Heritage Open Day sites

St Leonard’s Church, Middleton

6 More Image(s) In Gallery

Anyone who is itching to discover how Middleton is linked to a Scottish King killed in battle 500 years ago, Manchester’s Peterloo massacre of 1819 and the invention of bottled beer can find out next month as part of the Heritage Open Day Weekend.

Middleton’s Golden Cluster of historical buildings comprising St Leonard’s Parish Church, the Queen Elizabeth I Grammar School, the Olde Boar’s Head and the Long Street Methodist Church will take centre stage at the event with guides on hand to reveal their fascinating stories.

Visitors to the Grammar School, founded in 1572, can take in the historical surroundings before enjoying a tipple of ‘Nod to Nowell’, the specially brewed local beer.

Families can explore the Long Street Methodist Church (also known as the Edgar Wood Centre) which was built in 1900 by the architect of the same name and boasts Art Nouveau, Medieval and Modern stylistic elements.

The Grade I Listed St Leonard’s Parish Church in New Lane, dating back to the 1100s, has Norman arches incorporated in the building, while the Olde Boars Head will give people a taste of a real 16th century pub.

And for those who can’t make those dates, September is Golden Cluster month, with all four sites open for tours on Tuesday and Friday afternoons from 1 to 4pm throughout the month. 

A Heywood church will be celebrating its 175th anniversary in style as it prepares to open its doors for the first time as part of the Heritage Open Weekend this September.
St James Church in Tower Street will join 31 other stunning sites across the borough which will be showing off their history as part of the national Heritage Open Day event, which celebrates England’s culture and architecture.

Also taking part for the first time in Heywood this year is All Souls Parish Church in Rochdale Road East which boasts stained glass and a carved reredos depicting the last supper.

A Falinge church which has been compared to the setting for the bestselling novel the Da Vinci Code will be among the highlights at this year’s Heritage Open Days.

The masonic features which characterise St Edmund’s Church have led to comparisons with the medieval Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland, the setting for Dan’s Brown’s novel, the Da Vinci code.

Visitors can also find out all about Rochdale’s untold stories by participating in a Heritage Trail which sets off from Touchstones Rochdale on Saturday 14 September from 2pm to 3.30pm. This can be booked on 01706 924928.

Staying in Rochdale town centre, a year after its extensive refurbishment, the Pioneers’ Museum, which opened for its doors for the first time at last year’s event, has a full programme of activities to take locals back to our borough’s cooperative roots.

Visitors can enjoy a tour of the original Pioneers graves at Rochdale Cemetery or find out all about the history of the building in which the museum is housed from its birth as a woollen warehouse to the present day.

Wardle will also take on a whole new character as its heritage event gets underway, with the former Wardle Urban District Council Offices, opened in 1936, playing host to curious visitors. Artefacts from the period will also be on display alongside documents relating to the former Wardle Carnegie library. An exhibition by the Wardle and Smallbridge History group will complete the experience.

Favourite sites opening again this year include the Regal Moon. Visitors will be able to glimpse the Wetherspoons pub in its former life as the Regal cinema, with the circle and upper floors open to the public for a one-off peek. Guided tours of the Grade I Listed gothic town hall will also be available for those who would like to find out more about Rochdale’s civic masterpiece.

The Heritage Open Weekend, running from 12 – 15 September, is a national event celebrating England’s architecture and culture. It offers free access to buildings which are usually closed to the public or charge admission. A total of 31 local buildings across the borough will be available to explore with tours, events and activities also on offer.

Across the borough, old favourites including the Regal Moon and Rochdale Town Hall will be opening alongside the recently refurbished Pioneers museum, which has a full programme of events and activities for all ages. Visitors can also find out all about Rochdale’s untold stories by participating in a Heritage Trail which sets off from Touchstones Rochdale on Saturday 14 September 2pm – 3.30pm. This can be booked on 01706 924928.

Over in Heywood, a range of stunning churches will be available to explore, with St James Church marking its 175th anniversary by opening its doors for the first time as part of the weekend.

Councillor Jacquie Beswick, Cabinet member for Place and Regulation at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Last year’s Heritage Open Days attracted record breaking numbers to our borough, with 3,600 people coming to explore our past. We’re hoping to get even more people involved this year so they can find our all about Middleton’s fascinating past.”

Julian Jefferson, Head of Link4Life Arts and the Heritage service, added: “The fantastic heritage offer we have in Rochdale is hard to beat. We’re really excited about this year’s programme, which will give locals the chance to explore our better known historical buildings as well as hidden gems in unlikely places.”

Organised by volunteers and supported by the Heritage Open Days National Partnership, Rochdale Borough Council, Link4Life and Middleton Heritage and Conservation Group , Heritage Open Days is England’s biggest and most popular cultural event.

List of Heritage Open Days in the borough of Rochdale