Great Yarmouth opens hidden heritage gems to the public for Heritage Open Days Festival

Over ten days, between September 10 and September 19, events will be held across Great Yarmouth to celebrate the history and culture of the town, offering people a chance to visit hidden places usually closed to the public, as well as exploring multiple heritage buildings.

The National theme for 2021 is 'Edible England' bringing picnics, food markets and recipes of yester year to the table in Great Yarmouth and providing an opportunity for the community to explore the past, present, and future of our culinary custom and culture.

People are invited to come and view Great Yarmouth in a different light during Heritage Open Days and explore the borough's fascinating past, with the unique opportunity to visit some amazing buildings and places.

Take part in A High Street Sound Walk by Oliver Payne in Great Yarmouth, one of six locations to be chosen by Historic England, visit the Town Hall open days for an assortment of activities such as a tour, cake decorating workshop and Teddy Bear's picnic or visit the Horsey Windpump, which is the youngest and largest windpump to be found on the Norfolk Broads, these are just a few of the many heritage building openings and tours on offer.

Those visiting the Town Hall for the open day on Sunday September 12 will be serenaded by the Rogue Shanty Buoys outside from 11.30 am until 2 pm. The wandering acoustic group from rural East Anglia will cover sea shanties and acoustic folk covers of contemporary songs and '90s classics.

Cllr Carl Smith, leader of the council, said: "Every year, thousands of events are organised across England to celebrate our fantastic history and culture, of which Great Yarmouth has plenty.

"Some of the many events organised for 2021 include drop-in sessions at the Yare Gallery and picnics at The Waterways, which are both educational and fun things for all the family to enjoy."

This year's programme has been separated into tours and events that must be pre-booked and drop-in events for which there is no need to book. If Covid restrictions should change, please check with the venue to see if any changes to the event will be made. Please note that not all properties have designated parking on site.

Regional brochures, produced by The Forum, are available from the Town Hall at reception. A Great Yarmouth brochure of events can be found on the Visit Great Yarmouth website.