Heritage Open Days return for 2025

The events, all of which are free to enter, return from Monday 8 September until Friday 26 September. Local highlights will include a Medieval Fair, a walking tour through Hinckley’s historic buildings, and much more.

Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of culture and history and aims to open access and insight to buildings not generally seen by the public.

This year’s events in the borough include:

Fully Fashioned Memories Exhibition, Atkins Building, Lower Bond Street, Hinckley – Monday 8 September to 26 September 2025. Every day, 9am to 5pm. Celebrating the everyday factory worker at work and play with objects, photos and stories from the 1960s until 2002.  Fully Fashioned memories is open Monday to Friday (9am to 5pm) with additional Saturday openings on Saturday 13 September (11:30am to 1:30pm) and Saturday 20 September (12:30pm to 1:30pm).

Hinckley Medieval Fair, Argents Mead, Hinckley – Saturday 13 September. 10am until 5pm. Medieval fun and frolics as Hinckley High Street Heritage Action Zone presents free entertainment for all the family. Activities will include: 

• Mythbusters
• Arming the Knight
• Medieval skirmish
• Fashion show
• Medieval shire court
• Hurried History (Tales for children)
• Archery tournament
• Medieval battle

Atkins Heritage Tour, Atkins Building, Lower Bond Street, Hinckley - Saturday 13 September: 10am until 12pm. Historic Hinckley buildings walking tour. All buildings have a connection to the notable Atkins hosiery family.

To book your free place on the building tour, please email info@atkinsbuilding.co.uk

Deputy Leader at the Borough Council, Cllr Mark Bools, said: “I am very pleased to see this event return for two weeks this year.

“The Hinckley and Bosworth area has so much history and culture to offer, and the festival provides an interesting insight to the hidden history of our older buildings and the opportunity to have a really good look around many of them, while exploring different areas of our borough at the same time.”

To complete Hinckley’s Heritage offering, on Sunday 21 September throughout Hinckley town centre, hundreds of rare classic vehicles have already entered Hinckley BID’s 14th Annual Motor Show.

Open from 10am to 3pm, this show is free to attend and enter.

Fun for all the family and to appeal to all age groups, there will also be some sought-after, top-of-the range modern vehicles including both luxury and sports. All events are free to attend, booking required only where stated.

For other events across the borough and nationwide visit Heritage Open Days (www.heritageopendays.org.uk)