Every year in September, places across the country throw open their doors to celebrate their heritage, community and history. It's your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – and it's all FREE. This year Heritage Open Days returned with a 10-day festival from Friday 10th to Sunday 19th September. The national theme was 'Edible England'.
Thirty-five separate events covered tall 10 days of the festival, which was a great success, especially following much uncertainty over Covid restrictions. In all, we calculated 10,884 visits, including over 8,000 to Edible England-themed events and over 3,000 visits to bottle oven sites.
Many thanks to members of the Heritage Network for Stoke-on-Trent for all their hard work organising events. Cemetery (Photographs by Andy Perkin unless otherwise stated)
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Danny Callaghan at Speakers' Corner |
The Firing Line at the Secret Museum |
Penny Farthings at Hanley Park Open Day |
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The Cavalry arrives at Hanley Park Open Day |
Biking to Bottle Ovens - Briefing at Dudson Museum |
Biking to Bottle Ovens - Setting off from Dudson Museum |
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Biking to Bottle Ovens - Arriving at Moorland Pottery |
Biking to Bottle Ovens - Jon Plant welcomes the bikers to Moorland Pottery |
Biking to Bottle Ovens - Jon Plant welcomes the bikers to Moorland Pottery |
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Andy Perkin at the Phoenix Works Open Day (Photo: Terry Woolliscroft) |
Hidden tunnels projected on the firing chamber walls at the Phoenix Works (Photo: Terry Woolliscroft) |
Mirrors and lights reveal the hidden tunnels at the Phoenix Works (Photo: Phil Rowley) |
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Exploring A R Wood's Tunstall - Tunstall Town Hall |
Exploring A R Wood's Tunstall - The Clock Tower |
Exploring A R Wood's Tunstall - Debating the future of the Baths |
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Walking to Bottle Ovens in Hanley - Etruria Industrial Museum |
The Shirleys of Etruria - Setting off past the ball mill
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The Shirleys of Etruria - The Shirley Memorial in Etruria Park
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The Shirleys of Etruria - The Shirley graves in Hanley Cemetery |
Walking to Bottle Ovens in Stoke - Inside the Heron Cross hovel |
Walking to Bottle Ovens in Stoke - James Kent's Fountain Works in Fenton |
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Exploring Longton's Heritage - Tams' Crown Pottery on The Strand |
Exploring Longton's Heritage - Minkstone Work's updraught skeleton bottle oven |
Exploring Longton's Heritage - The calcining kiln in Heath's Passage |
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Exploring Longton's Heritage - The Memory Exhibition at the Enson Works (CoRE) |
Exploring Longton's Heritage - The group meet with Nerys Williams outside the Gladstone Pottery Museum |
Exploring Longton's Heritage - Discussing regeneration programmes with Zoe Sutherland |
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The Deployment Centre at Chatterley Whitfield |
The tour passes the Old Power House at Chatterley Whitfield |
The Winstanley Headgear at Chatterley Whitfield |
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The underground reconstruction exhibit at Chatterley Whitfield |
The Bakers Choir at the People's Port of Burslem |
70 Bottle Oven Facts posters saved for next year, together with over 200 reclaimed cable ties |
