Heritage Open Days: All the South Tyneside visitor sites welcoming residents in 2024

Every year, sites across the country open their doors to welcome visitors for free for Heritage Open Days. The group running the event claim to be England’s largest community-led festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations with the main event coming every September.

This year heritage open days across England will take place Between Friday, September 6 and Sunday, September 15.

Heritage Open Days in South Tyneside

Organised by South Tyneside Council, a tour of Jarrow Town Hall is available. The tour needs to be pre booked online by contacting South Tyneside Council.

The Council are also organising tours of South Shields Town Hall multiple times over one afternoon with pre booking needed by contacting the Council’s Civic Office by email.

On Saturday, October 14, Arbeia Roman Fort will be opening its doors for free guided tours. These will take palce from 2pm with bookings currently being taken through the site’s website.

The nearby South Shields Museum and Art Gallery is also offering giuded tours of the current ‘Scran!’ exhibition on Ocean Road. The Wednesday afternoon tour will take place from 2pm and will be followed by refreshments and an informal chat. Online bookings are required.

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Families can also enjoy being told the story of Benedict Biscop's travels across Europe at Jarrow’s Bede Museum on Church Bank. No pre booking is required for this Saturday’s event which will help kids and adults alike learn about the region and beyond in the Anglo-Saxon era.

Guided walks and history talks will also be taking place at St Peter’s Church Hall in South Shields, St. Hildas Pithead, Westoe Cemetary and more, including the Watch House at South Shields’ pier where families can learn about the 158 year history of the building’s service.

The full list of events taking place throughout the week can be found through the Heritage Open Days website.