Heritage Open Days 2024

Harleston has taken part in Heritage Open Days for many years. The Historical Society decided to involve many more volunteer groups from across the town to create community wide heritage programme with events for all ages.

A local leaflet was designed and printed which included even more events than those registered in the national scheme. An army of local volunteers delivered 2,500 copies throughout Harleston. Posters were displayed in a prominent shop and banners were displayed on railings across the town.

An audio trail leads visitors on a journey through the history of St Marys Church, and her association with the Fuller family who travelled to America in 1620 on the Mayflower. The trail remains available for visitors as legacy from the Open Days.

A trail was created for younger visitors as a walk around the church in search of animals. Some are in plain sight, some more hidden, and one has gone missing. A certificate is awarded to those who successfully identify the missing animal. The trail remains available for visitors as legacy from the Open Days.

A kind resident opened their doors to visitors in a guided tour of their house. Domestic and commercial rooms from an 18th Century drapery premises with a 16th Century core. The owners are also allowed access to the gardens to see the exterior of outhouses including the early 19th Century Fire Engine Store.

We were treated to a 00 gauge model railway illustrating Harleston Station as it might have been in the early 20th century with photographic exhibition and contemporary footage from the last days of the train service in the 1950s. There was even a video taken from onboard the tiny trail.

A guided walk showed visitors signs of the huge amount of wealth brought to the town by the Scotch Cattle Trade in the late 18th and up to mid 19th century. We learned of the part travel and settlement have played in shaping the town over the years and heard brief histories of once renowned travellers from the town.

We were taken on a guided tour through the town stepping inside some buildings which are not normally accessible to the general public. Most of these dated back to the 1600s keeping our theme of Harleston as home to the Fuller Family who sailed on the Mayflower in 1620.

There was a presentation on St Mary’s Church focussing on its’ links with the Fuller family and the Mayflower both in the 17th and 21st centuries. This was followed an organ recital and an opportunity to look around the church.

There was an activity stall for young and old alike to create Mayflower based art. The weather was kind for children having face painting and visitors as they left their hand prints on a Harleston Mayflower model.

Harleston & and District Round Table along with Harleston 41 Club hosted a light hearted quiz with all profits donated to the Harleston and District Historical Society in support of Heritage Open Days.

Mayflower based poetry and artwork created by children from the local school was displayed in an exhibition in St John's Church. Copies of the poetry created a trail throughout the town and more artwork was used as advertising material in the run up to the open Days.

Items from the archives were on display to look back at the life and times of the Fuller family in 1600 Harleston. Paintings from children of the Sancroft Academy Primary and a video showing buildings transform to their former selves of 400 years ago enhanced the overall exhibition.

A series of posters in the windows of buildings dating back to 1600s displayed an historical image of the property and brief description. A QR code took the visitors to further information on our website. There is also an accompanying printed guide. The trail remains available for visitors as legacy from the Open Days.

A rehearsed reading of Private Resistance took an intriguing look at an alternative history and Churchill’s secret guerrilla army, ready to go underground and fight behind the lines in the event of Nazi invasion.

An exhibition mapped the locations of pubs past and present. Historic and modern photographs, pub artefacts, and games added to the sense of nostalgia. A display of memorabilia remains in the Swan Hotel and the trail will be made available for visitors as legacy from the Open Days.

The Library hosted open drop-in sessions to celebrate and learn about the Harleston town residents who travelled on the Mayflower, in addition to some other elements of American history. There were opportunities to craft and contribute to Mayflower themed displays, indoors and in the garden.

A book was used to capture comments from our visitors. These included: 'Enjoyable, great exhibitions'; 'Excellent'; 'Brilliant'; 'Superb, thank you'; 'Enjoyed learning about lovely little town'; 'So glad I came, wonderful stuff'; 'Fantastic guided walk'; 'Wonderful to go inside houses'; 'Great tour'; 'Five years old loved the train running'.

Harleston Heritage Open Days would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors; South Norfolk District Council, Harleston Round Table and 41 Club, and the Harleston Ladies Circle and Tangent.