Published on: Monday, 13 August 2012
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Visitors to Norwich’s Heritage Open Days are being encouraged to visit the city by train, as the programme of 135 free events in the city is promoted at Norwich rail station on Tuesday 14th August.
Characters from times gone by will be at the station from 09.30 to promote the celebration of the city’s architecture and culture, which offers free access to events and interesting properties that are usually closed to the public or normally charge for admission.
Heritage Open Days take place from 6 – 9 September and include open buildings, guided tours, exhibitions, talks, family activities, music recitals and re-enactments. Participating venues include museums and tourist attractions; private homes; churches and cathedrals; city centre shops, restaurants and pubs; and offices and workplaces.
Norwich station, itself an important heritage building, makes an excellent first port of call for any visitor to the Heritage Open Days. Built in 1886 the impressive Grade II listed station retains its essential Victorian character, with its classically styled red brick and stucco, decorated frieze cornices and imposing zinc-tiled dome, which reaches seventy six feet high at its tallest point.
Since 2005 Norwich’s Heritage Open Days have been organised by the Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART). Chief Executive, Michael Loveday, said: “The largest, free, community heritage event in the UK and Ireland outside London is a massive ‘must see’ in the East Anglian calendar, attracting tens of thousands of visits over just four days. Norwich’s Heritage Open Days, co-ordinated by HEART has, for the last seven years, provided a massive opportunity for people to discover hitherto hidden heritage treasures on their doorstep, and travelling by train provides a low carbon and congestion free option to access some of the most stunning heritage secrets in the UK, right here in and around England’s one time second city.”
Train operator, Greater Anglia, is partnered with Visit East Anglia and together the two organisations are working to promote the region’s attractions and encourage more people to visit by rail.
Lucy Downing, of Visit East Anglia, said, “Heritage Open Days are a key event in Norwich’s calendar and are a wonderful opportunity to explore the rarely glimpsed areas of our city. We hope that by launching the event at the rail station we will raise awareness of the open days and encourage even more visitors to discover what the city has to offer.”
Visitors to the open days can book events and create their own itinerary through www.heritagecity.org/hods .