Heritage Open Days see building across Fenland open their doors
Guardians of buildings and places of interest across the district will open their doors once again this year for the annual National Heritage Days.
In March you can learn more about the town’s railway station in the 1940s on Saturday, September 14 between 10am and 3pm. There will be plenty of memorabilia for you to look at and you can learn about the role of March station during WWII –there is no need to book.
St Mary’s Church at Westry will also be open on Saturday, September 14 from 10am to noon. The church is normally closed except for services and events so this is an opportunity to view the collection of photographs and look around the church. Refreshments will be available. No need to book.
In Wisbech the museum will be open on Wednesday, September 11 to Saturday, September 14 with free entry from 10am to 4pm each day.
Peckover House on North Brink in Wisbech will also open its doors on Saturday offering visitors a chance to enjoy a free look around the house. This year the special focus is on behind-the-scenes access to areas that have not previously been open.
For those with a head for heights, there’s a chance to climb the tower of St Peter’s Church – again on Saturday, September 14 from 11am to 4pm.
St Augustine’s Church in St Augustine’s Road, Wisbech is also open on Saturday from 1pm to 4pm. Activities on offer include a treasure hunt quiz for younger visitors, and refreshments will also be available.
Wisbech Town Hall is open on both Saturday, September 14, and Sunday, September 15 from 10am to 4pm and offers visitors the chance to see the town council’s civic regalia.
Tydd Pumping Station in Station Road, Wisbech, will be open on Saturday. Visitors will be able to explore the pumping station, learn about its role in the drainage of the area, view a static display of the work of the North Level District Internal Drainage Board, talk to the people who keep us safe from flooding, and see the pumps in action. The pumps will run at noon and 2.30pm.
Guided walks along the North Level Main Drain and around Foul Anchor will set off from the pumping station at 10.30am and 1pm.
In Long Sutton the Market House in Market Street is hosting an exhibition telling the story of how South Lincolnshire was opened up to Norfolk and beyond by taming the North Sea at Cross Keys Wash.
It is open Saturday, September 14, and Sunday, September 15, 11am to 4pm.
At St John's Church in Parson Drove the friends are holding a two-day event over the weekend of Saturday, September 14, and Sunday 15, with lots on offer
The Friends of St John’s and The John Peck Society will celebrate the heritage of John Peck, a 19th-century resident of Parson Drove, and the history of the village/
Visitors will be able to explore his renowned diaries which tell so much about life in the fens in the 1800s. There will also be displays and speakers at St John's Church covering the long history of this amazing village.
Attractions include a virtual tour of the village, the roads and routes taken by John Peck, as well as buildings and land that he owned or knew.
Music from different eras of the village, and performances throughout both days. An evening event will showcase food and drink typical of the mid 1800s along with music of the time.
The events run 10am to 4pm on both days, and on Saturday evening from 7pm to 10pm. There is no need to book, and it is all free.
More details of what is on and where can be found on the Heritage Open Days website.
