In 1991 the Council of Europe and the European Commission set up European Heritage Days to raise appreciation for Europe’s rich and diverse cultural assets and their need for care and protection. And since 1994, Heritage Open Days have given us the opportunity to get inside buildings in often closed to the public.
We try to take advantage of Heritage Open Days each year, and have written up visits to
- St. Giles Leper Hospital in Maldon
- Beeleigh Steam Mill
- St. Mary’s Church in Mundon
- The Colne Light Ship on the Hythe in Colchester
- and a trip over the border into Suffolk that saw us visit three National Trust Properties, two country pubs and one tearoom
In 2018 there are over 140 places to visit in Essex over four days – from Friday 7th September 2018 to Sunday 9th September 2018 and Saturday 15th September 2018 and Sunday 16th September 2018 – and if you count properties just over the border in Hertfordshire and Suffolk, that leaves us spoilt for choice!
To choose where to go, here are a few options on the Heritage Open Days website
- browse all the Essex properties
- use their search page, which includes the option to pop in your postcode and select properties within a certain distance
- browse their ‘printable area lists‘ from which you can select counties and towns, such as Chelmsford, Colchester and Maldon.
We hope you have a great time!
