By KLTV Newsdesk –

Historic buildings, museums, churches, parks and community spaces across Kirklees are opening their doors for free as England’s biggest celebration of history and culture returns.

Heritage Open Days are returning to Kirklees, giving residents and visitors the opportunity to explore some of the district’s most fascinating historic places for free.

Taking place from Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September, around 90 heritage buildings and sites across Kirklees will open their doors to the public as part of England’s biggest festival of history and culture.

From Batley and Dewsbury to Marsden, Skelmanthorpe, Lindley and Holmfirth, the programme offers a wide range of events and activities for history enthusiasts, families and anyone interested in discovering more about the places around them.

The programme includes museums, town halls, parks and churches, alongside the newly renovated Dewsbury Arcade.

Exploring ‘Everyday Histories’

This year’s national Heritage Open Days theme is ‘Everyday Histories’, encouraging people to explore the history of their local communities and discover what everyday life looked like for previous generations.

Events will explore the stories of real working lives, as well as traditional skills and crafts, hobbies, rituals and the people who helped shape communities across England.

The theme has been developed in partnership with family history website Findmypast, which holds billions of historical records and newspaper archives that can help people uncover more about their ancestors and local history.

Celebrating Kirklees’ industrial heritage

A number of events across Kirklees will focus on the industries and traditions that have played a major role in shaping the district.

Farming, construction and textiles all feature in this year’s programme, alongside opportunities to explore the buildings, streets and outdoor spaces that continue to form part of everyday life.

In the upper Holme Valley, a programme of events called ‘Hearth & Holme’ will explore the idea of home and the many places that have shaped life in the valley.

The programme will look at houses, mills, farms, churches, workshops, streets and gathering places through a series of displays, walks, talks and open days.

Among the participating venues are Longley Farm and Holmfirth Tech.

Kirkburton archive to launch

Another major highlight will be the launch of the Kirkburton Village Archive, bringing together a wealth of material documenting the heritage of Kirkburton and Highburton.

The archive includes books, letters, maps, documents and manuscripts, as well as more than 70,000 photographs.

It will also act as a flagship for the Universal Archive, an initiative focused on digitising and sharing historic information that may otherwise remain in private collections or be unavailable elsewhere.

The project aims to make more local history accessible and allow communities to discover and learn from material that might otherwise be lost or hidden.

Find out what’s happening

The full Heritage Open Days programme covers events across Kirklees and the rest of England, with details of individual venues, activities and booking requirements available online.

All Heritage Open Days events are free, although some activities require advance booking.

Residents can find the full programme through the Heritage Open Days ‘What’s On’ listings or download the Kirklees Heritage Open Days booklet for the complete local timetable.