Heritage Open Days 2026

Heritage Open Days (HOD) will take place between 11 – 20 September 2026. 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.

The theme for 2026 is the everyday histories of working lives – what did your ancestors do? From factory floors to kitchen counters, school desks to sailors’ docks, serving halls to vegetable gardens. The daily routines of different jobs, the skills required, the people that did them and the places that housed them.

BARTH are working with partners creating a series of events – summary below. Details of all events at Heritage Open Days

13-20 September 11-3pm Bideford Railway Heritage Centre, Bideford Station – climb up into the Signal Box and view the exhibition in the goods wagon to learn more about life on the railway. Weekends and week days when cafe on the train is open.
Sundays 13 and 20 September 11-4pm Steamship Freshspring – welcome onboard this 1940s steamship to explore more about working life at sea. Visit the engine room, crews quarters, captains cabin, galley, wheelhouse and don’t forget the Teddy Bear Hunt
Tuesday 15 September 11-3pm Come and see progress on the restoration of the last rowed lifeboat based at Appledore Jane Hannah MacDonald III 1910-1922. Visit the workshop to view restoration work, history of the lifeboat and talk to the team.
Thursday 17 September 10-3pm Bridgeland Street Open Day. The Bideford Bridge Trust Office is starting point for this open day with exhibition, historic maps and demonstration of restoration trades. Explore the street, described in 1724 by Daniel Defoe (author of Robinson Crusoe) as: ‘a spacious, broad, well-built street inhabited with wealthy merchants who trade to most parts of the trading world’. Information panels on the history of buildings and their occupants will help you to see how they’ve changed. In partnership with Bideford Bridge Trust and residents/businesses of Bridgeland Street. Thanks to District Commmunity Archive for information and pictures.
Thursday 17 September 11-12pm Talk ‘Dr William Ackland, a nineteenth century Bideford doctor’ by Liz Shakespeare at the Con Club 23 Bridgeland Street EX39 2QA. Pre booking required through eventbrite – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talk-dr-william-ackland-a-nineteenth-century-bideford-doctor-tickets-1996979213585?aff=oddtdtcreator
Thursday 17 September 11-1pm Visit ‘The Reds’ Bideford Amateur Rowing Club building The Quay EX39 2EY
Thursday 17 September 11-3pm Open day at Tarka Valley Railway. Explore life on the railways and chat with the volunteers restoring and maintaining this station site and rolling stock. Tarka Valley Railway by Puffing Billy, Torrington Station
Thursday 17 – Saturday 19 September 11-3pm Exhibition at Pannier Pantry (Old Custom House) Bridgeland Street – The Shipyard Trail, ‘Young Shipwrights’ Project 2026, Jane Hannah MacDonald III restoration story, Pete Newell artist ‘ships and new departures’
Saturday 19 September 11-3pm Launch of Shipyard Trail from Bideford to Appledore following South West Coast path. Known locally as the shipyard path it was used by workers walking to and from work in the shipyards. Information and history about the shipbuilding sites along the route on the accompanying website – here. Launch at Pannier Pantry, Bridgeland Street, Bideford (Also open during Bridgeland Street Open Day) and North Devon Maritime Museum, Odun Road, Appledore.
Saturday 19 September 11-3pm Launch of Shipyard Trail from Appledore to Bideford following South West Coast path. Known locally as the shipyard path it was used by workers walking to and from work in the shipyards. Information and history about the shipbuilding sites along the route on the accompanying website – here. Launch at North Devon Maritime Museum, Odun Road, Appledore and Pannier Pantry, Bridgeland Street, Bideford.

Details of all events – times and locations on the HOD website

Heritage Open days 2025

Bideford & River Torridge Heritage Harbour coordinated 17 events in and around Bideford over the 2025 Heritage Open Days Festival: 2 exhibitions with associated talks, 3 guided walks, 9 open day events and 1 public unveiling of a memorial plaque. There were in excess of 380 visits to all events. This is visits not separate visitors, many people took the opportunity to visit several events.

Full Report: Heritage Open Days 2025 in and around Bideford.

HOD 2025 report compressed Download