Heritage Open Days 2024 are taking place from 6 to 15 September. These events are free and explore history and culture across the country. Lots of events are taking place around Gloucestershire, but these are some of the ways our churches are getting involved.
Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL1 2LX
Will Jones, Head of Visitor Experience at Gloucester Cathedral said: “We’re excited to share the rare opportunity to open our doors late into the evening, allowing visitors to explore areas behind the scenes and meet our nationally-renowned team of Stonemasons.
“Heritage Open Days is all about making our rich heritage accessible to everyone, and we can’t wait to share these hidden treasures with our community in an inclusive and engaging way.”
Late-night openings, 2 hours
The Cathedral will be opening later than normal for visitors to explore the Cathedral in the evening.
Date and times:
Thursday 12 September, 6pm to 8pm
Saturday 14 September, 6pm to 8pm
Details:
Pre-booking not required.
NEW 2024 immersive soundscape, 15 minutes
Experience the new 2024 immersive soundscape at the Cathedral’s medieval library. Explore this rarely seen 15th-century library while listening to a unique piece of music inspired by its history, its ancient books, and its atmosphere. Visitors can also engage for a short time with expert guides and the archivist during the visit.
Date and time:
Friday 13 September, time entry tour slots from 10.15am to 4.15pm.
Details:
Pre-booking is required. To pre-book, go to the following website: Heritage Open Days: Immersive soundscape in the library | Gloucester Cathedral. There is a maximum of 30 people per tour. The library is accessed via a narrow spiral staircase. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
Gloucester Cathedral precincts tour, 1 hour
A walking tour of Gloucester Cathedral precincts, giving a history of the area surrounding the Cathedral from the earliest Minster church up to the most recent developments.
Dates and times:
Friday 13 September, 11am
Saturday 14 September, 2.30pm
Details:
Pre-booking not required, but there is a maximum of 15 people per tour. Meet at the Cathedral South porch on the dates and the times listed above. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
Parliament rooms, 30 minutes
Visit three historic rooms in Church House, the former Deanery for Gloucester Cathedral. These rooms, part of the old Abbots’ Lodgings, were the site of Richard II’s parliament in 1378 and hosted Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn during their royal progress in 1535.
Date and time:
Saturday 14 September, 10am to 4pm
Details:
Pre-booking not required, but there is a maximum of 40 people at one time. Parliament rooms, Crypt and Tower tours are not suitable for wheelchair users. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
Stonemasons’ workshop
Drop-in sessions are being held in the Stonemasons’ workshop – one of only ten Cathedral workshops in the country. This is an opportunity for visitors to learn about the traditional heritage skills used to keep the Cathedral in a condition which lasts for future generations.
Date and time:
Saturday 14 September, 10am to 3pm
Details:
Pre-booking not required. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
Children’s walk, 1 hour
A walk around Gloucester aimed specifically for children aged 9 to 12.
Date and time:
Saturday 14 September, 2pm
Details:
Pre-booking not required, but there is a maximum of 15 people per tour. It is especially for children 9-12. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at the Cathedral South porch on the date and the time listed above. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
St Mary de Crypt Church, Southgate Street, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL1 1TG
Gloucester city tour, 1 hour 15 minutes
Learn about the story of Gloucester from Roman times to the present day with a guided walk through the heart of one of Britain’s oldest cities.
Dates and times:
Friday 13 September, 11am and 2pm
Saturday 14 September, 2pm
Sunday 15 September, 11am and 2pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required, but there is a maximum of 15 people per tour. Meet at St Mary de Crypt café on the dates and times listed above. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296. The tour is wheelchair friendly.
The Siege of Gloucester 1643, 1 hour 30 minutes
Explore the 1643 Siege of Gloucester on this guided walk, which highlights key locations from the English Civil War. The siege is remembered as a significant moment when the Parliamentarian garrison successfully resisted the Royal Army led by the King.
Dates and times:
Friday 13 September, 11.15am
Saturday 14 September, 2pm
Sunday 15 September, 11.15am
Details:
Pre-booking is not required, but there is a maximum of 15 people per tour. Meet at St Mary de Crypt café on the dates and times listed above. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
Robert Raikes guided walk, around 1 hour
Robert Raikes was a newspaper publisher, prison reformer and promoter of the Sunday School movement. This guided walk tells his story and shows several Gloucester buildings linked to his life. It starts at St. Michael’s Tower and ends at Robert Raikes House on Southgate Street.
Dates and times:
13 September, 11.45am
15 September, 2.30pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required, but there is a maximum of 15 people per tour. Meet at St Mary de Crypt café on the dates and times listed above. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296. The tour is wheelchair friendly.
Music: Northwick Baroque, 30 to 45 minutes
St Mary de Crypt are hosting Northwick Baroque in Gloucester. They are presenting a four-part baroque music program featuring pastoral themes from England and Italy, showcasing Baroque chamber music for voice, continuo and obligato, recorders, and bass viol.
Date and time:
Friday 13 September, 2pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
Gloucester Folk Choir, 30 to 45 minutes
The Gloucester Folk Choir is a community group that performs both traditional and modern folk songs from Britain and beyond.
Date and time:
Saturday 14 September, 12pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
Bones and bells, 1 hour
Learn about the role of St Mary de Crypt in death, burial, and mourning traditions. Explore the crypt, which has served as a charnel house, munitions store, and alehouse. Visit the bell tower and take the opportunity to ring the bells with the Ancient Society of Crypt Youth, founded in 1710.
Dates and times:
Saturday 14 September, 2pm
Sunday 15 September, 11am and 2pm
Details:
Pre-booking is required. To pre-book, access the following website which goes live for bookings on 4 August, and goes offline on 15 August: www.stmarydecrypt.org. There is a maximum of 8 people per tour. Meet inside the church. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
All Saints’ Church, Main Road, Viney Hill, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 4NA
All Saints’ Church, Viney Hill, present and future, 6 hours
This guided walk around All Saints explores the historic sandstone church described by F.W. Harvey as a “lantern on the hill”. Included are exhibitions about its history, a look at the grave of Gypsy Petulengro, and discussions on future plans to enhance the church’s accessibility, energy efficiency, and utility for parishioners, community arts groups, and young people at the Christian Adventure Centre.
Dates and times:
Sunday 8 September, 10am to 4pm
Saturday 14 September, 10am to 4pm
Details:
Pre-booking not required. Parking is on the road adjacent to the church. There is limited accessibility, though there is a ramp access into the church itself.
St Peter, St Paul and St Mary, Westbury on Severn, GL14 1PA
Guided tours of the spire, 5 hours
The detached spire will be open for guided tours, to view the timber construction of the detached spire and the heaviest ring of six bells in the diocese.
Dates and time:
Saturday 7 September, 11am
Sunday 8 September, 11am
Saturday 14 September, 11am
Sunday 15 September, 11am
Details:
Pre-booking is not required.
Tales from the river bank, the threat to the longest river, 1 hour 30 minutes
Illustrated talk on the threat to the future of the river Severn and the loss of historic privileges.
Date and time:
Wednesday 11 September, 7pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required.
St Oswald’s Priory, Archdeacon Street, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL1 2QS
Gloucester’s medieval churches, 1 hour 30 minutes
Explore Gloucester’s medieval churches on a walking tour and uncover the history of some of the city’s notable churches, including several that will be open during Heritage Weekend. Gloucester once had 10 churches listed in the Domesday Book.
Date and time:
Saturday 14 September, 1.30pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required, but there is a maximum of 15 people per tour. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296. Meet at St Oswald’s Priory (Opposite Pelican Inn, St Mary Street, Gloucester, GL1 2QS).
Music: Bygonz Perform, 30 to 45 minutes
Pre-booking is not required. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296. There are toilets at The Folk of Gloucester opposite the church.
Music: Jennie Longvill, 30 to 45 minutes
Listen to Jennie Longvill, an original songwriter from the Forest of Dean, who offers captivating performances with heartfelt and genuine reflections on daily life.
Date and time:
Saturday 14 September, 1.30pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296. There are refreshments and toilets at The Folk of Gloucester opposite the church.
Music: Ypotryll, 30 to 45 minutes
Named after a mythical medieval creature, Ypotryll is a trio that performs secular music from the Middle Ages (1200-1500). Their repertoire features a range of instruments, including harp, dulcimer, psaltery, vielle, recorder, and clavicembalo, combined with vocal performances.
Date and time:
Saturday 14 September, 2.15pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296. There are refreshments and toilets at The Folk of Gloucester opposite the church.
Music: Severn Sirens, 30 to 45 minutes
Inspired by Heritage Open Day, Gloucester musicians Harrie Thomas, Katie Meade, and Gemma Roberts formed Severn Sirens. They offer a blend of uplifting and ethereal melodies with voice and guitar, enriched by stories and poems about the historic city, the docks, and the River Severn.
Date and time:
Saturday 14 September, 4pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296. There are refreshments and toilets at The Folk of Gloucester opposite the church.
St John’s Church, Northgate Street, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL1 2AN
Historic characters, 1 hour
A tour exploring some of the famous and influential people and characters who were born and lived in Gloucester.
Dates and times:
Saturday 14 September, 2.30pm
Sunday 15 September, 2.15pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required, but there is a maximum of 15 people per tour. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296. Meet at St John’s Church, Northgate Street.
Holy Trinity Church, Holy Trinity Vicarage, Church Road, Longlevens, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 0AJ
Holy Trinity Church tour, 1 hour
This Grade II listed church, designed by Harold Stratton-Davis in the 1930s, features a 15th-century architectural style. It houses medieval stained-glass windows originally from the now-demolished church of St. Luke the Less.
Dates and times:
Friday 13 September, 10am to 4pm
Saturday 14 September, 10am to 4pm
Sunday 15 September, 10am to 4pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required, but there is a maximum of 30 people at one time. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
Mariners’ Church, Gloucester Docks, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL1 2EN
Historic Mariners Church in Gloucester Docks
Mariners Church opened in 1849 and quickly became a favourite among both locals and visiting mariners, with the Chaplain tasked with visiting every arriving ship. The church is known for its beautiful stained glass windows and remains an active place of worship.
Dates and times:
Friday 13 September, 10am to 5pm
Saturday 14 September, 10am to 5pm
Sunday 15 September, 1pm to 4pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required, but there is a maximum of 50 people at one time. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
St Swithun’s Church, St Swithuns Road, Hempsted, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 5LH
St Swithun’s Church, 1 hour
Explore a church in Hempsted built and dedicated to St Swithun. It has origins dating back to 826 A.D., and features a 12th-century Norman font and a mid-15th-century building. Renovations in 1885 added a bell, monuments, and stained glass. The churchyard includes “The Cavaliers Tomb” of Captain John Freeman from the 1643 Siege of Gloucester.
Dates and times:
Friday 13 September, 12pm to 4pm
Saturday 14 September, 12pm to 4pm
Sunday 15 September, 12pm to 4pm
Details:
Pre-booking is not required, but there is a maximum of 50 people at one time. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
Talk: People and Places of Hempsted and Llanthony, 1 hour
Talks by local historian Debbie Hotchkins.
Dates and times:
Friday 13 September, 2pm (“Men and Women of Hempsted and Llanthony in WW1”)
Saturday 14 September, 2pm (“People and Places of Hempsted and Llanthony”)
Sunday 15 September, 2pm (“The People behind the Stained Glass Windows and Monuments in St Swithun’s Church”)
Details:
Pre-booking is not required. If you need more information on the day, contact Debbie Vass at 07977593296.
St Stephens Church, Belle Vue Road, Cinderford, Gloucestershire, GL14 2AA
Oh yes it is… Seventy years of panto fun
Celebrate the 70-year history of the Wesley Players Pantomime and its ties to the local community. The event will feature displays on the pantomime’s history and its organisational connections. Additionally, there will be performances of scenes from past pantomimes and a preview of the 2025 show.
Date and time:
Saturday 14 September, 10am to 2pm
Details:
Pre-booking not required. Parking at the church is limited. There is other parking at the Town Council offices lower down the road. For information on the day, contact Rachel Witham.
These are just some of the events our churches are doing – for all the events around Gloucestershire and the diocese, visit the Heritage Open Days events page.
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