HERITAGE Open Days’ festival of history and culture is returning this month, but not as you know it.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 10-day festival will include a mix of virtual tours and digital experiences alongside some in-person events.
The theme of this year’s programme is Hidden Nature. According to Heritage Open Days, this means that 2020’s event “(reveals) the hidden natural history and stories” behind our landscapes, green spaces, culture and more.
Annie Reilly, head of producing at Heritage Open Days, said: “We’re all about sharing amazing stories of the places, spaces, nature, heritage and history around us, and feeling part of a community has never been more important.
“We’ve been planning new ways to keep people connected with each other and their local area, whether it’s from home with our new digital programme or exploring Hidden Nature in the great outdoors.”
As England’s largest festival of history and culture, the event is due to run from Friday, September 11, to Sunday, September 20.
Events and experiences for this year’s festival are being run all across the South East, and they are all free of charge.
This includes entry to museums, country houses and other attractions which usually charge for admission.
Wokingham will, of course, be included, but some of the events running further afield include:
Millennium Walk 20th Anniversary in Maidenhead.
This three-hour guided trail which follows the town’s boundary stones intends to teach people about the Hidden Nature of the Berkshire countryside.
This event is running on Sunday, September 20.
The Peace Garden at the Muslim Burial Ground in Woking.
The event allows visitors to learn about the site’s natural environment and symbolic architecture, and is running on Sunday, September 20th between 11.30am and 4pm.
Rediscover Britain’s Lost Foods with Proudfoot & Co. in Winchester.
The event will be held online on Saturday, September 12 and Saturday, September 19 at 7pm.
Live from Abingdon Museum in Oxfordshire.
This is a virtual tour around the galleries of the Museum and through the history of Abingdon on Saturday, September 19 from 10.30am.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all events are subject to change or cancellation.
To find out more about the festival of history and culture, and to see the full list of upcoming events, head to www.heritageopendays.org.uk