NEWS & RESEARCH
Winchester's favourite heritage festival is back!
This year’s Heritage Open Days festival is bigger than anything we’ve put on so far. We’ve grown year on year, and the support from the local community is overwhelming. Last year, over 10,000 attended our events, and this year, with more than 100 free events, we hope many more will enjoy what’s on offer.
ONE FESTIVAL. FOUR DAYS. 110 FREE EVENTS.
13th-16th September 2018
Winchester Heritage Open Days provide a wonderful day out for the whole family; this year we have guided walks, special talks, behind the scenes tours, Heritage crafts, pop-up performances, Anglo Saxons & Vikings in the Cathedral close, Medieval Knights at the Westgate and a chance to see and hear about Winchester's very own Shakespeare First Folio at Winchester College
“Heritage Open Days champions everyone’s story and everyone’s history. This year, we’re shining a spotlight on Extraordinary Women, encouraging people across the country to share stories of women who’ve shaped their places in ways large and small. It’s an exciting opportunity to celebrate not just queens, famous writers and inventors, but also the women who put the ‘ordinary’ into extraordinary.”
Here in Winchester we have organised more than 40 'Extraordinary Women' events, highlights include
Radio 4 Women’s Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray in conversation with The Very Revd Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester about 'A History of the World in 21 Women'
Dr Jane Robinson, Dr Fern Riddell and Professor Emma Rees leading suffrage talks, and Historian Emma Cornell Stoffer is hosting a suffrage tea at Winchester College
General Sir Anthony Walker KCB leading a talk on 'What did you do in the War, Mummy'
2TimeTheatre's world premiere of ‘Sir Walter's Women’ at The Great Hall, and Blue Apple's 'Fragments of Winchester' at Pilgrims’ Hall
The programme is now available from Winchester Tourist Information Centre and also online. Some events you can just turn up to but others need to be booked in advance via our online box office. Not surprisingly, tickets are already flying out the door for many of our special one-off events as well as the much-coveted behind-the scenes tours of buildings not normally open to the public. Do visit our box office now and book early to avoid disappointment.
Extraordinary Women are coming to Winchester!
Winchester Heritage Open Days is one of the city’s most popular festivals, running over four days from 13th to 16th September and offering free events for the whole community.
In September, as part of the national celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which granted suffrage to women over 30 in the UK, the Winchester Heritage Open Days team has organised more than 40 free events in and around Winchester. These events will be putting the spotlight on some of the national and community heroines whose history has been overlooked or forgotten and Extraordinary Women will be honoured through talks, walks and exhibitions. The gathering of many of the speakers and event organisers at the Great Hall on Friday 22nd June saw the launch of this year’s festival programme.
Extraordinary Women - Photo Shoot
Winchester Heritage Open Days is one of the city’s most popular festivals, running over four days from 13th to 16th September and offering free events for the whole community. This year will feature guided walks, wine & cider tastings, craft workshops, pop-up performances, living history, exhibitions and the much loved behind-the-scenes visits to some of Winchester's historic buildings, many of which are not normally open to the public. Festival Director, Nicky Gottlieb commented:
“This year’s Heritage Open Days festival is bigger than anything we’ve put on so far. We’ve grown year on year, and the support from the local community is overwhelming. Last year, over 10,000 attended our events, and this year, with more than 100 free events, we hope many more will enjoy what’s on offer. We are very grateful for the support of Winchester College, the City of Winchester Trust, our local councils and many other businesses and volunteers who help make this happen.”
Details of all the events can be found here and the printed programme is available from Winchester Tourist Information Centre. Festival highlights include:
A chance to see and hear about Winchester's very own Shakespeare First Folio at Winchester College
Medieval Knights at The Westgate, Anglo Saxons & Vikings in the Cathedral Close, and the Sealed Knot at Oram's Arbour
Radio 4 Women’s Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray in conversation with The Very Revd Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester about 'A History of the World in 21 Women'
General Sir Anthony Walker KCB leading a talk on 'What did you do in the War, Mummy'
2TimeTheatre's world premiere of ‘Sir Walter's Women’ at The Great Hall, and Blue Apple's 'Fragments of Winchester' at Pilgrims’ Hall