Winchester HODs 2022 Launch Event

 Winchester College & Hampshire History Trust

Launch FREE heritage festival 2022 programme

The Winchester Heritage Open Days 2022 festival was launched on Tuesday 6th September with a gathering of invited guests from across the city, hosted by lead sponsor Winchester College at the school’s in-house museum, Treasury. The annual heritage festival runs from Friday 9 September till Sunday 18 September, with a programme of over 100 events, all free to attend. Despite its name, centred on the historic city, events take place right across the county, reflecting the ‘whole of Hants’ approach of local organiser the Hampshire History Trust.

Guests at the launch represented a range of venues hosting events for this year’s festival programme, including Chawton House, Hursley House, the University of Winchester and local opera house The Grange at Northington, alongside the Mayor of Winchester, local councillors, Winchester BID and Hampshire Cultural Trust.

Dr Tim Hands, Headmaster of Winchester College, said:

“Every year we look forward to welcoming visitors through our doors for the Heritage Open Days festival, which we are proud to support as the lead sponsor again for 2022.”

Nicky Gottlieb, Chair of the festival’s parent organisation the Hampshire History Trust said:

 “We're really thrilled to launch our 2022 Heritage Open Days programme with the support of Winchester College. Hampshire History Trust believes passionately in championing the county's heritage- and sharing all the wonderful stories it holds. The fantastic events of this fortnight are at the very heart of this, and we are delighted that we can deliver another full festival of free events for everyone to enjoy.”

Find out more and book free tickets at www.winchesterheritageopendays.org.

Feature on the launch event in Hampshire Chronicle (Thursday 8th September).

Winchester College’s Treasury Museum is open to the public seven days a week between 2 and 4pm. Find out more at www.winchestercollege.org/visit-us.

Alongside organising Winchester Heritage Open Days, the Hampshire History Trust runs the ‘Hampshire HistBites’ podcast channel, spotlighting individual heritage stories from across the county. HistBites runs year-round and is free to all, with over 25 hours of content available to listen at any time. Find out more at www.winchesterheritageopendays.org/introduction-histbites.

Nominate Hampshire History Trust

Can you help us deliver more free history and heritage events in Hampshire?

We are a voluntary organisation that believes sharing stories from our history enriches all our lives. Whether it is through coordinating the free-to-participate Heritage Open Days festival each year, or capturing hidden stories through the HistBites podcast with over 25 hours of free online content, we are committed and passionate in our ambition of making local history more accessible.

If you have enjoyed delving into the history on your doorstep and want to see more, please consider nominating the Hampshire History Trust in the ‘Readers’ Choice Cash For Charity’ with Hampshire Chronicle and The Gannett Foundation. Click the button below for more information and details on how to nominate your chosen charity.

The deadline for nominations is Sunday 11th September.

The grant would enable us to widen our programme of free events in Hampshire such as performances, speaker events, and workshops, to substantially improve the quality of our recording equipment for the HistBites podcast, and to undertake additional heritage based projects in Hampshire.

Hampshire History Trust

Charity registration number: 1191377

7 days until Box Office opens for our 7th festival

Winchester Heritage Open Days: 7 days til tickets open for 7th year of flourishing festival - with new energy behind-the-scenes!

Hampshire History Trust (HHT) is thrilled to confirm that, on 9 August, bookings will open for events in the 2022 Winchester Heritage Open Days (HODs) festival.

2022’s events will run from 9 to 18 September, and mark the seventh year that the Trust has supported this thriving celebration of local heritage. This year’s programme includes over 100 events, right across Hampshire – from Alresford, Alton and Aldershot to Ringwood, Whitchurch and, of course, Winchester itself.  

Astounding Inventions is 2022’s theme. Highlights include live demonstrations of ‘astounding foodstuffs’ at the Honesty Cookery School, behind-the-scenes insights at the much-loved Watercress Line railway, and trailblazing talks, like Winchester City Museum’s ‘Become an Inventor’ offer for budding young brainboxes. The full festival programme can be found online - most events don’t require booking, but where needed, it’s just a few easy clicks.

This year, Winchester’s HODs programme has enjoyed the unprecedented support of a Festival Coordinator. The appointment of Laura Bennetts, a University of Winchester alumnus, reflects the way HODs – and HHT – is thriving in Winchester.

Laura, 26, was a natural choice to join the HODs team: a Medieval Studies MA student, and a Custodian at the Great Hall, she also plays a key role in HHT’s acclaimed Hampshire HistBites podcasts. Laura is perfectly placed to help weave together the wonderful tapestry of Winchester’s annual heritage celebration.

Reflecting on the role, Festival Coordinator Laura said:

“I’m thrilled to join the HODs team and kick start my career in heritage, here in the city and county where I’ve had so many amazing experiences. I couldn’t pick a favourite HODs event- but this year, I’m especially excited to see the performance of Pedlars and Petticoats on the life of Hampshire-born inventor Hertha Ayrton Marks as part of the Astounding Inventions theme.”

The new energy and experience of the Festival Coordinator reflects the growing momentum in HHT’s work to nourish Hampshire’s thriving local history scene.

For example, to coincide with HODs, HHT’s year-round Hampshire HistBites podcast will kick off its eighth season, aiming pass the brilliant milestone of 9,000 downloads.

Looking forward to this year’s festival and beyond, HHT Chair Nicky Gottlieb said:

 “We’re thrilled to have Laura onboard, and to open bookings for a 2022 HODs programme to be proud of. Hampshire’s heritage holds so much more history that we’re only at the start of playing our role in championing. Book now to join us this September for a taste, tour or to turn your hand to a piece of the past. There’s so much more to discover on our doorsteps!”

Volunteers

·       Hampshire History Trust is always on the look-out for new volunteers- both for the HODs festival, and for our year-round HistBites podcast.

·       Anyone keen to hear more – about either of these opportunities - can get in touch via the Volunteering page

Hampshire History Trust and Winchester HoDs:

·Winchester HODs is one of the biggest Heritage Open Days hubs in the country. Beginning informally in 2016 with a Heritage Open Days programme of 40 events, by 2019, the offer had reached over 140 attractions ranging from chocolate tastings to live theatre.

Hampshire History Trust - charity number: 1191377

Hampshire History Trust seeks a Trust Secretary

Hampshire History Trust, the charity which runs Winchester’s Heritage Open Days, is searching for a Trust Secretary to join their supportive and welcoming board.

The role of Secretary is to support the chair by ensuring the board functions smoothly. The secretary may carry out their duties directly or delegate to volunteers or staff, ensuring that tasks are completed. Key skills include relevant experience, knowledge of the Charities Commission Trustee Duties and Responsibilities, good IT skills, analytical skills, ability to communicate.  

Trustees serve in a voluntary capacity but with the satisfaction of supporting a distinctive and highly-regarded heritage organisation. The activities championed by the Trust have gone from strength to strength in recent years, and are at the heart of a thriving heritage movement in Hampshire. Beginning informally in 2016 with a Heritage Open Days programme of 40 events, by 2019, the offer had reached over 140 attractions ranging from chocolate tastings to live theatre, leading to the formal foundation of Hampshire History Trust – and the launch of a brilliant new podcast, ‘Hampshire Histbites’ in 2020.

HHT Chair Nicky Gottlieb said:

The Trust Secretary is at the heart of our team and will make a real difference to our work to bring Hampshire’s history alive. If you are as excited as we are about promoting the rich and diverse stories that make us who we are today, this is a brilliant opportunity to come onboard. Let us know!

Open for applications

To find out more visit https://hampshirehistorytrust.com/volunteer/ or email Trustees  trustees@hampshirehistorytrust.com with your details.

Looking ahead to the 2022 Festival

Winchester Heritage Open Days

9th-18th September 2022

Registration is still under way so we can't share everything with you just yet, but we shared a few early previews in our June newsletter - subscribe to keep up to date with festival news!

Now in its seventh year, Winchester Heritage Open Days is shaping up to be another fantastic festival packed with tours, behind the scenes, and talks. 

Code breaking and brickmaking, weaving in the Roman world and railway engineering; these are just some of the Astounding Inventions topics to be explored.

Whether your interests are medieval or modern, in the everyday experience of people throughout history, technological advances, or courtly clashes, there is an event for you to enjoy.

Every event is FREE to attend and many you can just turn up to. However you do need to pre-book for some, so book early to to avoid disappointment!

Online box office opens Tuesday 9th August.

Save the date & follow our Eventbrite profile

We are grateful to our lead sponsor, Winchester College, for supporting us again this year.  A special thanks too to our volunteers, to Winchester BID for their sponsorship, and to our media partner Hampshire Chronicle.