Heritage Open Days 2023: Nationwide event bursts into life at Dewsbury’s oldest shop and train station

Running from Friday, September 8 to Sunday, September 17, it is England’s biggest festival of history and culture, and all events are free.

From behind-the-scenes visits to buildings to guided walks and hands-on craft sessions and exhibitions to film shows, there really is something for all the family in the all-time record programme of 96 events in Dewsbury, Batley, Spen and the rest of Kirklees.

At Dewsbury’s oldest shop, Greenwood’s, visitors were able to interact with historical artefacts which date back to the end of the Industrial Revolution in 1870.

Greenwood’s Sue Baker said: “The day went very well and everyone had a great time. We did a lot of reminiscing with our older generation and they were transported back in time to when they were young.

“We had some younger people who found things that they had never seen before and learnt something. It was a learning experience for everybody.”

She added: “We have been doing Heritage Open Days and promoting them for a few years now and we are really pleased because it has now taken off in town.

“Everybody else has cottoned on and it’s great because there are so many different things for people to experience.”

To mark 175 years of the town’s train station, Creative Scene partnered with the Friends of Dewsbury Train Station to showcase a day of street theatre performances, historic film screenings, a choir and various other entertainment.

Heritage Open Days events run until Sunday, September 17.

For further information visit: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/