Open days out to create a buzz around heritage

Heritage Open Days is back, giving visitors the chance to look around historic buildings which are usually private.

And Holy Trinity Church, in Main Street, Ulley, is launching its well dressing week by inviting visitors to help create a decoration themed around bees.

It marks the establishment of a beehive in the church grounds.

From 10am to 4pm next Saturday, September 10, there will be the chance to find out about the church’s history and see its 1850s stained glass window, unusual organ and Victorian vestments.

There’s a rare chance to explore Wentworth Woodhouse for free on Sunday, September 11, and Tuesday, September 13, from 10am to 5pm.

The house and gardens visitor route is free to enter but admission must be pre-booked on 01226 351161.

Thundercliffe Grange built in 1777 near Thorpe Hesley by Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham, will be open from 10am to 3.30pm on Sunday, September 18, for 40-minute tours.

Rumoured to have been visited by figures such as founder of the American

Revolution, Thomas Paine, and writer Sir Walter Scott, it was later, among other things, a mental health hospital, before becoming a shared private home in 1980.

Booking in advance is required via [email protected].

Tours are being offered of Moorgate Cemetery from 11am on Sunday, September 10, with volunteers offering to illuminate visitors about the final resting place of Rotherham's Victorian industrialists.

The cemetery also contains Commonwealth War Graves from both world wars.

Volunteers will be hard at work clearing some of the graves.

No booking is required.

Aston Reading Room, on Aughton Lane, Aston, will be open from 6pm to 8pm on Friday, September 9, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday, September 10, for visitors to peruse local history documents, maps and photos, covering the areas of Aston, Aughton, Swallownest, Fence and Ulley.

There are albums of information about local men who died in the two World Wars and  you can find out about Aston Hall’s connection with legendary gardener “Capability” Brown.

Roche Abbey, near Maltby, which dates back to the 12th century, will be open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, September 10.

Rotherham’s Chapel on the Bridge will be open from 10.30am to 2pm on Saturday, September 17, including a talk by Women's Engineering Society as they shine the spotlight on remarkable women engineers.

St James’ Church, Ravenfield, which has a “recently-restored one-fingered clock”, is open from 10am to 4pm the same day.

Visit https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk for more details and booking information for all venues taking part.