Cheltenham Civic Society has revealed its biggest-ever programme of events for this year’s Heritage Open Days festival. The combined launch with the Public Art Trail at Cheltenham Spa Bowling Club on the evening of 11th July was attended by more than 50 Civic Society members and others who came to find out what’s in store for this September.
The Civic Society’s team of volunteers who organise the events announced a programme of 73 open buildings, plays, walks and talks that focus around two themes: “Secret Places” and “Connections – Routes – Networks”..
With everything free to visit, learn and explore, the Heritage Open Days festival allows you to see behind the doors of some of our town’s finest and most interesting buildings, as well as to learn about Cheltenham’s rich history through a wide variety of walks and talks.
This year, the programme will feature the new permanent exhibition at the Bouncers Lane cemetery of the town’s recently conserved Battlefield Crosses from the Great War, including a talk by Neela Mann on the stories of the crosses and the soldiers they commemorate.
Six walks and talks are also being incorporated from the South Cheltenham History Festival. These include a talk by Stuart Manton on the Genesis of Cheltenham’s ‘South Town’ and a walk with Derek Scarborough about the Developers of the Naunton Area.
Two new entries in the 25 open buildings this year are: The Everyman Theatre and the Gardens Gallery in Montpellier Gardens.
The 25 guided walks include: “Town Centre Public Art” with Tess Beck; and “A People’s Park and Wildlife Corridor” with Chris Archibald and Sally Thomas.
The 17 talks include: “Gloucestershire’s Queen – Katherine Parr” by Mike Bottomley; and “Journeying to Net Zero – the Challenges of Greening a Heritage Building” by Peter Boait.
The full programme brochure can be picked up from venues around town, or from the Heritage Open Days stall in the farmers’ market in the Prom on Friday 26th July. The brochure can also be downloaded from our website: https://cheltcivicsoc.org/events/heritage-open-days
Where spaces at events are limited, bookings can be made from Monday 5th August via: hods@cheltcivicsoc.org