Heritage Open Days – East Park Tours
Another new step for the grounds team – Heritage Open Days! More specifically, we’ll be stepping in the direction of the East Park at Compton Verney, an area yet to be conquered with general grounds walks.
The Heritage Open Days offer will be one tour each morning on the 12th and 13th of September. Each tour will be free to join, but we are limited to 20 people per tour so please book ahead – and soon!
To book or ask further questions, please contact gary.webb@comptonverney.org.uk or call 01926 645 535
I personally tripped over Heritage Open Days about two years ago, and have been a keen follower since. For those who are unfamiliar, the concept is quite simple: to open heritage and culturally important venues to the public for free. I even joined the volunteer HODs blogging team this year to make a contribution, you may like to see my latest effort: ‘Please Step On The Grass’.
To quote the HODs website “over 1,400 organisations and some 40,000 volunteers organise thousands of site openings and events, jointly attracting over 1 million visitors. They make Heritage Open Days England’s biggest voluntary cultural event. On a national level, the programme is managed by the Heritage Open Days National Partnership and funded by English Heritage”.
At Compton Verney, I plan during each of the East Park Tours to talk about the developments of the landscape whilst walking a good section of the parkland known to us now as East Park. The views I find are stunning, and of a beautifully refreshed landscape, yet the scene has been entirely moulded by hand and I shall attempt to explain how. Please keep in mind that the area is exposed and the ground uneven in places; please wear suitable attire.
I’d like to add a note of personal thanks to Compton Verney House Trust for indulging me in my passion for heritage. I hope local enthusiasts will also support my efforts by booking onto one of the free places, joining in the tour, or spreading the word! You may indeed have knowledge of the Compton Verney estate, and if so, you’ll be more than welcome to chip-in and share your knowledge too!
The following poster adds a little extra information, but please check the official Heritage Open Days website for detailed information about the Heritage East Park Tours, with links to other nearby free entry events.