THAT once a year chance to peek behind the often closed doors of Winchester is again being offered next weekend.

Some 40 Winchester buildings will be open to the public as part of the national Heritage Open Days, September 8-11.

It shows the wide variety of architectural heritage in the city.

Many are regular participants such as Abbey House, the mayor’s official residence in The Broadway, Serles House, military headquarters and museum in Southgate Street and Winchester College.

But there are also unusual buildings taking part such as the 1930s Lido, the Eclipse Inn on The Square, Warren and Son on the High Street and Carter Marsh and Co, clock dealers in The Square.

Open to the public will be Matterley Bowl estate, the location for the BoomTown Fair and buildings in Cathedral Close.

At Warren and Son, one of Winchester’s oldest businesses, visitors can look inside the big safe which has never been shown before.

New this year is an evening of poetry at River Cottage Canteen in conjunction with Winchester Poetry Festival.

Some events have limited capacity and may have to be booked in advance.

Treasure Your Treasures is the theme this year and calls on communities to champion local heritage and show their support for local cultural and historic assets.

Visitors are encouraged to capture themselves on camera with the objects, people or places that they treasure and to share their stories online via social media using the hashtag #TreasureYourTreasures.

Specially made Heritage Open Days frames will be positioned in each region at some of the free events for people to put themselves in the picture together with or in front of their treasures.

The ‘treasures’ theme comes following the results of a straw poll by Heritage Open Days, which showed that 95 per cent of Heritage Open Days organisers had fears about the future of places like museums, galleries, archives, theatres, parks and historic sites in their own communities, which may be facing financial uncertainty.

Some 225 local organisers responded to the survey about their treasures and their level of concern about the effects of funding cuts. They felt overwhelmingly that Heritage Open Days had an important role to play in supporting the future of their local treasures.

Nicky Gottlieb, co-ordinator, said: “All Heritage Open Days events are completely free of charge which means it’s a very inclusive festival that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. Opening doors can open minds too. Some visitors are amazed to discover places they never knew existed, whilst others just need to see that heritage isn’t all about dusty tomes and gargoyles but it can also be fun.

“The team behind Heritage Open Days is already hailing Winchester as a new festival hub and I’m looking forward to putting together an even bigger, more diverse programme for 2017. We’re incredibly lucky to have such a beautiful city brimming with many cultural and heritage assets, so we should be singing it from the rooftops.

“It’s extraordinary how much heritage surrounds us – the light bulb, a cup of tea, the car, the newspaper… we should celebrate Winchester’s history.”

Heritage Open Days patron Loyd Grossman is speaking in Winchester next Wednesday. He will be interviewed by Rose Burns, city councillor and criminal barrister, at the Guildhall, at 7.30pm.

His lifelong interest in history, the arts and heritage has involved him in a number of organisations, including patron of Heritage Open Days.

Tickets: £10 plus 75p per ticket booking fee, unreserved seating.


The fill list and times are:
1 Abbey House, Sat-Sun, 10.30am-3.30pm;

2 Abbey House art collections, Thur 10am,Noon, 2.30pm;

3 Barter Memorial Chapel at RHCH, Sat 11am-3pm;

4 Chilcomb House, behind-the scenes tour of Hampshire Cultural Trust museum collections, Thur 9.30am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-4.30pm;

5 Carter Marsh, clock dealer, Thur 10am-4.30pm and Fri 10am-4pm;

6 Chesil Theatre, Sat/Sun 10am-3pm;

7 Meet Binky Bear at P&G Wells bookshop, Sat from 10am;

8 Eclipse Inn, Thu/Fri/Sat 11am-9pm;

9 Friends Meeting House, Colebrook Street, Sat/Sun 1-5pm;

10 Ginchester Walking Tour, Sat 6-7pm;

11 Tour of Winchester College, Thur/Fri 10.15 and 11.30am; Fri 2.15pm;

12 Heritage Poetry, River Cottage Canteen, Thurs 7pm;

13 How Do You Take Yours? A history of tea at Toscanaccio, Parchment Street, Fri 2.30pm;

14 Jeremy France Jewellers, High Street Sat 10am;

15 King Alfred Heritage Bus & Coach Display, Cattle Market car park, Sat 10am-3pm;

16 Nunnaminster – An Artist’s Interpretation by Alex Hoare, at Abbey Mill, Thurs 9am-6pm;

17 Open Office at Old Hyde House, HQ of Adam Architecture, Thur/Fri 10am, Noon;

18 Points of View over Winchester, exhibition of paintings at City of Winchester Trust, Upper Brook Street, Thur/Fri/Sat 10am-4pm;

19 Serle’s House, Thurs/Fri 10 am, 11am, 2pm, 3.30pm;

20 St Cross Meadows, exploration led by wildlife trust, Fri 2-5pm;

21 St John the Baptist Church, St John's Street, Thur/Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm;

22 St John’s House/YMCA, The Broadway, Thur/Fri/Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 10am-2pm

23 St Swithun’s School, Sun 2-5pm;

24 Story Telling at St John’s House, The Broadway with Pedlars and Petticoats, Sat 10.30am and 11.30am;

25 The Remains of Hyde Abbey, Sat 10am and 2pm;

26 Chesil Rectory and more, tours Fri 10.30am, Sat 4pm;

27 Colour Factory Studios, Gordon Road, Sun 12-5pm;

28 Great Hall, Thur/Fri/Sat/Sun 10am-5pm;

29 Hospital of St Cross, Fri 9.30am-5pm;

30 The Stable – Cider tasting and talk, Sat 5pm;

31 Villas of Painters Fields, walking tour, Thur 6pm;

32 Theatre Royal Winchester backstage tour, Sat 11am, Noon, 2pm, 3pm;

33 Warren & Son, Thur/Fri/Sat 9.30am-5pm, Sun 10.30am-4.30pm, talks Fri 10.30am and 12.30pm;

34 Winchester Bindery open day, P&G Wells, Fri 9-5pm, talks Fri 10.30am, 2pm, 4pm;

35 Winchester Cathedral Close buildings, Thur/Fri/Sat/Sun 10am-4.30pm;

36 Winchester City Mill milling weekend, Sat/Sun 10am-4.30pm;

37 Winchester Ghost Walk, from Eclipse Inn, Fri 8pm; 

38 Winchester Lido, Hyde Church Lane, Sat 10am-4pm;

39 Winchester’s Military Museums, open for free, Sat/Sun 10am-4.15pm;

40 Wolvesey Palace, gardens open Sat Noon-4pm, tours Sat every half hour between Noon-3.30pm;

41 Wolvesey Castle guided tour, Sun 11.30am, 2pm.

Further afield:

42 Hockley Water Mill Open Day, Twyford, Sun 11am-4pm;

43 Matterley Bowl, off A31, Thurs 9am, 11am, 1pm;

44 St Michael & All Angels, Bullington craft fete, Sun 2pm-5pm;

45 The Grange at Northington, tours 10am, 11.30am, 2pm;

46 Watercress and Gin, The Watercress Company, Old Alresford, Fri 6pm.

Late additions:

47 The Westgate - brass rubbing;

48 Woodlands House, Bramdean - art collection;

49 Bellringing in Hambledon;

50 Challenge 500 at Hursley Church - bellringing;

51 Holy Trinity Church, Wonston - bellringing;

52 Mathematical Tiles in Winchester - talk & tour.