Heritage Open Days North East 2026 – Free Days Out
Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture, offering free access to historic buildings, attractions and special events across the country every September.
Running from 11th–20th September 2026, Heritage Open Days provides a great opportunity to explore the region, with free entry to both well-known attractions and lesser-known events. You might get the chance to step inside a building that is rarely open, join a guided walk or discover a little more about the history of a familiar town.
There are far too many events for us to cover them all, so we’ve picked out just a few that caught our eye for 2026. Some are close to our cottages, others are popular North East attractions where free admission is a real bonus, and a couple simply offer the chance to see somewhere familiar from a different perspective.
Local History at Bellingham Heritage Centre
For guests staying in our cottages around Bellingham and Northumberland National Park, the Bellingham Heritage Centre is a good place to start.
This year’s special Celebration of the Working People exhibition looks at the people and occupations that have shaped Bellingham and the surrounding countryside over the years. Farmers, shepherds, blacksmiths, miners, railway workers, teachers and Lumber Jills are just some of the stories featured.
It’s a great way to find out more about Bellingham and the people who have shaped the area over the years. The exhibition runs throughout most of the Heritage Open Days festival, with no advance booking required.
Charlton Gate Cottage – less than 10 minutes’ drive from Bellingham Heritage Centre
Discover Hexham’s House of Correction
For guests staying in or around Hexham, or planning to visit the town during their stay, Heritage Open Days is a chance to see a part of Hexham that isn’t normally open to the public.
Free guided tours of the House of Correction start at Hexham Old Gaol before taking the short walk to the building itself. Here you can find out more about its history, the people who were held there, the work they were expected to do and what conditions would have been like.
Places on the tours are limited and advance booking is essential, so check the Heritage Open Days website for the latest dates and times before you visit.
Hexham Old Gaol – meeting point for the House of Correction Tour
Enjoy a Free Day at Gibside
One of the larger attractions taking part this year is Gibside, the National Trust estate overlooking the Derwent Valley.
Free entry is available from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th September, giving you the opportunity to explore the Georgian landscape, woodland walks, walled garden, chapel, Column to Liberty and ruined Orangery.
There are a few extras for Heritage Open Days too. The chapel crypt, which is usually closed to visitors, will be open, while the Banqueting House is also opening for special tours over the weekend.
There’s plenty to see and space for a good walk, so Gibside is somewhere you could easily spend several hours rather than simply popping in for the free admission.
Make a Day of Newcastle and Gateshead
Heritage Open Days also provide a great opportunity to head into Newcastle and Gateshead for the day.
On Thursday 17th September, Newcastle Castle is offering free entry to the Castle Keep and Black Gate. You can explore the medieval buildings, discover more about the history of Newcastle and climb to the rooftop for views across the city and River Tyne. Pre-booking a timed ticket is recommended.
Rather than heading straight home afterwards, we’d suggest making a day of it.
Newcastle Castle is just a few minutes’ walk from Central Station, so guests staying close to the Tyne Valley railway line could leave the car behind and travel into the city by train. From the Castle, head down towards the Quayside, find somewhere for lunch or coffee and walk across the Millennium Bridge to Gateshead.
On the other side of the river you’ll find Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, housed in the former Baltic Flour Mill. Entry to Baltic is free throughout the year, with exhibitions, viewing areas and the chance to discover more about this landmark building.
During the Heritage Open Days, the Baltic is offering an exclusive behind the scenes tour. Pre booking is required.
Head Towards the Coast – Seaton Delaval Hall
If you’re planning to explore further east, Seaton Delaval Hall is offering free entry on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th September.
Designed by Sir John Vanbrugh for the Delaval family, the dramatic Baroque hall has plenty of stories to tell. During Heritage Open Days you can explore the house and late-summer gardens, with short history talks and garden tours taking place during the day.
There’s no need to pre-book for general admission, and its location also makes it easy to combine with some time exploring this part of the Northumberland coast.
Image courtesy of Heritage Open Days (Paul Harris Seaton Delaval)
Discover More of Morpeth
In Morpeth, the Town Hall opens its doors on 18th and 19th September, giving visitors the chance to see the Council Chamber and some of the town’s historic treasures in the Mayor’s Parlour.
These include a silver mace dating from 1604, cannon balls from the siege of Morpeth Castle in 1644 and the town’s historic collection. No advance booking is required.
Look through the wider Morpeth programme too, as guided walks and smaller events are often a good way to discover the stories behind buildings and streets you might otherwise simply walk past.
Find Heritage Open Days to Suit You
Our choices are just a starting point but there are events taking place right across Northumberland and the North East so a huge choice to suit your individual interests.
One of the most useful things about the Heritage Open Days website is its search facility.
You can enter a location or postcode and see what’s happening nearby, with the option to view the results as a list or on a map. This is particularly useful when you’re staying somewhere unfamiliar, as you may find an event taking place only a few miles from your cottage.
You can also use the filters to make the results more relevant to you. Search for local history, museums and galleries, historic buildings, parks and gardens or walks and tours. You can look specifically for family activities, events that don’t require advance booking, accessible venues or, perhaps most interestingly, places that only open to the public during Heritage Open Days.
We’d recommend starting with the location of your cottage and seeing what appears on the map. Then try somewhere you’re already thinking about visiting during your holiday. If you’re planning a day in Alnwick, Morpeth, Hexham or Newcastle, for example, you may find a free event that fits perfectly with the rest of your plans.
More Than the Well-Known Attractions
Free entry to some of the North East’s major attractions is certainly one of the benefits of Heritage Open Days, but there are also plenty of smaller and more unusual events taking place.
These might include a building that isn’t normally open to the public, a guided walk around a local town, an old church, a historic workplace or the chance to go behind the scenes somewhere you may have visited before.
For us, this is one of the things that makes Heritage Open Days so interesting. While some events can easily form the basis of a full day out, others might be a short tour or visit that fits nicely into a day you already have planned.
As a summary, Heritage Open Days North East 2026 runs from 11th–20th September. All of the events are free, although some have limited places and need to be booked in advance. Programmes can also change, so always check the individual event listing before travelling.
Take a look at the Heritage Open Days website, pop in the area where you’re staying and see what you can discover during your Northumberland holiday.
Wooden Star Cottages offers the perfect base to experience the beautiful county of Northumberland. Book your stay at Wooden Star Cottages today and prepare for an unforgettable escape into the heart of one of England’s most beautiful regions.