Brighton & Hove area - Heritage Open Days

Through the spring and early summer each year we coordinate Brigton & Hove's Heritage Open Days programme and participate each September by offering about 20% of local events at The Regency Town House.  We've offered residents and visitors one of the UK's larger HODs schedules for over a decade and we hope to see you at HODs in 2027.

If you're unfamiliar with this now long established national celebration, you can read more about HODs on the national organiser's webpages. 

By way of an introduction to what happens locally, see below for our (now expired, links deactivated) 2026 listings page.

Message re HODs 2026

Well that’s it, HODs 2026 has drawn to a close.  A huge thanks to everyone for their contributions. 

Event organisers

You provided a fabulous range of activities, alongside great event support and delivery.  We know how much dedication and hard work it takes to stage your presentations and we are truly grateful for your commitment.  We hope to work with you again during HODs 2027.

HODs visitors

Thank you for your enthusiasm and general brilliance throughout the festival.  As festival organisers and event providers we all greatly enjoy staging HODs but it's the feedback from our local communities that's the icing on the cake.  We much appreciate your generous comments!

HODs 2027 will run September 10-19

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HODs 2026 Listings
 
EXHIBITIONS AT THE REGENCY TOWN HOUSE
Open Door - no booking required
 
The Regency Town House - Research Group Exhibition:  Is there a doctor in the House?
12 Sep 2026, 12:00-16:00
13 Sep 2026, 12:00-16:00
19 Sep 2026, 12:00-16:00
20 Sep 2026, 12:00-16:00
 
Brighton & Hove Women's History Group - Display stand and talks
13 Sep 2026, 1200-1600
 
A Profiles of the Past Exhibition: Brighton in shades, silhouette portraiture 1785-1973
18 Sep 2026, 13:00-19:00
19 Sep 2026, 11:00-17:00
 
The Regency Town House - Costume Group Open Day
12 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
13 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
19 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
20 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
 
 
WALKS, TALKS AND TOURS
Open Door - no booking required
 
Clifton Hill & Montpelier; Brighton's West End – a walk with Geoffrey Mead
20 Sep 2026, 10:00-11:30
 
West Hill; Brighton's hidden neighbourhood – a walk with Geoffrey Mead
20 Sep 2026, 12:00-13:30
 
Aspects of North Laine - Brighton Old & New – a walk with Geoffrey Mead
20 Sep 2026, 14:00-15:30
 
Western Road – more than shops. A walk with Geoffrey Mead
20 Sep 2026, 16:00-17:30
 
Brighton history, re-imagined - or not?
18 Sep 2026, 16:00-19:00
19 Sep 2026, 11:30-16:00
 
Whitehawk Camp - Neolithic Causewayed Enclosure
16 Sep 2026, 18:00-19:00
 
WALKS, TALKS AND TOURS
Booking Required
 
Sex and Shopping! A Guided Walk of Gardner Street
11 Sep 2026, 11:00-12:00
 
The Brunswick Town Walk
11 Sep 2026, 11:15-13:00
 
Regency Remedies (Staged to coincide with The Regency Town House Research Group Exhibition:  Is there a doctor in the House?)
19 Sep 2026, 13:30-14:45
 
Glimpses into the lives of Brighton's forgotten doctors (1750-1880)
19 Sep 2026, 10:30-11:45
 
Horses, Hansoms & Hackneys
18 Sep 2026, 11:00-12:00
20 Sep 2026, 11:00-12:00
 
Waterloo Street: Another side of Brunswick Town
13 Sep 2026, 11:00-12:00
 
Downs Junior Presents 'Take Shelter'
12 Sep 2026, 10:00-15:00
13 Sep 2026, 10:00-15:00
 
Aubrey Beardsley's Brighton tour
12 Sep 2026, 14:00
19 Sep 2026, 14:00
 
Thomas Kemp's 'Regency’ Seaside Estate'
12 Sep 2026, 11:00-12:30
13 Sep 2026, 11:00-12:30
19 Sep 2026, 11:00-12:30
 
Not Just the Trunk Murders! An illustrated Walk in Kemp Street
15 Sep 2025, 11:00-12:00
 
AudaTours Brighton Audio Tour: Below the Promenade
11-20 Sep 2026, anytime
 
BBC Studio tour
18 Sep 2026, 10:00-11:00
 
Royal Pavilion and Garden Taster Audio Sessions: Embracing our Elms Introduction
13 Sep 2026, 11:00-13:00
16 Sep 2026, 17:00-19:00
 
Explore Brighton Dome
20 Sep 2026, 10:00-16:00
 
Brighton College History Talk and Tour
11 Sep 2026, Refreshments 1400-1420, Talk 1420-1505, Tour 1505-1530
 
 
QUEER HERITAGE
Open Door - no booking required
 
The Collecting Collective: Community collecting and digitizing sessions
13 Sep 2026, 13:00-15:00
 
 
WOMENS' HISTORY
Open Door - no booking required
 
Brighton & Hove Women's History Group, display stand and talks (SEE ABOVE: EXHIBITIONS AT THE REGENCY TOWN HOUSE)
 
WOMENS' HISTORY
Booking Required
 
Brighton & Hove Women's History Group talk by Sylvia Bluck
13 Sep 2026, approx. start for all talks: 14:00
 
Brighton & Hove Women's History Group talk by Clare Hughes
13 Sep 2026, approx. start for all talks: 14:00
 
Brighton & Hove Women's History Group talk by Gerry Holloway
13 Sep 2026, approx. start for all talks: 14:00
 
 
MUSEUMS, ART AND LITERATURE
Open Door - no booking required
 
Newhaven Museum
11 & 12 Sep 2026, 11.00-16.00
15 & 16 Sep 2026, 11.00-16.00
18 & 18 Sep 2026, 11.00-16.00
 
MUSEUMS, ART AND LITERATURE
Booking Required
 
William Blake - An introduction to his seaside home
15 Sep 2026, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 14:00, 14:30 and 15:00
 
Behind the Scenes at Sussex County Cricket Club
14 Sep 2026, 13:00 and 15:00
 
Brighton Toy and Model Museum Tours
19 Sep 2026, 16:00-17:00 and 17:00-18:00
 
 
RELIGIOUS SPACES
Open Door - no booking required
 
All Saints Church, Hove
16 Sep 2026, 11:00-14:00
 
St Bartholomew's Church, Brighton
11 Sep 2026, 10:00-16:00
12 Sep 2026, 10:00-16:00
14 Sep 2026, 10:00-13:00
15 Sep 2026, 10:00-13:00
16 Sep 2026, 10:00-13:00
17 Sep 2026, 10:00-13:00
18 Sep 2026, 10:00-16:00
19 Sep 2026, 10:00-16:00
 
All Saints’ Church, Patcham
13 Sep 2025, 11:00-17:00
 
Brighton Unitarian Church
20 Sep 2026, 13:00-16:00
 
St Mary de Haura church, New Shoreham
11 Sep 11:30-12:30
17 Sep 14:30-15:30
18 Sep 10:30-11:30
19 Sep 14:30-15:30
 
Newtimber Church - A rural church celebrates global stories
12 Sep 10:00-16:00
 
Brighton Friends' Meeting House, the home of the Brighton Quakers
12 Sep 10:30-16:30
 
First Base - St Stephen's Hall
12 Sep 12:00-15:00
13 Sep 12:00-15:00
19 Sep 12:00-15:00
20 Sep 12:00-15:00
 
Fabrica & Holy Trinity Tour: A Spotlight in the daily life of Trinity Church throughout the ages
12 Sep 16:00 and 18:00
 
 
FASHIONABLE HOUSES
Booking Required
 
The Regency Town House Tour
11 Sep 2026 09:30-11:00
 
Benjamin James Smith House, 37, Kensington Place
11 Sep 2026, 11:00 & 14:00
12 Sep 2026, 14:00
18 Sep 2026, 11:00 & 14:00
19 Sep 2026, 11:00 & 14:00
 
William Blake - An introduction to his seaside home
 
 
SILHOUETTE HISTORY
Open Door - no booking required
 
A Profiles of the Past Exhibition: Brighton in shades, silhouette portraiture 1785-1973 (SEE ABOVE: EXHIBITIONS AT THE REGENCY TOWN HOUSE)
 
SILHOUETTE HISTORY
Booking Required
 
Profiles of the Past - 250 Years of British Portrait Silhouette History, an introduction
17 Sep 2026, 16:00-17:00
 
Making 20th century Silhouettes at the Seaside
17 Sep 2026, 17:00-18:00
 
Discovering Historic Silhouette Machines
17 Sep 2026, 18:00-19:00
 
 
DRESS HISTORY EXHIBITION
Open Door - no booking required
 
The Regency Town House - Costume Group Open Day (SEE ABOVE: EXHIBITIONS AT THE REGENCY TOWN HOUSE)
 
DRESS HISTORY WORKSHOPS 
 
The Regency Town House - Costume Group, 'Lover's Eyes' activity'
12 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
19 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
 
The Regency Town House - Costume Group, 'The Language of Fans' activity'
12 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
19 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
 
The Regency Town House - Costume Group, 'Lavender Bag Making' activity'
13 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
20 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
   
The Regency Town House - Costume Group, 'The Art of Tying a Cravat' activity'
13 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
20 Sep 2026, 14:00-16:00
 
 
THEATRE, CINEMA AND ENTERTAINMENT
Booking Required
 
Duke of York's Cinema Tour
13 Sep 2026, 10:00 and 11:30
18 Sep 2026, 10:00 and 11:30
 
Brighton & Hove in Early Film
11 Sep 2026, 16:30-17:15
 
Nice Girl's Didn't go to the Academy!  Cinema Themed Guided Tour
13 Sep 2026, 16:00
18 Sep 2026, 17:00
 
 
VICTORIAN RITUAL AND CUSTOM
Booking required
 
"Death and Mourning in Georgian and Victorian England: Fascinating Rituals and Customs" Al illustrated talk by Sarah Tobias
20 Sep 2026, 11:00-11:45 and 13:00-13:45
 
 
ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION, INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL
Open Door - no booking required
 
BHASVIC Storyworks 'Everyday Histories' - Open Morning
20 Sep 2026, 09:30-13:30
 
West Blatchington Windmill
13 Sep 2026, 14:30-17:00 
 
Shoreham Fort Steps you Back in Time
12 Sep 2026, 11:00-16:00 
 
ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION, INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL
Booking Required
 
Shorehan Fort HODs Tour
11 Sep 2026, 18:30
 
Discovering the Paint History in your House
11 Sep 2026, 15:30-16:30
 
Capturing old Shorehan - Everyday Histories in the Landscape
11 & 12 Sep 2026, 10:00-16:00
14 to 19 Sep 2026, 10:00-16:00
 
Plaster Ornament in Period Houses
13 Sep 2026, 09:00-10:00
 
Historic Lime Plasters, Practice and Maintenance
13 Sep 2026, 10:10-11:10
 
BHASVIC Storyworks 'Everyday Histories' - Guided Tours
20 Sep 2026, 09:30-13:30
 
The Secrets of the Sash: the history of a traditional window
20 Sep 2026, 16:00-17:00
 
Glass Manufacturing Technology and its Impact on Window Design
20 Sep 2026, 17:00-18:00
 
 
LIST ENDS