The annual Heritage Open Days festival is a chance to go behind-the-scenes at some of the Cotswolds’ most interesting historic buildings. This celebration of local heritage lets you explore venues which aren’t normally open to the public and saves you money with free entry to others.
This year’s Heritage Open Days takes place between 11 and 20 September 2026, with over 5000 events running across the country. A range of churches, priories, country houses, gardens, schools, factories and mills are taking part. There’s a mix of guided tours, walks, talks, workshops and special events – as well as free entry to several National Trust and English Heritage sites.
Heritage Open Days in the Cotswolds 2026
The festival is in its 32nd year, and each year there’s a different theme – 2026’s is ‘Everyday Histories’, and explores daily working life through the ages. So if you are planning on visiting Heritage Open Days in the Cotswolds this year, here’s my pick of 18 of the best events.
You can find the full list of events on the Heritage Open Days website. Many of them you can just turn up to, but some of the tours or activities need to be booked in advance.
Free entry to Cotswold attractions
Kelmscott Manor
Kelmscott Manor near Lechlade was once the country retreat of artist and designer William Morris, who described it as ‘heaven on Earth’. Inside the 17th-century manor house you can see furniture, tapestries, artworks and ceramics collected by Morris and his family. There are also beautiful gardens to explore, and special family-friendly activities for Heritage Open Days.
When: Saturday 12 September, 10am–5pm (house 10.30am–4.30pm, last admission 3.30pm) | Entry: Free (normally £15.50) | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Newark Park
Originally built as a Tudor hunting lodge, National Trust site Newark Park was rescued and restored by a Texan architect in the 1970s after falling into disrepair. It’s built on the edge of the Cotswold Escarpment near Wotton-under-Edge, with lovely views from the gardens, and a collection of period furniture and modern art inside. There’s also a sculpture exhibition during the event.
When: Saturday 12 September, 10am–5pm | Entry: Free (normally £15) | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Upton House and Gardens
The National Trust’s Upton House near Banbury houses an impressive collection of European art and porcelain, and is surrounded by gardens which were created by Kitty Lloyd Jones – one of the first female garden designers – in the 1930s. As part of Heritage Open Days, visitors can experience ‘Meet Rembrandt’, a special guided, slow-looking experience for the event.
When: Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September, 10am–5pm (house 11am–3pm) | Entry: Free (normally £18) | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Chedworth Roman Villa
Meet the Romans at Chedworth Roman Villa, once one of the grandest Roman villas in Britain. It was home to a wealthy 4th-century family, and you can see the original hypocaust heating system, bathhouses and intricate mosaics. And for Heritage Open Days, costumed villa residents will share stories and insights into what life was like at Chedworth nearly 2000 years ago.
When: Saturday 12 September and Sunday 13 September, 10.30am–4.30pm | Entry: Free (normally £15) | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Bath American Museum Gardens
Set just outside the centre of Bath with views across the Cotswolds, you can visit the Bath American Museum’s 125 acres of Grade-II listed landscaped gardens for free as part of Heritage Open Days. There’s also an arboretum, children’s garden and deli. Or for an extra fee you can add on a visit to the museum itself, with recreated rooms from different periods of American history.
When: Sunday 13 September, 10am–5pm | Entry: Free garden entry | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Hidcote Manor Garden
The Arts and Crafts-style gardens at Hidcote near Chipping Campden were created by horticulturalist Major Lawrence Johnston in the 1910s and are now run by the National Trust. They use plants collected on his travels around the world, organised into outdoor rooms with different themes. You can join a garden talk or see the ‘A Place That Whispers’ photographic exhibition.
When: Sunday 13 September, 10am–5pm (last admission 4pm) | Entry: Free (normally £20) | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Dyrham Park
Grand National Trust site Dyrham Park near Bath was built for diplomat William Blathwayt in the 17th century. Inside are his collections of art and Dutch Delftware, and the lavish interiors which have made it a popular film location. There are also formal gardens, orchards and terraces, as well as 270 acres of ancient parkland with self-guided walking routes and views as far as Wales.
When: Thursday 17–Saturday 19 September, 10am–5pm (last admission 4pm) | Entry: Free (normally £23) | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Prior Park Landscape Garden
Prior Park Landscape Garden is set on a hillside outside Bath, with views over the city and countryside beyond. The garden was designed in the 18th century by poet Alexander Pope and garden designer Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Its covered Palladian bridge is one of only four of its kind in the world and there is also a grotto, Gothic temple, cascades and an ice house.
When: Friday 18 and Saturday 19 September, 10am–4pm | Entry: Free (normally £12) | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Woodchester Mansion
Woodchester Mansion near Stroud was built in Gothic Revival style in the 1860s, surrounded by parkland. But although it looks finished from the outside, it’s only a shell inside after being abandoned partway through construction, with builders downing tools and leaving it unfinished in 1870. You can look around the spooky ruins – and watch out for the resident horseshoe bats.
When: Saturday 19 September, 11am–5pm (last admission 4pm), guided tours at 11.45am and 2.30pm | Entry: Free (normally £13) | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Chastleton House and Gardens
Jacobean mansion Chastleton House near Moreton-in-Marsh was built in the early 17th century – and it’s hardly changed since. Inside this 400-year-old time capsule you can see antique textiles and artworks, family portraits and rare Jacobite glass. There are also walled gardens to explore, a wilderness walk, and the croquet lawn where the rules of the game were invented.
When: Saturday 19 September, 1pm–5pm (last admission 4pm) | Entry: Free (normally £15) | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Behind-the-scenes tours and rarely open places
Horton Court
With a history dating back to 1185, Horton Court is one of the National Trust’s oldest inhabited properties. It’s been a location for TV series Poldark and Wolf Hall – and is available to rent as a five-bedroom holiday cottage. During Heritage Open Days you can take a look around and find out more about its 1000 years of history, with stories and artefacts from its past owners.
When: Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September, 10am–4pm | Entry: Free | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Tetbury Market House
Heritage Open Days is a chance to see inside Tetbury’s Market House, which was built by the Tetbury Feoffees in 1655 – a group of local residents who took over running the town – and was used to sell wool and yarn, before later being used as a lock up and to store the town’s fire engine. As part of the event you can visit the Feoffee meeting room, which isn’t normally open to the public.
When: Saturday 12 September, 10am–4pm | Entry: Free | Booking: Not required | Find out more
The Theatre Chipping Norton
Peek behind the velvet curtain at The Theatre Chipping Norton, a much-loved local arts venue built in the style of an Edwardian music-hall for the Salvation Army back in 1888. It’s been a theatre for over 50 years, and special Heritage Open Days tours give you an insight into its history as you go behind-the-scenes to the green room, backstage areas and costume store.
When: Sunday 13 and Sunday 20 September, 2pm and 3.30pm | Entry: Free | Booking: Pre-booking preferred | Find out more
Westonbirt Gardens
Join a guided tour of the Grade I-listed Westonbirt Gardens, which are part of the grounds of Westonbirt School near Tetbury. The gardens were created by Robert Stayner Holford nearly 200 years ago and include a huge collection of trees from across the world. There’s also an Italian Garden, Camelia House in a Victorian greenhouse, fernery and lakeside walking paths.
When: Wednesday 16 September, 11.30am–1pm | Entry: Free | Booking: Pre-booking required | Find out more
Bradford on Avon Town Bridge Lock-Up
The Town Bridge is one of Bradford on Avon‘s most famous landmarks, with the oldest parts dating to the 13th century. Halfway across along the bridge is a tiny chapel, once used as a lock-up where local undesirables were held before they went before a magistrate. It’s not normally open to the public, but you can take a look inside at its medieval stonework during Heritage Open Days.
When: Thursday 17–Saturday 19 September, 10am–4pm | Entry: Free | Booking: Not required | Find out more
Cheltenham Ladies’ College
Cheltenham Ladies’ College is one of the UK’s most prestigious girls’ schools, founded in 1853 and run by suffragist educator Dorothea Beale for over 50 years. Its main buildings are located on the site of the original Cheltenham Spa, and were influenced by Arts and Crafts design.
When: Saturday 19 September, tours at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm | Entry: Free | Booking: Pre-booking required | Find out more
Museums and heritage talks
Corinium Museum
The Corinium Museum in Cirencester hosts a series of different events for Heritage Open Days. There’s a curator talk about the Salmonsbury exhibition with artefacts unearthed at Salmonsbury Camp near Bourton-on-the-Water. Monks, Merchants & Mud is a taster of the Medieval Cirencester Town Walk. Or create your own illuminated initial like the monks from Cirencester Abbey.
Salmonsbury Exhibition: Friday 11 September, 10.30am–11am | Entry: Free | Booking: Pre-booking required | Find out more
Monks, Merchants & Mud: Friday 11 September, 11.15am–11.45am | Entry: Free | Booking: Pre-booking required | Find out more
Illuminated Initials Craft: Saturday 12 September, 10am–5pm | Entry: Free | Booking: Not required | Find out more
The Burford Dolls’ House at the Tolsey Museum
The black-and-white half-timbered Tolsey Museum in Burford is a treasure trove of local history exhibits. One of the most interesting is the Burford Dolls’ House, made in the Arts and Crafts style in the 1930s with a façade modelled on The Great House in Burford. Over 60 artists and craftspeople were involved in its construction, with intricate interiors, furnishings and plasterwork ceilings.
When: Saturday 12 September, 10am–5pm | Entry: Free | Booking: Not required | Find out more
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