Northamptonshire to celebrate Heritage Open Days with record number of activities

Running from 12 to 21 September 2025, this year’s festival celebrates its 31st year with the theme of Architecture and Design - marking the first Heritage Open Days festival since Discover Northamptonshire, the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), gained accreditation from Visit England.

With more venues and experiences than ever before, highlights of this year’s free event will include:

• Heritage trails in Northampton, Brackley and Daventry, plus a West Northamptonshire Council online assets trail showcasing buildings and monuments to discover from home.
• A special Great Fire of Northampton commemoration, with stories and activities reflecting the lasting impact of the fire on the town’s history.
• A fascinating Beer and Buildings talk at Towcester Mill Brewery covering the history of the Tap Room and the Turbine in their 18th Century building and understanding more about how brewing first came about and who paved the way to bring us real ale that we know today.
• A chance to share your favourite Northampton building at a special community event inside the Guildhall on 13 September.
• A canal trip on the Grand Union Canal, taking place on 13 and 14 September, including entering the Blisworth Tunnel with commentary relating to the canal history and its importance for the area.
• Daventry stepping into the spotlight with heritage buses arriving in the town centre on 13 September, alongside plenty of historic attractions to explore.
• Four separate events at The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the oldest and most significant buildings in the town.
• The much-loved big red heritage buses returning to Northampton town centre during the second weekend of the festival, running free tours of local sights.
• Battlefield history brought to life with events at Edgcote and Delapré Abbey.
• Entry to many much-loved sites including Northampton’s Guildhall, 78 Derngate and Delapré Abbey - offering rare behind-the-scenes access to places that are often closed to the public or usually charge admission.

Cllr James Petter, Deputy Leader of WNC and Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture and Leisure, said: “Our incredible heritage, architecture and attractions are a huge contributor to local pride in place and our dedicated Visitor Economy Team have worked tirelessly to increase engagement and participation in this fantastic festival. We have funded Northampton Transport Heritage once again to provide free rides to local attractions so residents can get around easily and see as many as possible.

“Heritage Open Days provides a fantastic opportunity to discover the unique history, architecture and culture that make West Northamptonshire such a special place, and we hope residents and visitors will join us for this once-a-year opportunity. The festival also provides the perfect warm-up to Northamptonshire Day on 25 October, when we will continue to celebrate everything that makes our county proud.”

Richard Clinton, Chair of Discover Northamptonshire, said “As we work with both local authorities and wider organisations to amplify the visitor economy across the county, we are dedicated to tapping into the multi-billion-pound heritage industry. The purpose of Discover Northamptonshire is to enhance and grow the local offer to benefit residents and visitors in Northamptonshire and Heritage Open Days is a must-attend, especially as this year is the biggest one to date!”

Timetables for the heritage buses will be available online from early September, with printed copies also available from Northampton Central Library and Northampton Museum & Art Gallery.

Booking applies to certain events – please see full listings and details on the Discover Northamptonshire Webpage.