Heritage Open Days – 12^th to 15^th September 2013

Now in their 19th year, Heritage Open Days are a great opportunity to discover and explore all the fantastic architectural and cultural treasures on your doorstep.

Running over four days in September, this is your chance to visit places that are normally closed to the public.

Medway’s offering gets bigger each year with at least 16 properties opening for at least one of the days and a full list can be found at www.heritageopendays.org.uk. Here are our local openings.

Rochester

Eastgate House, High Street, Rochester, ME1 1EW

Explore the Elizabethan Town House before it is closed to the public while conservation work is undertaken as part of the Heritage Lottery Fund award. There will be an exhibition at the house, divided into three sections depicting the past, plans for the future and an opportunity for you to leave a record of your own memories. You’ll get to meet Sir Peter Buck, the original owner of Eastgate House as well as Rebecca Norton, the governess when the house was a school. There will be pop-up boards telling you about the conservation work and the plans for each floor. It’s also hoped that Clive England from architects Thomas Ford and Partners will visit to give a talk. Plus you can find out details of how to join the Friends of Eastgate House and get involved in its exciting future.

Opening Times
Thursday 12th September: 1000-1600
Friday 13th September: 1000-1600
Saturday 14th September: 1000-1600
Sunday 15th September: 1000-1600

Guildhall Museum, Rochester, High Street, Rochester, ME1 1PY

Not normally open to the public but on display in the Members Room of The Guildhall (an impressive ante-room to the Main Chamber) will be a selection from some of the hidden treasures of the museum. From old toys and nostalgia to historical local artwork and interesting artefacts from the museum’s stores. A member of staff will be on hand to talk about any of the objects on display and something of interest for all ages 5 and upwards.

Opening Times
Thursday 12th September: 1000-1600
Friday 13th September: 1000-1600
Saturday 14th September: 1000-1600
Sunday 15th September: 1000-1600

Bridge Chapel and Chamber, 5 Esplanade, Rochester, ME1 1QE

A rare chance to visit one of only six or seven medieval bridge chapels still in existence. Constructed in 1394 and restored in 1937, the Bridge Chapel displays prints and paintings mainly of Rochester Bridge as well as a fine set of 20th century furniture made for the space by Robert “Mouseman” Thompson of Kilburn. Visitors will also be able to tour the Bridge Chamber – the office of the ancient Rochester Bridge Trust which was founded in 1399 and continues to provide crossings of the River Medway at no cost to the public as it has done for over six centuries. More fine paintings, a sketch of Rochester Bridge by JMW Turner and some fine Georgian furniture are on display. A childrens’ quiz will be available.

Opening Times
Saturday 14th September: 1000-1600
Sunday 15th September: 1000-1600  

Watts Almshouses, Maidstone Road, Rochester, ME1 1SE

Visit the Board Room to see material of historic interest. Tour the site of 19 traditional almshouses plus modern bungalows and flats. Refreshments available in the Common Room.

Opening Times
Saturday 14th September: 1000-1600
Sunday 15th September: 1000-1600

Temple Manor, Knight Road, Strood, Rochester, ME2 2AH

A rare surviving 13th century house belonging to the Knights Templar – an order of soldiers established in the crusading period to protect the holy lands and the pilgrims who travelled to them. The stone building that exists today once formed part of a larger range of buildings which included a hall, kitchens, barns and stables. Remains of 13th century wall plaster painted with red lines to imitate masonry blocks can still be seen. There is also graffiti on the plasterwork such as boats, patterns made with compasses and a curious name. Meet a Knights Templar at Temple Manor between 1100 and 1500 on Thursday, Friday and Sunday of Heritage Open Days. Learn all about Temple Manor, how it would have looked and what it would have been used for.

Opening Times
Thursday 12th September: 1100-1600
Friday 13th September: 1100-1600
Saturday 14th September: 1100-1600
Sunday 15th September: 1100-1600

Manor Farm Barn, Parsonage Lane, Frindsbury, Rochester, ME2 4UT

Famously described at the “Queen of Kent Barns”, the Manor Farm Barn was constructed in the early 13^th Century and is considered the longest medieval timber structure in Britain. The building is grade I listed but following a fire that destroyed a third of the original structure, it’s now subject to proposals for full restoration and use as the centrepiece for a heritage arts and crafts centre. A programme of emergency repair work is currently underway and this is a great opportunity to see how it’s going.

Opening Times
Saturday 14th September: 1030-1600
Sunday 15th September: 1030-1600

Chatham Memorial Synagogue, 366 High Street, Rochester, ME1 1DJ

A stone building with a baroque interior by architect H Collins that opened in 1870 and replaced a smaller synagogue opened in 1750. There’s a historic Jewish cemetery behind synagogue, possibly started c1700. A talk on the history of the local Jewish community will be given as numbers of visitors require.

Opening Times
Sunday 15th September: 1000-1200 & 1400-1700

St. Werburgh’s Church, Hoo, Rochester, ME3 9BF

Explore the building and the churchyard. See old registers from the parish and other documents that are normally held in the local archive office. See photographs of the church and village in the past.

Opening Times
Friday 13th September: 1000-1700
Saturday 14th September: 1000-1800
Sunday 15th September: 0830-1700, Services 0830 & 1000

Barrack Block – Upnor Castle, High Street, Upper Upnor,
Rochester, ME2 4XG

Set in a wonderfully preserved Elizabethan artillery fortress that was built in 1559 to defend the Dockyard at Chatham. Visitors are offered to go on a guided tour of one of the oldest surviving barrack blocks in the country – only open as part of the Heritage Open Days! The Barrack Block is not suitable for children under the age of 16.

Opening Times
Thursday 12th September: Tours 1000-1200 & 1400-1630
Friday 13th September: Tours 1000-1200 & 1400-1630
Saturday 14th September: Tours 1000-1200 & 1400-1630
Sunday 15th September: Tours 1000-1200 & 1400-1630  

Flower Festival at St. Mary’s Church, Old Church Road, Burham, Rochester, ME1 3XY

St. Mary’s is looked after by the Church Conservation Trust. They have a Flower Festival planned – various florists will take part and make musical themed arrangements. There will be singing towards the end of the afternoon, as well as tea, coffee and home-made cakes.

Opening Times
Saturday 14th September: 1100-1600

Chatham

Behind-the-Scenes of the Ship Model Stores at No.1 Smithery,
The Historic Dockyard Chatham

With over 3,000 ship models from the National Maritime and Imperial War Museum, this is a great opportunity to see one of the finest collections in the world.

Opening Times
Friday 13th September: Tours 1100 and 1400
Saturday 14th September: Tours 1100 and 1400

The Hospital of Sir John Hawkins, Knight, 1 High Street,
Chatham, ME4 4EW

One of the true Almshouse gems of Medway, you can visit the Boardroom which serves as the museum of the Charity. Just on the border of Chatham Intra, this is well worth a visit.

Opening Times
Sunday 15th September: 1000-1600

The Old Brook Pumping Station, Solomons Road, Chatham, ME4 4AJ

Situated just behind Halfords on the Brook in Chatham, the pumping station has just reopened after extensive repairs. Built in 1929 and now listed as an ancient monument, you can see the diesel engines used to drive the pumps during storms and flooding as well as an old Victorian printing press on which the Rochester Gazette was printed. There’s also an old Aveling and Porter road roller built by the famous Strood factory standing in the grounds.

Opening Times
Saturday 14th September: 1100-1500
Sunday 15th September: 1100-1500

Tour of Fort Amherst’s ‘Out of Bounds’ Unrestored Area, Fort Amherst, Dock Road, Chatham, ME4 4UB

Fort Amherst is Britain’s largest Napoleonic Fortress overlooking Chatham Historic Dockyard. The site features over 300 years of military history with an amazing network of underground passageways, historic buildings and gun emplacements all set in 20 acres of beautiful parkland. Visitors can take a tour of the incredible tunnel defences or take a stroll to the highest point of the Fort and enjoy the spectacular views over the River Medway. Exclusively for Heritage Open Days, Fort Amherst will be offering free tours of the unrestored area which is usually out of bounds to the public at 11am and 2pm on the 14th and 15th of September. The tours are expected to last 1.5 hours.

Opening Times
Saturday 14th September: Tours 1100 & 1400
Sunday 15th September: Tours 1100 & 1400
Booking Details
Main site is free, but the Heritage Open Days tour must be booked
Email: admin@fortamherst.com
Go to: http://www.fortamherst.com
Write to: Fort Amherst, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4UB.
Booking opens: 17 July 2013 23:30
Booking closes: 13 September 2013 23:30

Gillingham

Light Vessel 21 – 50th Anniversary Celebrations, Gillingham Pier,
Pier Approach Road, Gillingham, ME7 1RX

Join the crew aboard LV21 at Gillingham Pier to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of the vessel in September 1963. Light Vessel 21 is a unique 40 metre steel-hulled lightship, the last of the renowned Philip & Son’s ships to be commissioned by Trinity House. LV21 saw most of her service off the Kent coast on the Varne, East Goodwin and Channel stations. Explore the decks and get immersed in the half a century of maritime heritage whilst learning about both the important past the vessel played in guiding the mariners at sea and her future as a cultural landmark in north Kent. As part of the celebrations LV21 will be reunited with her original optic, kindly donated to the vessel by the Friends of St. Mary’s Lighthouse with support from the Association for the Lighthouse Keepers. Visitors will be able to have a close up view and learn about the fascinating workings of the optic. Meet the crew, hear their fascinating stories and learn some vital nautical skills from mastering knots to communicating via signal flags, morse code and semafore. Or get creative and help the crew to turn 50 empty glass jars into a luminating celebratory lantern to mark the ship’s big day. All materials provided. Suitable for all ages & abilities. Drop-in workshops operate on first come first served basis. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Opening Times
Thursday 12th September: 1100-1600
Friday 13th September: 1100-1600
Saturday 14th September: 1100-1600
Sunday 15th September: 1100-1600

Medway Queen Preservation Society, Gillingham Pier, Pier Approach Rd, Gillingham, ME7 1RX

Visitors look around the visitors center which features wall boards showing the exciting history of the PS Medway Queen. The workshop will be open to the public and you will be able to see what the apprentices and instructors have been working on inside. It is hoped that the PS Medway Queen will have returned from its restoration in Bristol and this event will give the public a chance to see her back home. The workshop is a noisy place so ear defenders are available and recommended for young children.

Opening Times
Thursday 12th September: 1000-1600
Friday 13th September: 1000-1600
Saturday 14th September: 1000-1600
Sunday 15th September: 1000-1600

Royal Engineers Museum, Library & Archive, Prince Arthur Road, Gillingham, ME4 4UG

The Royal Engineers Museum, Library & Archive tells the story of the Corps of Royal Engineers and military engineering. It is a story about the Sappers and their courage, creativity and innovation. In peace and war the Corps has been everywhere and involved in everything. The Museum galleries display exquisite Chinese embroideries given to General Gordon, maps, drawings, letters and airgraphs, paintings and fine uniforms alongside Zulu shields from Rorke’s Drift, torpedoes, bridges, armoured vehicles, a Harrier Jump Jet and even a V2 rocket! There are plenty of fun things for families to do as you visit the museums galleries. Hands on experiences, dressing up, interactives, and trails will all make sure you have an enjoyable and memorable visit.

Opening Times
Sunday 15th September: 1130-1700 Museum tour 1200-1330 & 1430-1600