Please confirm with the event holders that these dates are correct.
Heritage Open Days in Preston 9th to 18th Sept 2023
The Heritage Open Days 2023 Preston website link is:
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/
Ashton Freehold - celebrating a Victorian suburb
Broughton in Amounderness Heritage Centre and Church Cottage Museum
Creativity Unwrapped at Lancashire Archives
Haslam Park and Local Nature Reserve
Lancashire Conservation Studios & Collections
Open Day @ No. 3 Syke Street
Preston Cleansing Department
Preston Markets Heritage Walk
Preston Masonic Hall - Not so secret!
Preston Town Hall
St Michael and All Angels, Ashton on Ribble
The Lancaster Canal Tram Road and old Tram Bridge
The Harris Museum and Art Gallery is closed for refurbishment until 2024.
The Harris Museum and Art Gallery is a Grade 1 listed building full of interest. Preston's main attraction.
http://www.harrismuseum.org.uk/
Throughout closure activity will continue in other venues in Preston keep a look out on their website.
The Harris, Preston. Fine Art Gallery 31st January 2020:
Ribble Steam Railway & Museum, Operating Days
Read more about it on our website click here
The collection gets bigger each year. Mainly industrial locomotives and a few small tankers. Situated on Preston Docks, ride the train, see the museum, have a tour of the workshop, cafe, shop, plenty of parking, friendly staff. Great place.
In 2023 they frequently offer tours of the Furness Trust workshop next door. Some great work is done in there, including refurbishing the oldest operating steam loco Furness 20 which ran at Ribble for a time but is now loaned to another heritage railway.
A fabulous museum for lovers of commercial vehicles: buses, trucks, vans, fire engines.
Situated in the middle of Leyland in an old part of Leyland Motors, easy from the motorway, cafe, parking. Check opening dates. Re-opened in early 2019 after a refurbishment..
The museum has new owners for the on-site cafe which is open without going into the museum. The museum is open Thursday to Sunday in winter 2023.
http://www.prestonhistoricalsociety.org.uk/
Preston Historical Society, founded in 1948
Monthly meetings are on the first Monday of each month. All meetings will be at the Central Methodist Church on Lune Street
Preston has an active and popular historical society who meet monthly with interesting guest speakers.
Of late, 2023, their Facebook page has become a prolific and interesting daily update for those looking to for a frequent dose of Preston Heritage..
Friends of Winckley Square Gardens on Facebook
Winckley Square is a large sunken Georgian square in the middle of Preston. Surrounded by buildings of interest and recently smartened at great expense. Take a guided walk on certain days.
Closed in 2016 along with other fine museums in Lancashire, might re-open.
The museum of Lancashire in Stanley Road held regular events. Easy to find, next to the prison, cafe, good parking. Interesting content covering Lancashire, industry, military, seaside, entertainment.
A shame it was closed for cost saving. Operated by Lancashire County Council who re-opened their museums at Burnley and Helmshore which are both based on the Cotton industry.
Here's a view of the cafe from some 10 years ago.
The Lancashire Infantry Museum is in Fulwood Barracks (Grade II listed) the best preserved Chartist Barracks in the UK. Signing in is necessary, fortunately you don't need to join up.
http://www.lancashireinfantrymuseum.org.uk/fulwoodbarracks/
The location of an extensive library of local reference information for local historians or those tracing their family tree. Bow Lane near the Railway Station. Note membership is required to enter.
See the Friends of the Lancashire Archives 2017 Activities on our webpage
3 miles east of Preston. Interesting old black and white building with decent cafe.
http://www.samlesburyhall.co.uk/
Hoghton Tower, 1565, an old manor / castle in large grounds on a hill 6 miles east south east of Preston. The site of the annointing of Sir Loin, sirloin.
Link to Houghton Tower website
Plenty of buildings opening their secrets. See our page click here
Brockholes is a nature reserve with a floating visitor centre right next to the M6 Junction 31 on the edge of Preston. Owned and managed by The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside.
There's lots to see and do. http://www.brockholes.org/
A mile off the M62, nice grounds and cafe. Interesting exhibitions in the annex.
RVPT operate heritage Ribble Buses, of Preston, at various events around the north of England. See their website to join them or go to watch. Annual features are the Morecambe Bus Running Day and Lytham Hall Bus Running Day.
Celebrating Leyland trucks and buses. A national group who often gather in Leyland.
http://www.leylandsociety.co.uk/gathering.htm
'The Fellsman' departs Preston for Settle to Carlisle most week in summer with a steam hauled train. They're well booked so book quickly.
Explore the lovely countryside north of Preston with a guide. Around 50 walks including gardens, cafes, for a wide variety of people.
Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours
FTT operate a fleet of heritage buses from the Fylde area including Ribble buses. They also own a few trams. They attend events around the area.
Henry Street, Lytham. Open Tues-Sunday 10am to 4pm.
Displays by regional artists and local heritage items.
Good for cyclists and walkers a 21 mile circle of Preston largely on track but some sections on major roads. Can be done in stages. Nearest to Preston Centre is Avenham Park, walk to the Docks or Brockholes possible. Canal stretch could be interesting.
As often as Preston Guild. 2012 was the year of the London Olympics and Preston Guild. Looking forward to Preston Guild 2032.
Battle of Preston 1715, 300th Anniversary Events November 2015
A once every 300 years experience. Download the 2 page pdf leaflet click here.