Tours of Northampton's Guildhall available during Heritage Open Days weekend

Historic buildings in Northampton will be opened up to the public during the Heritage Open Days weekend.
GV Guildhall - Town centre
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news NNL-140618-165318001GV Guildhall - Town centre
060616JC11
news NNL-140618-165318001
GV Guildhall - Town centre 060616JC11 news NNL-140618-165318001

The four-day event runs from 8 to 11 September and is a once-a-year opportunity to explore many of Northampton’s oldest buildings, many of which are usually restricted or charge for entry.

These buildings include a variety of churches, cultural landmarks and official buildings, some of which date back as far as the year 1100.

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Councillor Tim Hadland, the cabinet member responsible for heritage assets, said: “The Heritage Open Days event is a chance to visit and explore some of Northampton’s finest, important and most recognisable buildings in the town and a great opportunity to learn more about the history, culture, architecture and heritage of Northampton.

It’s a fantastic event and also a very popular one so my advice would be to book up early where possible, don’t try to see everything in one day and make use of the free classic bus rides departing from George Row if you can.”

Northampton’s Guildhall is one of the buildings participating in the Heritage Open Days weekend, with short and extended tours available on Sunday, September 11, granting access to many off-limit areas including the Mayor’s corridor and the basement where original cell blocks remain untouched.

A short film about the Guildhall and the history of Northampton will also be available to watch inside and online. The film has been made by Screen Northants with help from NBC Youth Forum.

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Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust will also be releasing a short film to serve as a virtual tour of the Abbey. This comes after their decision to keep the building closed due to ongoing restoration work. The park and grounds will remain open as usual.

More details on the Heritage Open Days weekend can be found at www.northampton.gov.uk/heritageopendays

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