Heritage Open Days (HODs) broke records across the board this September, cementing its place as England’s biggest celebration of local history.
Heritage Alliance writes:
In its 20th anniversary year, the four-day festival welcomed a spectacular three million visitors, up 900,000 on last year. The number of events skyrocketed too, up almost 100 on the previous biggest year, to 4,695.
Organisers around the country saw visitor numbers soar; in Kings Lynn over 4,000 people queued to see the World War II Air Raid Shelters, while in Didsbury, Greater Manchester, every event saw record numbers of visitors, with a 50% rise overall. The Landmark Trust reported 9,000 visitors at their twelve sites, while new events did similarly well; in Beverley, Yorkshire, a cluster of privately-owned Georgian homes saw over 450 people queuing to visit the houses. Smaller sites also hit new highs – Rayleigh Windmill in Essex welcomed 260 people – its largest number ever recorded, while Ashlyns School in Berkhamstead was overflowing, with 120 visitors.
‘Heritage Open Days 2014 set a new standard for this much-loved event,’ said the Heritage Alliance Chairman and patron of Heritage Open Days, Loyd Grossman, ‘and the huge jump in visitor numbers proves that if you make history accessible, fun and affordable it appeals to everyone. Every year, Heritage Open Days shows what local communities can achieve, with passion, commitment and imagination. Each one of our thousands of organisers and volunteers should feel proud to have played a part in making our 20th anniversary event such a spectacular success.’
This is particularly welcome news for the HODs partnership of the National Trust, The Heritage Alliance and Civic Voice which has been managing the programme supported by English Heritage since 2012.
For more information visit the HODs website
