People urged to register to take part in popular Heritage Open Days Festival

HODs is an annual national event that celebrates England's culture and history. During the festival, people have free access to buildings that might usually be closed to the public or ordinarily have an entry fee, it also offers a range of other activities such as viewing private collections.

HODs 2026 takes place from Friday, September 11, until Sunday, September 20, and will see a wide range of properties opened up across the country. The optional theme for this year is Everyday Histories.

The festival is co-ordinated by the National Trust, with support from players of the People's Postcode Lottery. Locally, events and openings are co-ordinated by Great Yarmouth Borough Council's marketing and events team, which supports organisations and volunteers who share a passion for places, history and culture.

All HODs events are free, including access to sites that usually charge for admission.

Registering early for an event helps organisations and owners with promotion and also ensures location details are publicised for people in the Norfolk and Great Yarmouth HODs guides.

Councillor James Bensly, Great Yarmouth Borough Council's portfolio holder for Tourism, Culture and Coastal Management, said: ''The Heritage Open Days Festival is always very popular in the borough and provides our residents and visitors with a fascinating insight into our cultural heritage.

''It's a fantastic opportunity for people to see places that are normally closed to the public or visit sites for free. I would urge property owners to register so everyone can share in our proud history.''

Event registration is now open and venues looking to get involved with HODs are asked to email [email protected] or register directly with HODs at https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/