.
Accessibility
Heritage walking tours are suitable for all ages, with minimal rough ground or steep climbs.
Booking
Booking is essential. To book your place, email info@yateheritage.co.uk or call 01454 862200.
Find out more on the Yate Town Council website.
Thornbury Town Hall – guided tour
High Street, Thornbury, BS35 2AR
Saturday 14 September, 10am to 2pm
Discover Thornbury Town Hall with guided tours and historic artefacts available to view.
Councillors will provide information on the history of the property and its current and former uses.
Accessibility
Wheelchair access to the building is through the side entrance. The ground and first floors are accessible to wheelchair users by lift. The cellar is only accessible by steep steps.
Find out more on the Thornbury Town Council website.
St. Mary’s Church – tower tour
Castle Street, Thornbury, BS35 1HQ
Saturday 14 September 1.30pm to 4.30pm
Join a tower tour at St. Mary’s Church in Thornbury. On the tour you’ll walk the 133 steps to the top of the tower to take in a unique view of the market town and its beautiful surrounding countryside.
The church will be open for visitors but access to certain areas will be restricted due to building works.
Accessibility
Tower tours are suitable for those aged 8 and over. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Disabled access to the tower is unavailable. A fully accessible toilet will be available outside the church.
Booking
Booking is essential. To book your tour, email thornburybenefice@outlook.com or call 01454 281900.
Find out more about St Mary’s Church.
Warmley Signal Box and Community Garden Group – signal box demonstration
High Street, Warmley, BS30 8XH
Saturday 14 September, 11am to 4pm
An opportunity to visit the Grade II listed building and learn how it once worked. Demonstrations will be carried out by ex-railway workers and signalmen who are now volunteers.
Accessibility
All ages welcome. Upper level is not accessible for wheelchair users and those less mobile, but the gravel surrounds are suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
The Waiting Room Café across the road will be open for refreshments.
Find out more on the Warmley Signal Box and Community Gardens Facebook group.
Kingswood Heritage Museum
Tower Lane, Warmley, BS30 8XT
Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September, 11am to 5pm
Come to view the wonderful heritage of the greater Kingswood area.
The Kingswood Heritage Museum is housed in a landmark 18th century building which was the centre of industrialist William Champion’s metalworks. It tells the story of Champion’s remarkable achievements and, together with the wider area’s industrial and socio-economic importance, chronicles change to the present day.
Every year the museum displays photographs from an extensive collection which focuses on a different part of the greater Kingswood area. Other highlights include a collection of Douglas motorbikes, displays of local mining, and boot and shoe manufacture, a working model railway and an interactive World War 2 display.
The Champion site also includes his house (now privately owned) and his gardens – see the listing below for more information.
There is a café providing light refreshments and seating in the reception area.
Accessibility
The museum is on one level accessed from an on-site car park and accessible for wheelchairs. Recently renovated toilets include disabled facilities.
Find out more on the Kingswood Heritage Museum website.
William Champion’s Garden and Grotto
Tower Lane, Warmley, BS30 8XT
Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September 11am to 4.30pm
The remarkable and rare Grade II listed 18th century garden of industrialist William Champion is hidden behind his brass mill (now Kingswood Heritage Museum) and pin factory (known as the Clocktower).
Discover the 9m statue of Neptune, which once towered over a huge lake, and explore the concealed grotto, a unique surviving feature of Champion’s pleasure grounds. Make your way into the candle-lit tunnels past three pools, one fed by a cascade which once flowed from Champion’s brass works. Other historic features of the garden include the snail viewing mound, echo pond, and summer house.
The garden is being brought back to life with wildflower meadows and a heritage orchard planted with fruit trees from Champion’s time.
Toilets and café are available at the nearby Kingswood Heritage Museum.
Accessibility
Within the garden, walking is mainly over grass with a few paths. Access by foot is from Tower Lane to the east of Kingswood Heritage Museum and is flat.
Parking is available below Warmley House, off Tower Road North. The slope between the gardens and the car park is steep, and there are steps on the far side of the turning circle.
More information is available on the William Champion’s Garden website.
St. Michael’s, Winterbourne Parish Church
Church Lane, Winterbourne, BS36 1SE
- Saturday 14 September, 10am to 4pm
- Sunday 15 September, 1pm to 4pm
St. Michael’s Church is a Grade I listed building dating from the late 12th century.
Sir Thomas Bradeston, a supporter of Edward III, commissioned paintings, effigies, and a brass in the 14th century, all of which can still be viewed. The tower, which dates from the same century, contains a ring of six bells cast in 1757, the heaviest of which weighs over 1 ton.
Teas and coffees will be available.
Find out more about St. Michael’s Church.
Winterbourne Medieval Barn
Church Lane, Winterbourne, BS36 1SE
Sunday 15 September, 1pm to 5pm
Visit the Winterbourne Medieval Barn as it celebrates 20 years of participating in Heritage Open Days. Explore the site, view original medieval timbers and speak to tour guides about its history – from the middle ages to modern day.
Built in 1342, it is the oldest barn in England and a unique example of a great medieval barn built by a gentry family. Constructed using green timber methods, cutting edge technology for the time, it has been described as a magnificent example of the builder’s craft.
Suitable for all ages. Combine your visit with a trip to St. Michael’s Church next door – see the listing above – or visit Monks Pool Nature Reserve, located next to the barn, for an ideal starting point to explore the local landscape.
Look out for the brown signs on Winterbourne high street to direct you to the barn and follow the pint bunting to the entrance. There is plenty of cycle parking for those visiting by bike. The barn is a short 10 minute walk from the high street. Limited car parking is available on site.
Accessibility
The main barn site is wheelchair accessible and pushchair friendly although the terrain and flooring inside is uneven in places. Volunteers are happy to assist where they can.
Accessible toilets and baby changing facilities are available. If you would like to reserve one of the blue badge parking spaces, or have any other access questions, email contact@winterbournebarn.org.uk or call 0117 4031536.
Booking
Booking in advance helps to manage numbers but walk-ins on the day are also very welcome. Book your free tickets on Ticketsource.
Find out more on the Winterbourne Medieval Barn website.
Thornbury and District Museum – railway heritage walk
Meet on the Midland Way side of the roundabout at the junction of Midland Way, Grovesend Road, and Morton Way, Thornbury.
Sunday 15 September, 10am to midday
A guided walk following the route of the old branch railway from the edge of Thornbury to the site of the station.
Accessibility
Parts of the walk are not accessible for wheelchairs or walking aids due to sloping paths and uneven surfaces. No dogs except assistance dogs. Sensible footwear recommended. Participants must be aged 12 and over.
Booking
Booking is essential with a maximum of 20 places available. To book your place, email enquiries@thornburymuseum.org.uk.
Find out more on the Thornbury and District Museum website.
Contact the venues directly with any questions about access or if you require further information about their open days.