Heritage Open Days 2025 Review

Heritage Network Logo Every year in September, places across the country throw open their doors to celebrate their heritage, community and history. It's your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – and it's all FREE. In 2025 Heritage Open Days returned with a 10-day festival from Friday 12th to Sunday 121st September. The national theme was 'Architecture'.

Forty-two separate events covered all 10 days of the festival, which was a great success. In all, we calculated 4,106 visits, including 2,611 to Architecture-themed events and at least 2,788 visits to bottle oven sites.

Many thanks to members of the Heritage Network for Stoke-on-Trent for all their hard work organising events. (Photographs by Andy Perkin unless otherwise stated)

Heritage Network members and supporters at the HODs launch at the Dudson Museum (5 Sep 2025)	Bottle Ovens of Longton Walk starts with a brief tour of Gladstone Pottery Museum which was also open for HODs	A warm HODs welcome to Trentham Parish Church
Rose Wheat leading those Following In the Footsteps of Charles Barry	Exploring Trentham and its Architects at Trentham Parish Church [Photo: Marilyn Vigurs]	Cath Ralph leading a tour of the Tower, Pinnacles and Parapets of St Mark's
A rainy afternoon in prospect for those following In the Footsteps of the Fords	In the Footsteps of the Fords participants are welcomed to Ford Green Hall	Stoke-on-Trent Station Tour in front of the North Stafford Hotel
Stoke-on-Trent Station Tour on the trail of the missing subway stairs	A long queue formed of people wanting a rare glimpse inside Olivers Mill's calcining kilns	Hard hats on for a tour of Oliver's Mill with Cath Ralph [Photo: Simon Davies]
Visitors at Oliver's Mill [Photo: Simon Davies]	In Fenton Park for A Century of Land Reclamation in Fenton	A Century of Land Reclamation in Fenton reaches Sammie's Pool
Power in The Potteries Exhibition	Phil Rowley presents Power in The Potteries: Energy Then and Now	Ray Johnson introduces Power in The Potteries: From Black to Green, a specially commissioned film for HODs
Mervyn Edwards leading the Arnold Bennett in Hanley Dudson Walk [Photo: Ray Johnson]	Claire Baily presents Power in The Potteries: From Waste to Resource	Lisa Healings, Ian Dudson and David Morrey in the exhibition: Donation of a Legacy at the Dudson Centre [photo: Faye Angus]
A chance to see Inside the Church of Fenton (Christchurch). The first HODs "Fenton Friday" maybe?	A chance to peak inside James Kent's Salt, Pepper & Vinegar Bottle Ovens	A rare chance to see the flint outflows underneath the Salt Pepper & Vinegar Bottle Ovens
Visiting Herbert's Ice House on the trail of Minton in Hartshill with Danny Callaghan	Visiting Colin Minton Cambell's grave in Stoke (Hartshill) Cemetery on the trail of Minton in Hartshill with Danny Callaghan and Craig Peebles	Outside the former Community Hall on the trail of Minton in Hartshill with local resident Martin Docksey
Following on from the presentation 15 Bottle Ovens Built in the City, participants arrive at Cliffe Vale to see examples	The Classic Cars Rally at Etruria Museum's Victorian Potters Mill	All set for Heritage Open Days, Holy Trinity, Hartshill awaits its first HODs visitors
Inside Minton's Gem - Holy Trinity, Hartshill	The Chancel at Holy Trinity, Hartshill	Tile experts, Craig Peebles and Danny Callaghan ready total questions at Holy Trinity, Hartshill
Return to this page for news of the Heritage Open Days Festival 2026 which runs from Friday 11th to Sunday 20th September