Heritage Open Days

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 across the UK which are otherwise 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 2021 there are over 100 places to visit in Essex over four days – from Friday 10th September 2021 to Sunday 19th September 2021 – 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‘ page, where you can specify counties and towns

We hope you have a great time!