Heritage Open Days 2025
The end of Summer means that it will soon be time for Heritage Open Days which runs from 12 to 21 September. An event described by some as Glastonbury for history and architecture fans. This is the annual national event when they open up buildings not normally open to the public, some that normally open put on special tours and displays, and increasingly there are lots of additional walking tours available as one off events. And all of it is for free.
Once again Kelham Island Walks will be taking part with two very different activities. Due to limited space and numbers, both need to be booked in advance. Bookings only goes live at 5pm on 21 August to coincide with the local launch of this year’s Heritage Open Days, and tickets are expected to be snapped up:
21 September: Yellow Arch Studios Tour. This is an opportunity to see inside one of the UK’s top music venues and recording studios and discover more about its industrial history as well as how it’s used today. Best known as the place where the Arctic Monkeys wrote their first album, the tour is led by Andy Cook, one of the founders of Yellow Arch Studios, whose own story of life in the music industry is also fascinating. Along with the more public spaces on the ground floor you will also see some of the recording studios on the first floor and find out more about how they are used.
16 September: Kelham Island Walking Tour. This guided walk brings to life one of Sheffield’s first industrial districts. You’ll discover its buildings, stories about its history, the successes and the tragedies of the people who made it what it is, and an insight into the place today. The walk is led by Anders Hanson who runs the regular Kelham Island Walks tours, with this one as a one-off free walking tour. Back in 2019, Heritage Open Days was the first time this walk was ever run for the public.
Sheffield has one of the largest programmes of events in the country during Heritage Open Days, so do have a browse of what’s on. Although many events will need advance booking, there are also lots that are just drop in events. Browse Sheffield events at Heritage Open Days.
Other events taking part in and around Kelham Island and Neepsend include open days at the former Holy Trinity Church (now New Testament Church of God) on Johnson Street, Aizlewood’s Mill on Nursery Street, and the National Emergency Services Museum at West Bar, a walk along the River Don from Kelham Island to the World’s End, a street art tour of Kelham Island and Neepsend, a guided walk of Parkwood Springs from Deer Park to Country Park, the Little Chicago heritage and history walk from West Bar organised by CAMRA, and another pub heritage walk but this time around Neepsend. There’s also two events with strong Kelham Island connections - a heritage tour and grave finding day at Wardsend Cemetery and an open day at Attercliffe’s Zion Graveyard.