Heritage Open Days
Take part in England’s largest festival of history and culture, Heritage Open Days, and discover the hidden history of North East Lincolnshire. Every September thousands of volunteers across England organise events to celebrate our fantastic history and culture. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – most are FREE to explore.
Discover the heritage of North East Lincolnshire in this fantastic array of places to visit for Heritage Open Days this year.
Alongside these great events, don’t forget you can walk a self-guided tour of the towns of Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham with the FREE Love Exploring App. Just download the app to your smartphone, choose your town and click ‘Trails’ and it will come up with a self-guided tour of buildings in the centre of Grimsby or the centre of Cleethorpes or the Pilgrims Trail in Immingham. View images of the buildings as they once were and read a little about their history.
Visit Cleethorpes
A Pier, a Prince and a Castle Exhibition
Friday 8 and Saturday 9 September, 10am to 4pm, Cleethorpes Town Hall
Cleethorpes Pier was constructed 10 years after the railways arrived in 1863. Join us as we celebrate the vision of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway’s chairman, Sir Edward Watkin, in the development of the resort and pier over 150 years. Alongside the event, there will be performances by the Punch & Judy Show and look out for Willy & Milly, our walkabout seaside posers!
FREE ENTRY. Visit the HOD Cleethorpes event page for more details.
75 years of Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway – FREE exhibition
Open to the public now until October (except 11-17 September due to the Rail, Ale & Blues Festival event!).
Miniature tracks first graced the resort of Cleethorpes on the 16 July 1948 and to mark this, the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway has a brand new free-to-enter exhibition telling the story. Located at Lakeside Station and open every railway operating day, learn about the railway’s rich history including the people involved in its creation and success. Look at the development of the track from a simple amusement attraction to a fully fledged attraction and admire the engineering of the original steam locomotives, returning for display in Cleethorpes after over 70 years!
Visit the exhibition event page for more details and links.
Visit Grimsby
Discounted entry to the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre
Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September, 10am to 4pm
Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre will be involved in the Heritage Open Days events again this year, offering discounted entry on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 of September. There will also be an opportunity to tour the historic trawler, Ross Tiger, following it’s recent re-opening after conservation work earlier this year.
EXHIBITION: Tracks, Smacks and Sunhats
Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre, Grimsby
Opens Friday 15 September, until the end of December 2023
Have you ever been curious about how the railway affected Grimsby and Cleethorpes, or how Grimsby and Cleethorpes became the tourist attraction it is today? ‘Tracks, Smacks and Sunhats’ celebrates the arrival of the railway to our area
2023 marks 175 years since the opening of Grimsby railway station, with Cleethorpes railway station celebrating its 160th year.
The exhibition displays never before seen objects from the museum collection, examining how the railway helped develop industry and leisure in both towns.
The exhibition will also celebrate the 150th anniversary of Cleethorpes Pier.
Visit the event page for more details.
Grimsby Town Hall and Time Trap museum
Friday 15 and Saturday 16 September: 10am to 4pm
Visit the Great Grimsby Town Hall to see the Assembly Room and Banqueting Room, which have been returned to their Victorian Splendour following extensive conservation work, carried out by Hurst Conservation, and support from North East Lincolnshire Assets Team, Architectural Services and the Great Grimsby Charter Trustees.
Also see the refurbished Bremerhaven Room (Former Court Room) and Crosland Suite. Wander around the Council Chamber and view the civic regalia and silverware; you can also see the stained glass windows in the main entrance and in the Council Chamber.
During your visit, enter the Time Trap Museum, this surprising attraction, in the former prison cells of Grimsby Town Hall. Embark on a journey through time, uncovering the town’s colourful past through dark, twisting corridors, explore mysterious nooks and crannies and winding staircases. Treasures from the archives will also be displayed together with copies of the original building plans from 1863.
Over the two days, there will also be displays by the Great Grimsby Family History Group, Grimsby Photographic Society, the North Lincs Art Society and the Councils Archives In addition, Free Entry to the Time Trap Museum.
An Introduction to Researching Family History
Grimsby Town Hall, Town Hall Square, Grimsby DN31 1HX
Friday 15 and Saturday 16 September, 10am to 4pm
Have you ever wondered where you come from? Are you interested in Family
History, but don’t know where to start? Hit a brick wall? Visit us for helpful
advice from friendly knowledgeable people; the members of the Lincs Family
History Society. Collect your free starter pack.
Visit the Town Hall event page for more details for all these activities.
Tours of the Grimsby Kasbah Conservation Area
Kasbah, Auckland Road, Grimsby
Saturday 16 September, 10am to 4pm
The Port of Grimsby welcomes all to learn about the historic area named the Kasbah. Take part in a guided tour, listen to historic talks, enjoy a smokehouse tour and explore buildings. There will be children’s activities, a family iSpy trail plus music, demonstrations and refreshments.
Here’s the link to book.
Playing the Past – Lifting the Lid on the Caxton Theatre’s Archives, Costumes and Props
The Caxton Theatre, 128 Cleethorpe Road,
Grimsby DN31 3HW
Sunday 10 September 11.00 – 16.00
The Caxton Theatre is 80 years old. Can you imagine the number of items they’ve accumulated? Choosing the best of their photographs of past productions, costumes and props for you to see, hold and even try on this is a unique chance to learn about Caxton Theatre’s past! Visit the Caxton event page for more details.
Grim Falfest 2023: The Vikings are coming!
Various locations across Grimsby Town Centre.
Friday 8 to Sunday 10 September
Grim FalFest returns to Grimsby with its three-day Viking-themed weekend. This 2023 event celebrates Grim and his escape from Norway with Prince Havelok before founding the town we know today. A dramatic launch event featuring a dazzling light show will light up the opening night of Grim FalFest 2023 as visitors experience the spectacle of a Viking funeral on the River Haven, close to the Fishing Heritage Centre. Followed by two days of events, activities and more. Visit the Grim FalFest event page for details and the links.
Visit Immingham
Discover Immingham’s Heritage
Immingham Museum, Civic Centre, Pelham Road, Immingham
Open Saturdays 1pm to 4pm
Visit Immingham Museum and learn about the town’s social history. Exhibitions showcase the history of Immingham Dock, the influence of the Great Central Railway, the town’s connection to the Mayflower Pilgrims and their dramatic escape from the shores of Immingham in 1608 and an extensive working model railway displayed on the first floor.
Living life in the early 1900s – discover Immingham’s Tin Town
Immingham Tin Town Heritage Centre, 359 Pelham Road, Immingham
Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September and Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September
12 noon to 4pm
See what life in the early 1900’s would be like living in the last Tin Bungalow, originally built for the workforce that built Immingham Dock. Visit the last remaining building of Immingham’s Tin Town which has been lovingly restored to its former glory. Homes and facilities were built to house the thousands of labourers who were employed to build the dock, called Tin Town. Using primitive equipment, it took six years to build and was opened in 1912 by King George V.
Visit the event page for more details.
Heritage events in the Villages
Sails and Stones: the Art of Milling – Waltham Windmill
Waltham Windmill, Brigsley Road, Waltham DN37 0JZ
Saturday 9 September, 10am to 4pm
Weather permitting, watch millers at work in the fully restored, 143-year-old, six-sailed Waltham
Windmill. There are fantastic views from the top of this iconic building. Visit the Sail and Stones events page for more information.
Weelsby Hall Open Day
Weelsby Hall, Weelsby Road, Grimsby, DN32 9RU
Sunday 17 September, 12 – 3pm
Owned by the Linkage Community Trust, Weelsby Hall is not usually assessable to the public. Vitally important to Grimsby’s heritage and particularly its fishing heritage, it was built for George Sleight, first Baronet of Weelsby, as his country seat in the late 1890s. Linkage Community Trust acquired the building in 1982 to serve the local and national needs of people with learning disabilities.
Find out about the heritage of this wonderful place through a self-guided tour around the grounds, with access to the entrance hall of Weelsby Hall and a small number of interior rooms. Learn more about how a grant from National Lottery Heritage Fund is helping Linkage to explore how the charity can preserve the hall for future generations. BOOKING ESSENTIAL. Book HERE.
A range of events across the UK are listed on the national Heritage Open Days website, so it’s worth keeping an eye open for more events, and if you can’t get out and about, there’s plenty of online content you can access from anywhere in the world. Visit www.heritageopendays.org.uk for more information.
