Rural Diaries – country life, the countryside and rural issues

Posted by Sally on September 1st, 2009 in Cumbria, Rural Resources

Heritage Open Days 2009 will run across Europe from 10 to 13 September and offer fascinating free days out for everyone.

In Cumbria we will see events ranging from Ancestry Sessions to Tattie Pot Suppers and Guided Walks to Wartime re-enactments … to name just a few of the events being held here.

English Heritage Open Days will see sites, some of which are usually closed to the public, throwing open the doors to historic monuments and buildings.

However it’s not just castles and churches you can snoop around, there are gardens, underground tunnels, art galleries, manor houses, restored Victorian terraced houses, industrial sites, religious sites (including Islamic, Jewish and Buddhist), archeological sites, organised tours and walks … oh the list just goes on and they are all free admission for the Heritage weekend.

These days out are a great opportunity to appreciate the history, architecture and culture on our doorsteps.

It’s also an excellent time to drag the kids away from the playstation and see if you can peak their interest in something without an LCD screen.

Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive, English Heritage, says: “Heritage Open Days is about people and places; it celebrates community and reflects the importance of the built environment in our lives and to our quality of life. It is organised by local people who dedicate their spare time to opening properties and staging activities, and it is their knowledge and enthusiasm that makes Heritage Open Days happen.”

To find out what’s going on in your area just visit the Heritage Open Days website directory where you can search by interest, area, county, council area, town, historical period or keyword.

The search will bring up pages of events and sites involved in the open days, then click the link on the left to find out whats going on at a location, special activities for children, directions and opening times.

I was delighted to find 7 pages of events listed under the interest Agriculture/Rural around England but no matter what your interests are there is something for everyone.

If you want to romance the one you love in an extravagant way then why not have a weekend in away in Europe and visit Heritage Open Day sites in one of the 49 European countries taking part.

You can search for European events at the Council of Europe website.

I know it can be expensive taking the whole family out to visit historic locations but as entry is free to every site participating, then there’s really no excuse for not throwing on a comfy pair of shoes and getting out to appreciate the incredible heritage on our doorsteps during Heritage Open Days 2009.