Churches across the Diocese will be revealing some of their best kept secrets as part of this year’s National Heritage Festival.
Between the 10th and 13th September, everyone can uncover countless local hidden gems across the Diocese (and the rest of England!) as heritage sites will open their gates and reveal attractions not usually open to the public view.
Areas and sites taking part in the festival across the Diocese include Wakefield Cathedral; churches in Almondbury, Guiseley, Pontefract, Lower Calderdale, Kirklees and Dewsbury, among many others; while Halifax will be hosting their own second Halifax Heritage Festival.
Simon Murray, Senior Director of Strategy, Curatorship and External Affairs for the National Trust, says, “The popularity of Heritage Open Days grows and grows.
“It is an expression of the love we all have for our heritage and particularly the history of places local to us.”
Dewsbury Minster will be open all day, encouraging people to explore the Church Tower for free, to see the bells and hear the story of ‘The Devil’s Knell’ – a unique Dewsbury tradition.
St Oswald's Church, Guiseley (where the Bronte's parents were married) will open to show exhibitions on the Bronte's links with the church, will show exhibits of WWI soldiers from the church and will be hosting vintage afternoon tea.
St Mary’s Church, Bolton on Swale near Richmond in North Yorkshire will be open with an ongoing Power Point display. This fascinating church is famous as the burial place of the longest lived Englishman, Henry Jenkins who was reputedly 169 years old when he died in 1670. Most of the church dates from 14th-century, with much Arts and Craft period work added. For example there is an Arts and Crafts East window mural - and visitors will be able to see displays covering the history of the church, Henry Jenkins and Kiplin Hall.
St John’s Church Sharow near Ripon, another historic building will have an exhibition by local artists, along with rural crafts. The church is offering tours and trails throughout the weekend as well as refreshments.
And in the Wharfe Valley, don’t miss, St Wilfrid's Burnsall, whose history goes back to its foundation by St Wilfrid of Ripon before 700AD. Although most of the building has been rebuilt over the years, there are parts that go back many centuries.
All Saint’s Church in Pontefract will be showcasing their Civil War monument, ruins and cannonball and will be holding tours up to the church’s bell tower while seeing the unique double helix staircase (one of only two across the globe!).
All Hallows Church in Almondbury will be showing historical artefacts, photographs and memorabilia documenting the church’s history, while also providing the opportunity to look through the parish’s baptism, marriage and burial records with guidance on how to begin researching family history.
In Lower Calderdale and Kirklees, the Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust are holding this year’s Ride + Stride event, encouraging people to get sponsorship to walk, cycle or drive between numerous beautiful churches within the area to discover more about their history while raising funds to help with their restoration and maintenance.
In the north of the diocese visitors will be able to pop in to many historic and beautiful Dales churches.
St Mary’s Church, Bolton on Swale near Richmond in North Yorkshire will be open with an ongoing Power Point display. This fascinating church is famous as the burial place of the longest lived Englishman, Henry Jenkins who was reputedly 169 years old when he died in 1670. Most of the church dates from 14th-century, with much Arts and Craft period work added. For example there is an Arts and Crafts East window mural - and visitors will be able to see displays covering the history of the church, Henry Jenkins and Kiplin Hall.
St John’s Church Sharow near Ripon, another historic building will have an exhibition by local artists, along with rural crafts. The church is offering tours and trails throughout the weekend as well as refreshments.
And in the Wharfe Valley, don’t miss, St Wilfrid's Burnsall, whose history goes back to its foundation by St Wilfrid of Ripon before 700AD. Although most of the building has been rebuilt over the years, there are parts that go back many centuries.
For the second year running, Halifax will be hosting their own Heritage Festival to coincide with the celebrations, opening around 20 heritage sites, with over 60 walks, talks, tours, viewings, exhibitions, historical lectures, ghostly tales, uncovered tombs and live music taking place.
Revd Canon Hilary Barber, Chair of Marketing Halifax, says, “Running alongside the already renowned Heritage Open Days, the Halifax Heritage Festival offers an element of the unknown, with many unique events taking place, there’s something for all ages.
“It’s not simply about opening heritage site doors, it’s about showcasing the town’s history and heritage to the residents of Halifax, and inviting first time visitors in to see everything we have to offer.”
The heritage sites and heritage groups organising this year’s events in Halifax include All Souls Church, Bankfield Museum, Calderdale Industrial Museum, IOU Studios at Dean Clough, Lister Lane Cemetery and Halifax Minster among many others.
Revd Barber says, “There will be an opportunity to wander around sites that aren’t usually open to the public, looking at some of the finest buildings and architecture in the North of England, offering the chance to interact with the past.
“The pre-bookable Hidden Gems tours venture into The Piece Hall whilst under renovation, presenting an exciting insight to the work currently taking place.”
Among the festival’s many activities, the Hidden Gems Tours will take the public to historical sites in Halifax that the public never usually get to see, including the Town Hall Jail and the Streets in the Sky above the Borough Market, while the daily tours through Halifax Minster will take the public into the bell tower.
There will also be an exhibition of some of the finest silver work from Halifax’s collection of church plate, including many items associated with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, while the festival is also hosting a concert with James Shepherd's Versatile Brass and the Halifax Young Singers.
The Halifax Heritage Festival is running alongside the national Heritage Open Days which sees national heritage sites across the country open their doors to the public for free to celebrate the history and culture of England.
Monuments, buildings and historic attractions will provide a huge range of tours, events and activities, revealing areas not usually open to the public.
Each year, around 1,400 local organisations across the country register with Heritage Open Days and over 40,000 volunteers work to organise what has become Britain’s largest heritage event, attracting over 3 million visitors.
Heritage Open Days are co-ordinated by the National Trust and are supported by funding from the Lottery and Historic England.
In 2015, players of the People’s Postcode Lottery will give £150,000 to co-fund the Heritage Open Days, with Historic England giving another £122,000 to fund the initiative.
Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said, “I am delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are able to support Heritage Open Days.
“It is so important to maintain these historical sites to ensure their preservation for generations to come, and it’s great to know that funding from players will help this.”
Will Holborow, National Engagement Manager at Historic England, adds, “Heritage Open Days has developed over the past 20 years to become the single biggest programme for engaging the public with their heritage.
“It allows millions of people to visit and enjoy discover more about the historic places in their neighbourhoods.
“As the public body which champions England’s historic environment, Historic England is delighted to support this event in partnership with National Trust and the People’s Postcode Lottery.”
Heritage Open Days was introduced in England in 1994 to contribute to the Council of Europe and the European Commission’s project the European Heritage Days which was initiated in 1991 to showcase the diverse culture of Europe.
The project called for historic buildings and monuments across the continent to throw open their doors to the public for free to raise awareness of the importance of the care and maintenance of these hidden gems.
Today, European Heritage Days are held each September in 50 signatory states to the European Cultural Convention.
See the Diocese's Events Page for more information: http://www.westyorkshiredales.anglican.org/content/heritage-open-days
To find out more about the Halifax Heritage Festival, please call 01422 360035 or tweet the festival team @Hxheritagefest for details of events and activities.
To find out more, you can also visit the Calderdale Council website: http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/leisure/activities/whatson/event46626.html
Or, the Halifax Heritage Festival Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HalifaxHeritageFestival/timeline
For more information on St Oswald's events, please see the Diocese's story: http://www.westyorkshiredales.anglican.org/content/guiseley-bronte-church-displays-its-heritage
To find out which sites are opening across the country for the Heritage Open Days, please visit the National Trust website: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1355857832928/
To find out more about the Open Days and about what is going on specifically in your area, please visit the Heritage Open Days website: http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/
To find out more about the Ride + Stride event in Kirklees and Lower Calderdale, please visit the Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust website: http://www.yhct.org.uk/
Alternatively, call Vanessa White from the YHCT on: 07786 656883.
To find out more about the tour of Dewsbury Minster, please visit this website: www.dewsburyminsterfest.uk
To book tickets for the tour up the Bell Tower at Dewsbury Minster, please book through Dewsbury Town Hall by calling: 01924 324501.
To find out more about the tour of the Tower at All Saint’s Church, Pontefract, please visit this website: www.chack.co.uk
To book the Tower tour at All Saints Church, Pontefract, please book with Derek by calling: 0791 221 0244; or emailing: derek@chack.co.uk