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What will you discover at this year’s Heritage Open Days?
Every year for four days in September, places across the country throw open their doors as part of Heritage Open Days - the country's largest festival of history and culture. Running from 7th - 10th September, this is your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences, and best of all it's completely free. Take your pick from these Heritage Open Day events in Cornwall and explore the treasure that's on your doorstep!
Kresen Kernow Project, Redruth
Friday 8th & Saturday 9th September, tours at 10am, 11am, 1pm & 2pm (call 01872 323127 to book)
Take a site tour of the former Redruth Brewery site, soon to be home to Kresen Kernow, Cornwall’s new archive centre. This year we have internal access to the site and your guides will be a mix of Kresen Kernow and Midas Construction staff. Visitors will be able to view the construction work as well as hearing more about the plans for Kresen Kernow, a modern archive and library space, bringing together the world’s largest collection of manuscripts, books and documents related to Cornwall.
Find out more about Kresen Kernow.
Gribbin Daymark, Fowey
Sunday 10th September, 11am – 5pm
Built in 1832 as a navigational aid for sailors who would confuse Fowey and St Austell harbours. The views are well worth the climb. Numbers are limited up the tower at any one time, so there may be a queue, but why not bring a picnic, admire the estuary and sea views and make a day of it? Drop down to Polridmouth beach for a paddle on your way back too.
Visit the National Trust website.
Launceston History Walk
Saturday 9th September, 10am – 4pm (walk 10.30am)
Enjoy a free guided walk around Launceston and discover the fascinating history of this Cornish town, once the ancient capital of Cornwall. During the day a regular minibus service will take visitors to other Launceston sites participating in the Heritage Open Days event. The circular routes (with various drop-off, hop-on points along the way) will start at and return to Launceston Town Square.
Booking is essential, please contact Launceston TIC to book a place.
The Arthurian Centre, Camelford
Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th September, 10am – 5pm
A 16-acre site with beautiful walks through fields and the archaeology site to the woodland walk. Visitors will have access to the 6th century memorial stone and Camlann Battlesite (King Arthur’s last battle – first identified by Geoffrey of Monmouth in 1136AD). There is also a play area, and exhibition room, and you can see the 18th century garden now undergoing restoration.
Visit the Arthurian Centre website.
Glendurgan, Falmouth
Saturday 9th September, 10.30am – 5.30pm
Spend a day exploring the National Trust’s Glendurgan for free, discovering all the delights this beautiful garden has to offer. Lose yourself in its three valleys full of fun, natural beauty and amazing plants. Discover giant rhubarb plants in the jungle-like lower valley and spiky arid plants basking in the sunny upper slopes. Wander through the garden, down to the beautiful hamlet of Durgan on the Helford River: a place to watch birds and boats, skim stones and build sandcastles.
Find out more about Glendurgan on the National Trust website.
Trerice, Newquay
Saturday 9th September, 10.30am – 5pm
Spend a day exploring the National Trust’s Trerice for free. This small yet enchanting Elizabethan manor house lies in a secluded wooded valley, just a stone’s throw from Newquay, nestled in a peaceful corner of Cornwall.
There is so much to discover about the history of this unique manor house: the families who lived here, its architecture and restoration. There are rare examples of Dutch gables, fine plaster ceilings and a magnificent Great Hall window.
Visit the National Trust website.
Levant Mine & Beam Engine, Penzance
Sunday 10th September, 10.30am – 5pm
Levant Mine and Beam Engine sits on the exposed cliffs of the ‘Tin Coast’, part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. The restored 1840s beam engine runs on steam. There will be guided tours on site daily by our very knowledgeable Tour Guides; they include visiting the Beam Engine and the underground Man Engine Tunnel. Find out what life was like for Cornish Miners and Bal-Maidens’ in the 1800s.
There are also rock breaking activities, authentic outfits for trying on and trails for children.
Visit the Levant Mine & Beam Engine page on the National Trust website.
Cornwall’s Regimental Museum, Bodmin
Sunday 10th September, 10am – 5pm
Cornwall’s Regimental Museum is housed inside Bodmin Keep, the Grade II listed Victorian Army barracks, and heart of military life in Cornwall for over 150 years. Visitors can explore the site and see its original features, including fireplaces, stone staircases and even a military police cell, which is dressed to the Cold-War era.
The collections cover a date range of 1702 to 2007, spanning the Cornwall Militia and Volunteers, the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and the national collection of the Light Infantry. Inside the museum there is plenty to do, including children’s craft activities, dressing up, bugle playing and much more!
Visit the Cornwall’s Regimental Museum website.
Trengwainton, Penzance
Sunday 10th September, 10.30am – 5pm
Trengwainton’s 25 acres invite you to explore and come back for more. Discover a garden where the spirit of the Plant Hunters lives on in beautiful plants brought back from exotic lands. There are winding wooded paths through giant tree fern glades, a walled kitchen garden built to the dimensions of Noah’s Ark and wide sea views across Mount’s Bay from the Terrace.
Find out more about Trengwainton on the National Trust website.
