Heritage Open Days are coming to Torridge, courtesy of the Heritage Harbour and our partners. Billed as ‘England’s largest festival of history and culture’ Heritage Open Days run from 11 to 20 September this year. Thousands of volunteers across England organise events to celebrate their local history and culture. It’s a chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are FREE.

In 2025 Bideford & River Torridge Heritage Harbour coordinated 17 events in and around Bideford for the architecture themed Heritage Open Days, including exhibitions, talks, guided walks, and a chance to visit buildings not generally open to the public. 

For Heritage Open Days this year the theme is the everyday histories of working lives – the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker – what did your ancestors do? From factory floors to kitchen counters, school desks to sailors’ docks, serving halls to vegetable gardens, it’s a chance to find out what people did and how they earned their living.

Opportunities locally this year include the following: 

15 September: a chance to view progress on the restoration of the last rowed lifeboat based at Appledore, Jane Hannah MacDonald III

17 September: an Open Day event along Bridgeland Street, in partnership with Bideford Bridge Trust. This street was described by Daniel Defoe in 1742, as ‘a spacious, broad, well-built street inhabited with wealthy merchants who trade to most parts of the trading world’. The Bideford Bridge Trust offices will host exhibitions and along the street there will be information panels with history of buildings, previous occupants and trades. Local author Liz Shakespeare will give a talk about one of the most eminent residents of the street, Dr Ackland. 

19 September: in partnership with North Devon Maritime Museum, Appledore, we will be launching a new Shipyard Trail. Following the south west coast path between Bideford and Appledore, the trail crosses the sites of 12 historic or active yards. There is an accompanying exhibition in the maritime museum Appledore and a website with details of the yards and ships launched. 

Life on board a 1940s steamship can be explored when visiting Steamship Freshspring (open Sundays 13 and 20 September) and for working on the railways there are exhibits at Bideford Railway Heritage and an Open Day at Tarka Valley Rail on 17^th. 

All great opportunities to find out more about our distinctive local heritage. For full details visit www.heritageopendays.org.uk or www.barthh.org