The East Yorkshire Historic Churches Group, in conjunction with English Heritage, held a workshop at County Hall in Beverley on 26th January 2006 to explain how members of the Group could participate in the national Heritage Open Days 2006 and 2007.
Rachel Lee from English Heritage explained that Heritage Open Days celebrates England's fantastic architecture and culture by offering free access to interesting buildings that may usually be closed to the public or normally charge for admission. Activities and tours that bring local history and culture to life can also be part of the event.
Heritage Open Days are organised by local volunteers who open up buildings or run activities in their communities. The Civic Trust, in partnership with English Heritage, provides guidance, central co-ordination and a national voice for the event. This is your chance to share the buildings you love with other people and encourage visitors from the local area and further afield. It is an ideal way to engage the next generation with your community's historic architecture and to inspire a sense of place and identity.
The last heritage open day proved to be a great success for many churches throughout the region and has sparked further interest in these magnificent buildings. Many have seen visitor numbers dramatically improve and their local communities have also reaped the benefits as visitors from outside the local area are spending more time and, of course, money, within the community whilst incorporating a visit to a church.
Registration forms to participate on one or more of the Heritage Open Days will be available shortly. Registration will ensure that your church or group of churches will feature in English Heritage's online and printed directories.
Free public liability insurance, free posters and promotional templates for advertising and a free national marketing and press campaign to secure the best possible publicity make this a wonderful opportunity to promote tourism in our area.
Emily Keane, East Yorkshire Historic Churches' Heritage Officer will provide support and guidance to members and she will be pleased to hear from you. You can contact Emily to be part of this exciting event by email at
Pictured above is the impressive church of St. Andrew, Bainton, East Yorkshire, parts of which are twelfth and thirteenth century but mostly what we see today was built in the 1330s and 1340s and is wonderfully of one piece. It is known locally as the 'Cathedral of the Wolds'. Photograph taken and supplied by Stan Oxendale.