FREE visits to 5,000+ UK historic buildings & heritage sites in September
Including National Trust properties, places not normally open to the public, and more
You can get FREE access to many historical sites and tourist attractions this month including National Trust sites, castles, locations used for TV and film including Pride and Prejudice, The King's Speech, and Bridgerton, and more. It's all part of heritage open days across the UK.
The sites included usually charge an admission fee or are closed to the public at other times of the year.
When free open days are happening in different parts of the UK
England: Heritage Open Days is on from Friday 6 to Sunday 15 September and includes 5,400+ locations and events. There are only a small number in London, but a separate event called Open House Festival is running from Saturday 14 to Sunday 22 September.
Northern Ireland: European Heritage Open Days is on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September. It includes 260+ sites and properties.
Scotland: Doors Open Days runs during weekends in September with hundreds of sites opening.
Wales: Open Doors is on throughout the whole of September with 170+ sites opening for free.
How to book your free visit
For some attractions you'll need to book in advance (and popular sites usually get booked up quickly), but for others you'll be able to just turn up on the day. You can check if you need to book by visiting the page for each attraction. If you do need to book, there'll be a link or instructions provided. If you don't need to, it may be worth double checking with the venue before your visit anyway. Opening dates and times vary for each attraction.
Below, we've picked out some of the popular or interesting places you can visit for free in England, London, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
England – Heritage Open Days, from 6 to 15 September
Stourhead House, Warminster, Wiltshire
Friday 6 to Sunday 8 and Friday 13 to Sunday 15 September, 11am, 12.45pm & 2.15pm
Filming location for Pride and Prejudice and the inspiration for Lady Penelope’s residence Creighton-Ward Mansion in Thunderbirds.
Not normally open to the public. Pre-booking required.
Ickworth Estate National Trust, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk
Saturday 7 to Thursday 12 September, house tours 10.45am to 11.30am, gardens 9am to 5pm
Country house and gardens, sometimes called Suffolk's 'Little Italy'.
Not normally open to the public. Pre-booking preferred.
Powderham Castle, Exeter, Devon
Saturday 7 to Sunday 15 September, 10am to 4pm
Fancy family home built in 1391, and home to the Earls of Devon.
Normally £15. Pre-booking preferred.
Halton House, Buckinghamshire
Sunday 8 September, 10am to 4pm
An active RAF site that's been used as a filming location for The King's Speech, The Queen, The World is not Enough, Cruella and some scenes from the Netflix series Bridgerton.
Not normally open to the public. Pre-booking not required.
Chartwell House, Westerham, Kent
Monday 9 September, 10am to 5pm
The family home of Sir Winston Churchill from 1922 to 1965.
Normally £20. Pre-booking not required.
How Stean Gorge, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Monday 9 to Thursday 12 September, 9am to 5pm
A gorge-ous outdoor adventure site with caves, tunnels and winding paths.
Normally £8. Pre-booking not required.
Heritage bus rides, South East London
Saturday 14 September, 10am to 5pm
Ride free on old buses between Lewisham, Bromley and Chislehurst, serving all stops on bus routes 61 and 261.
Not normally available in the area. Pre-booking not required – turn up at a bus stop on the route and put out your hand. Buses run about every 10-20 minutes (hourly between Grove Park and Lewisham), with full times posted at London Bus Museum.
Strawberry Field, Liverpool, Merseyside
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 September, 10am to 5pm
Immortalised by the Beatles' hit Strawberry Fields Forever, this is where a young John Lennon often played.
Normally £11. Pre-booking not required.
London – Open House Festival, 14 to 22 September
Florence Nightingale Museum, Waterloo
Saturday 14 September, 10am to 5pm
A small exhibit telling the story of the founder of modern nursing.
Normally £12. Pre-booking not required.
Leighton House Museum, Kensington
Friday 20 September, 10am to 3.30pm
19th century building housing a collection of high Victorian art including the works of Lord Leighton.
Normally £14. Pre-booking not required.
Northern Ireland – European Heritage Open Days, 14 & 15 September
McConnell's Distillery & Visitor Experience, Belfast
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 September, 9am to 7pm
Tour the McConnell's Irish Whisky distillery where you can learn about the distilling process and taste some whiskies along the way.
Normally £25. Pre-booking required.
Castle Ward, Downpatrick, County Down
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 September, 10am to 4pm
National Trust property including an 18th-century mansion with a mixture of architectural styles.
Normally £13. Pre-booking not required.
The Livingston Centre, Killinchy, County Down
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 September, 10am to 4pm
It tells the transatlantic story of the Livingston family and the first recorded attempted sailing between Ulster and America.
Normally £7.50. Pre-booking not required.
Blackhead Lightkeepers' Houses, County Antrim
Sunday 15 September, 10am to 4pm
The lighthouse was important in guiding vessels, including The Titanic, through Belfast Lough.
Not normally open to the public. Pre-booking required.
Scotland – Doors Open Days, weekends in September
Aberdeen Science Centre
Saturday 7 September, 10am to 4pm
60+ exhibits, including hands-on activities.
Normally £12.65. Pre-booking not required.
Dumbarton Sheriff Court, West Dunbartonshire
Saturday 14 September, 10am to 2pm
Guided tours of the court building including the cell complex.
Not normally open to the public. Pre-booking not required.
Bannockburn House, Stirling
Sunday 22 September, 12pm, 1pm & 2pm
Guided tours of the late 17th century A-listed country mansion.
Normally £11. Pre-booking required.
HMS Unicorn, City Quay, Dundee
Saturday 28 September, 10am to 4pm
Explore all four decks of Scotland's oldest ship at nearly 200 years old.
Normally £7.80. Pre-booking not required.
Alloa Tower, Clackmannanshire
Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 September, 12pm to 4pm
A National Trust for Scotland property and one of the largest towers of its type in the country.
Normally £8.50. Pre-booking not required.
Wales – Open Doors, throughout September
Tredegar Town Clock, Monmouthshire
Saturday 7 September, 10am to 12pm
Climb the interior ladders of the tallest freestanding clock in the UK, built in 1858.
Not normally open to the public. Pre-booking not required.
Powis Castle & Gardens, Powys
Saturday 14 September, 10am to 5pm
Maintained by the National Trust, this is a 13th century medieval fortress with gardens looking across the Severn Valley.
Normally £15. Pre-booking not required.
Bodnant Garden National Trust, Conwy
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 September, 9.30am to 5pm
80 acres including formal gardens, shrub-filled glades, meadows and woods, dells and water gardens. It's home to historic plant collections.
Normally £16. Pre-booking not required.
Manorbier Castle, Tenby
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 September, 10am to 5pm
A Norman gem steeped in history and folklore, overlooking Manorbier Beach.
Normally £6.50. Pre-booking not required.
Denbigh Castle, Denbighshire
Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 September, 10am to 4pm
One of the fortresses that formed King Edward I's 'ring of castles'.
Normally £5.90. Pre-booking not required.
Why do they do this?
The spirit of these open days is to celebrate hidden history and culture. However, a small number of privately-owned properties taking part get funding or have tax-exempt collections, which means they must allow public access for a certain number of days a year – but most of them just open up for the joy of it.
See our Cheap Days Out round-up for other ideas.
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