National Heritage Open Day - Explore Coventry's rich history with 30 FREE things to do in the next fortnight

RESIDENTS will get the chance to explore Coventry’s unique history and culture during this year’s National Heritage Open Days.

The free Open Days aim to bring communities together to celebrate their heritage and this year’s events will start on Friday, September 9, and run until Sunday, September 18.

Coventry has taken part in Heritage Open Days since they began 28 years ago and has 30 events running this year.

The Historic Coventry Trust hard hat tour of Charterhouse this Sunday, September 11, from 11am, where visitors can see and hear more about the work being done to bring the iconic 14th-century building into the modern day as part of the major ongoing restoration project.
The medieval tour on Saturday, September 10, from 11am, will kickstart a number of ‘Coventry City Centre Tours’. Anyone wishing to take part in this tour and others (below) should meet outside the Council House, with each one limited to 20 people.
There will also be a literary tour on Saturday, September 10, at 2.30pm followed by another on Sunday, September 18 at the same time.
The Coventry Tour will take this Sunday at 11am and next Saturday at 2pm.
Bagot’s Castle hold its Heritage Open Days over the next two weekends. The castle, originally believed to be built in the 11th century during King Henry I’s reign, will be open between Friday and Sunday both weekends from 10.30am until 4pm. The open day will feature a riverside walk, Bagots goats and picnic areas.
Tours of the Council House will be available this Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 4pm, where visitors will be able to explore the council chamber and Lord Mayor suites. The Council House was built during the First World War but due to the ongoing conflict was not opened until June 1920 by the Duke of York.
The Twentieth Century Society has organised a walk through the centre of Coventry on Saturday at 10.30am, which goes from the Godiva statue and examines the area’s post-war architecture and public art.
Coventry Transport Museum will also be opening its doors this weekend, where between 10am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors can take part in themed tours as well as see the largest collection of British road transport in the world.
Baginton Road URC, a union of West Orchard URC and Warwick Road URC, is open to view seven unique stained-glass windows depicting industries of Coventry between 2pm on 4pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 9, 10 and 11.
Bridge View Light Railway (Baginton) exhibiting the engineering inside our trains, built from the mid 20th-century to the latest designs between 11am and 3pm next Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18.
Coventry Miniature Light Railway at the Canal Basin is offering visitors the chance to see its layouts and talk to club members between 10am and 4pm next Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18.
Dame Goodyver’s Daye – Priory Row – is a chance to meet Lady Godiva and her Godiva Sisters and hear and enjoy the stories in their own cultural, ethnic or religious traditions – it takes place from 11am to 12pm next Friday, September 16.
Drapers Hall – built in 1832 – is owned by the Historic Coventry Trust which is offering visitors the chance to check out the impressive society rooms, or book a place on a tour of Drapers’ Hall. The event takes place between 11am and 5pm next Sunday, September 18.
Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Transfiguration will host a Presentation in conjunction with Westwood Heath history group centred on the former Westwood Heath school which has been a Greek orthodox church since 1976. The event runs from 4pm to 7pm next Thursday.
Holy Trinity Church, Coventry, founded in the 12th century first recorded in 1113, is one of the largest medieval churches in England. Open to explore at various times between Friday, September 9, and Sunday, September 18.
King Henry VIII School – Founded in 1545 in the aftermath of the Reformation, it has stood on its present site since 1885 – tours available at 10.30am, 12pm and 1.30pm on Saturday, September 17.
Kingsfield Orchard – where King Richard set up his camp prior to the Battle of Gosford Green – is offering tours between 11am and 3.30pm next Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18.
London Road Cemetery Tours take place between 10am and 4pm this Saturday, September 10.
LTB Showrooms (above the Litten Tree pub) are offering self-guided tour routes around the spaces – comprising four floors – with heritage displays and film content telling the story of this fascinating building. They take place at various times between Friday, September 9, and next Sunday, September 18.
MotoFest Coventry – 10am to 5pm this Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11, offers a ‘weekend of non-stop cultural celebration and motoring madness’.
Riley Cars Archive – at Coventry Canal Basin – is running tours at various times between Friday, September 9, and next Sunday, September 18. It sheds light on Riley motor cars from the first Riley built in 1898 to the last Riley Elf built in 1969.
The striking Grade I St John the Baptist collegiate church was described by Sir Gilbert Scott, the eminent Victorian architect, as ‘possibly the most beautiful church in the Country’. Tours available at various times between Friday, September 9, and next Sunday, September 18.
St Mary’s Guildhall is one of the finest surviving examples of a Medieval Guildhall in the country and is operating a range of activities between 11am and 3pm this Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11.
The Nest – run by Coventry’s Talking Birds Theatre Company (which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year) is open from 11am to 4pm next Saturday, September 17.
The Phil Silvers Archival Museum – Celebrating 111 years – is offering various events between Friday, September 9, and next Sunday, September 18.
Walk With Me self-guided walking tour at The Nest – available anytime.
War Memorial Cenotaph Chamber of Silence – The Friends of War Memorial park are giving visitors a chance to see inside the 90 foot Cenotaph at the Chamber of Silence which is only normally open for Remembrance Sunday. Available from 10am to 3pm this Saturday, September 10, and next Sunday, September 18.
Weavers House and Garden (Spon End Building Preservation Trust) – A terrace of six timber-framed artisan cottages built in 1455 known as the Black Swan Terrace. Open from 10am to 4pm this Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11.
‘Lifting the bonnet on engineering’ – a display of Lanchester cars, owner restoration experts and heritage skills providers – at Coventry University from 11am to 4pm this Sunday, September 11.
To celebrate the Open Days, Historic Coventry Trust and Dhillon’s Brewery has created ‘Olde Tower Beer’ a special beverage inspired by the historic city gates that celebrates Coventry’s medieval heritage. The special beer will be launched on Saturday, September 17 in Lady Herberts Garden from 11.30am, and there will also be food and live music throughout the day.