Listed: Where to find Heritage Open Days in West Leeds

By Iola Shaw

Heritage Open Days (HODs) is an annual free festival of heritage and history events running for 10 days from September 11 throughout England.

We have a good number in West Leeds, with several hundred across West Yorkshire and over 5,000 free events across the UK.  

There are many places that are rarely accessible as well as extra exhibitions on at familiar venues. Some do require advance booking whilst others are drop in sessions and some are online. Here are links to the ones that are in the West Leeds Dispatch area:

These activities have multiple dates available:

• St Bartholomew’s church, Armley: Drop in to tour the church and remember to book for the tower tours
• Mahogany to MDF: Aviary House, Armley: A survivor of 140 years of home improvement. Pre-booking required.
• Leeds Industrial Museum has various events on over the week 
• Sunny bank Mills has a mix of activities over the first weekend 11-13^th. More details in this article.
• Greenside Tunnel Walk in Pudsey through in the afternoons of the 12^th and 13^th, you will need a torch!
• Calverley Old Hall  is also open both of these days they ask you try to book so you can see the amazing restoration they have done there
• On September 11 you could prebook for Abbey House Museum Memories: The first Alastair Laurence Lecture. Dr Laurence is an expert in Abbey House’s history.

On Saturday 12^th you have options: 

Bramley Baths has Heritage tours, a workshop and a heritage walk into the community focus on the life of suffragist Mary Gawthorpe (all require booking).

Or Fulneck Moravian Church in Pudsey has a drop-in with stories about the Moravian community.

Sunday 13^th will see Hollybush Conservation Centre open for drop in to discover more about the 1888 scandal of the Whitwell family or book into the Assembly Outdoors in Armley on Canal Road for a workshop where you can explore Folklore.

Monday 14^th there is an evening event were you can experience Morris dancing at the Central Methodist chapel in Horsforth. 

Tuesday 15^th at Interplay in Armley there’s a bookable talk on “Changing Funerary Practices In Armley, Bramley & Wortley”.

Wednesday 16^th at Left Bank there’s a bookable creative workshop about Leeds transport heritage.

Thursday 17^th you can drop into Farnley Lancasterian Schoolroom on Low Moorside road for a talk about Farnley and the history of the schoolroom

On Friday 19^th there’s a quiz at Kirkstall Forge about how well do you know Leeds?

Saturday 19^th you can drop in for tours of Christ Church Armley or head to the mansion house, Gotts Park for a talk about the work of the original garden designer there, Humphrey Repton. And there’s a photo exhibition by Bramley History Society at Trinity Church on Town Street, 9.45am-11.45am.

Sunday 20^th there are tours to be booked of the Farsley Rehoboth burial ground.

If you want to look further afield all HODs events are on the national website. There are around 5,000 options, but that’s where to find the many virtual events, such as online talks or downloadable self-lead tours. 

The Leeds Civic Trust and it’s volunteers work hard supporting individuals and groups to develop and add events to that listing, and they also kindly put together a Leeds event listing booklet for download, which may feel a bit more accessible if you are browsing to start with. 

• Have we missed your event? Drop us an e-mail on news@westleedsdispatch.com and we’ll add it.