Heritage Open Days returns again in September with hundreds of buildings from across the country throwing open their doors to the public – all for free. With more than 100 events taking place across Greater Manchester over three days, here’s just ten of the best to make time for.
Stockport Plaza
The 1930s Plaza is one of the UK’s few surviving cinemas from the era and has been lovingly restored to its former glory by the Stockport Plaza Trust after being used as a bingo hall for almost 40 years. Three tours will take place for a rare opportunity to see behind the scenes at the iconic building.
Sun 13 11am, 1pm and 3pm. No booking required, max 100 people per session.
Central Library
After its multimillion-pound refurbishment, Manchester’s Central Library is looking better than ever and for Heritage Open Days you can visit areas not normally open to the public such as the Chief Librarian's Office, Archive Conservation and the Archive Vaults in a tour lasting about an hour and a half. See Time Out’s Central Library behind the scenes gallery to get a taster of what you’ll see.
Thurs 10 2pm; Fri 11 11am; Sat 12 11am & 2pm. Advance booking required, max 15 people per tour.
Pubs and breweries of inner Salford
Greater Manchester has a strong history of brewing, and this guided walking tour will showcase Salford’s old pubs and breweries. The tour will start at beer lovers’ paradise The New Oxford, last about 90 minutes and cover about 3km.
Fri 11, Sat 12 & Sun 13 3pm. No booking required, max 25 people per tour, not suitable for under 18s.
Withington Baths
Recently saved from closure by a local campaign, the new operators Love Withington Baths are celebrating by throwing two events over as part of Heritage Open Days to showcase this charming Edwardian bathhouse.
Thurs 10 6.30-9pm: Heritage Drinks Evening with complimentary nibbles and cocktails, and free swimming. Sun 13 12-5pm: free swimming, street food and tours of the building. No booking required.
Chetham's Library
As the oldest public library in the English language world and one of Manchester’s oldest buildings, Chetham’s Library has a fascinating history – including links with Elizabethan alchemist John Dee and Karl Marx - and a huge collection of books, manuscripts and letters. It’s open to visitors throughout the week but for Heritage Open Days it’ll be accessible on a Saturday so you can explore the building and find out about its collection.
Sat 12 10am-4pm. No booking required.
Elizabeth Gaskell House
One of Manchester’s hidden gems, the author’s Plymouth Grove home will be offering free admission for the weekend. As well as getting the chance to explore the location where Gaskell wrote ‘North and South’, ‘Wives and Daughters’ and biography of her friend Charlotte Bronte there will be a series of informal talks and a family craft activity.
Sat 12 11am-4pm; Sun 13 11am-4.30pm. No booking required.
Alexandra Park
Originally laid out in 1870, many aspects of the grade II-listed park have been restored in recent years with new flowers also planted. A short film, ‘Memories of Moss Side’, will be shown outside the Lodge House regularly and a heritage tour will take place. If you want to get on your bike, tandem, three-wheeled and unicycles will be available to try out.
Sat 12 12noon-4pm, tour 2pm. No booking required.
Hall i' th' Wood Museum
Dating back to the Tudor period, Hall i' th' Wood was originally built as a half-timbered hall and is a rare surviving wooden framed house from the period. In the 18th century, Samuel Crompton lived in the property and invented the spinning mule which revolutionised the spinning industry – but as his invention wasn’t patented he didn’t earn recognition or his fortune from the machine. Take a tour of the historic building and see the attic space where Crompton is thought to have hidden his spinning mule during a spate of machine breaking.
Sat 12 12noon-4pm. No booking required.
Clayton Hall
Located in Clayton Park, this grade II*-listed hall is surrounded by a (currently dry) moat and stands on a scheduled ancient monument. Dressed in a Victorian style to showcase what it would have been like to live in the era during the period, the hall will have costumes for children and host talks about the building’s history. For one day only, the Tudor part of the building will be open to the public where you’ll be able to see the results of investigations and surveys being carried out on site.
Sat 12 11am-4pm. No booking required, max 20 people per session.
Middleton's Grand Day Out
Four unique buildings and architectural gems are based in Middleton town centre - the Olde Boar’s Head pub, St Leonard’s Parish Church and the Queen Elizabeth I Grammar School, all dating from the medieval period, and the art nouveau Long Street Methodist Church – and together they make up the town’s Golden Cluster. For Heritage Open Days, all four will be opening their doors and a land train tour will be departing from Middleton Gardens every half an hour. Activities for kids will also be in the town centre including rides and a bouncy castle.
Sat 12 10am-4pm. No booking required.
Heritage Open Days, Sept 10-13.
See more things to do in Manchester from Time Out.