Dozens of venues in and around Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth not normally accessible to the public are set to open for Heritage Open Days

Chair of Warwick District Council, Councillor Mini Kaur Mangat, outside the Royal Pump Rooms in Leamington. The team from Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum will be holding guided tours of the building as part of Heritage Open Days on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September from 11am. Photo supplied by WDC

Dozens of buildings across the Warwick district, which are not normally accessible to the public, are set to open their doors for Heritage Open Days.

This year’s event, which is part of England’s biggest heritage festival, will take place from September 9 to 18 with 37 venues taking part.

Among the highlights of this year’s event are a guided walk around Warwick’s ‘secret spaces’, a literary tour of Leamington and an opportunity to visit the archives of the County Records Office.

Many of the district’s churches will be open with volunteers on hand to show visitors around the interiors designed by the leading architects and artists of the day.

Other popular local attractions including; Packwood House, Baddesley Clinton House, the Guy’s Cliffe Centre and Walled Garden, Bagot’s Castle and Hill Close Gardens will all be offering free admission at limited times during the festival.

Chair of Warwick District Council, Cllr Mini Mangat, said: “It’s great to see Heritage Open Days back at full strength, giving local residents the chance to discover a wealth of local history on their doorstep and it’s all for free.

"I would like to thank the many volunteers who work so hard to make this very special event possible.”

A booklet listing all the venues taking part and opening times is available from libraries and visitor information centres.

For more information go to: https://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/hods or go to: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/