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HERITAGE OPEN DAYS - 8-11 SEPTEMBER 2011
This year’s event was once again very
successful. On Sunday, however, rain
reduced the usual high attendance at the traditionally most popular venues,
The British Schools Museum and The Biggin.
The Hitchin Society promoted twelve venues in
Hitchin plus guided walks and six more places to visit free of charge in
Ickleford, Preston, St Ippolyts and Wymondley. This year a new and significant attraction
was Hitchin Town
Hall where around ninety visitors were able to see plans for
an enlarged building which will not only retain community space but will also
house a new North
Hertfordshire Museum,
a café and a local studies centre. A
second new venue was St Saviour’s Almshouses which attacted sixty
visitors on Saturday.
Tony Freeman, coordinator has resigned due to other
commitments and has been thanked for his hard work over the past six
years. Other members of the
sub-committee have agreed to continue to run our local scheme.
Last October, a new partnership of three charities
the National Trust, the Heritage Alliance and Civic Voice took over the
national coordination of this programme which English Heritage will continue
to fund until March 2015.
Heritage Open Days 2012 will be 6-9
September
Heritage Open Days
celebrates England’s
fantastic architecture and culture.
Free of charge and
literally on people’s doorstep, it is an event for everyone, whatever their
background, age and ability.
This highly
acclaimed, Europe-wide scheme is co-ordinated nationally by English Heritage
and locally by the Hitchin Society.
For full
details and map of events in 2011 (PDF file), please click here
The Biggin, Biggin Lane, Hitchin.
Saturday 10 September 10am to 4pm
and Sunday 11 September 2.30pm to 5pm. Timber
framed building with central courtyard dating from 1361 and an interesting
Tuscan Colonnade. Originally a
Gilbertine Priory. Converted to Almshouses mid 17th century.
British Schools Museum,
Hitchin.
Saturday 10 September 10am to 3pm and Sunday 11 September 1pm to 5p.m.
Unique cluster of elementary school buildings including the 1837 Lancasterian
Schoolroom for 300 boys and rare 1853 galleried classroom. Plus refurbished
Victorian semi-detached house.
www.hitchinbritishschools.org.uk
Friends
Meeting House, Hitchin
Saturday 10 September 10am to 4pm and Sunday 11 September 1pm to 4pm.
The present house was built in 1959 above the old Quaker burial ground. Displays and guided tours are available.
Grace Baptist Church, Hitchin
Friday 09 and Saturday 10 September
10am to 2pm. Small
chapel built in 1869 renovated in 1960’s and now an Evangelical church.
www.grace-baptist.org.uk
Hitchin Christian Centre, Hitchin
Saturday 10 September 10am to 12
noon Purpose-built community church built in September 1998. www.hcc.org.uk
Hitchin
Museum, Paynes Park, Hitchin Saturday 10th September 11am to
3pm.
Come and take a look round the
Museum and see if you can guess the mystery objects from Hitchin's past.
Hitchin Museum is housed in a Grade 2 Listed, Georgian House built in 1825. There
are displays of Hitchin’s industrial and social past including a costume
gallery. Highlights include the Physic Garden
and Victorian Chemist Shop. www.north-herts.gov.uk
Hitchin
Town Hall
Saturday 10 September 10am to
4pm. Built 1901. A historic and
impressive building with ambitious scheme that aims to retain community space
and house a new North
Herts Museum.
The Plans will be on display and can be explained to visitors. www.north-herts.gov,uk
Holy Saviour Church, Hitchin
Saturday 10 September 10am to 6pm. Beautiful
church by famous Victorian architect William Butterfield. Funded mainly by the
Gainsford family of Hitchin. www.holysaviourhitchin.org.uk
St Saviour’s Almshouses (The
Cloisters) Hitchin
Saturday
10 September 10am to 6pm.
In 1868 a
Trust was founded to build almshouses and an orphanage by public
subscription. The first part of the Almshouses was ready in 1869/70 and they
were gradually extended during the Victorian period and could house twelve
residents.
Princess Helena
College, Preston
Sunday 11 September 10am to 4 pm. A Knights Templar
site on which stands a 1714 Queen Anne Mansion. Extended by Sir Edwin Lutyens in
1907/8. Gardens influenced by Gertrude
Jekyll with parkland. Now an independent school for girls. www.phc.herts.sch.uk
St Ippolyts Church, St Ippolyts Village
Friday 9 September 12 noon to 5pm, Saturday 10 September 10am to 5pm and
Sunday 11 September 11am to 5pm. Dedicated to St Hippolytus, one of two in
the UK.
1087 traditional date of foundation. Enlarged in 14th century and restored in
19th century.
St Katherine Church,
Ickleford
Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 September 9am to 5pm each
day. Craft Fair on Saturday 12 noon to
4pm with demonstations. Beautiful
Norman church extended in the Victorian era and featuring an archway designed
by Gilbert Scott.
St Martin’s
Church, Preston.
Saturday 10 September 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11 September 1pm to
4pm. A small Arts & Crafts church
built in 1900 by public
subscription. Designed by Thomas
Carter of London
in the style of Voysey. Several
interesting stained glass windows. Major refurbishments during the last 20
years.
St Mary's Church, Churchyard, Hitchin
Saturday 10 September
10.30am to 12 noon and 2pm to 4pm, Sunday 11 September 2pm to 4pm. Largest
parish church in Hertfordshire with many medieval features. Font dates from
1470. www.stmaryshitchin.org.uk
St
Mary’s Church, Great Wymondley
Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 September 10am to 6pm each
day. Early
C12 nave and chancel. Restored 1883-4. Extensive work on the tower carried out
in 2008 with funding from English Heritage, a number of ecclesiastical
charities and local fund raising.
www.greatwymondley.blogspot.com
St Mary the Virgin, Little Wymondley
Thursday 8 to
Sunday 11 September 10am to 4pm each day. Refreshments available. on
Saturday. Early
C12 origin, renovated c.1400 and restored 1874-6
Tilehouse Street Baptist Church
Saturday 10 September 10am to 4pm. Founded on the
site in 1669 with strong links with John Bunyan. The church was rebuilt 1844 and renovated
in 2010. www.ths-baptist.org.uk
Walsworth Road Baptist Church, Hitchin
Friday 9 September
9.30am to 11.30am and 2.30pm to 4.30pm, Saturday 10 September 10am to 5pm and
Sunday 11 September 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Founded in 1867
following the railway coming to Hitchin in 1850. The church was built as a Mission Hall on
land owned by Richard Johnson G.N.R Engineer. Extensions and Refurbishment
carried out in 1900’s and again in 2008/9.
www.wrbchitchin.org.uk
GUIDED WALKS
Historic Hitchin. Local historian Terry Knight reveals the history and stories about the town’s
historic core on Thursday 8, Friday 9 and Sunday 11 September. Meet at the
War Memorial in Churchyard at 2 p.m.
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