England’s largest festival of history and culture is returning this September, bringing with it a host of free events to Cornwall.

Heritage Open Days, brought to you by the National Trust and supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, are run by thousands of local organisations and volunteers.

They offer everyone access to experiences and events across England, this year honouring the English inventions and innovations we can’t live without.

Each year, locations across the country throw open their doors and give people the chance to see hidden places and try new experiences at no cost.

Many events will adopt this year’s theme – Astounding Inventions – offering a celebration of the cutting-edge creations that make our lives easier as well as the imaginative inventors behind them.

Alongside stories of wonders, the festival will highlight some of the blunders, fads and outright failures that pepper England’s rich history of innovation.

Heritage Open Days Marketing & Projects Manager, Liam Montgomery, said: “We’re thrilled to be focusing in on inventions for this year’s festival, as they offer such an exciting lens for examining heritage.

“From the humble chocolate bar to the World Wide Web, England has an incredibly diverse history of innovation and discovery. We wanted to celebrate this by sharing stories from across the regions to really showcase the ingenuity and hard work behind them.

“Once again, we’re very excited to see what our community put together!”

Heritage Open Days events in Cornwall

Opening Up The Keep
Where: Bodmin Keep: Cornwall's Army Museum, The Keep, Castle Canyke Road
When: Saturday, September 10
Special guided tours of the museums collections stores, which aren't normally open to the public.

St Lawrence’s Church
Where: Fiveways, Westheath Avenue, Bodmin
When: September 9-18
A unique opportunity to explore Cornwall's asylum church and even have a go at playing the organ.

St Andrew’s Church
Where: Church Hill, Calstock, Callington
When: Sunday, September 18
Visitors will be able to see the church bells in action and perhaps try to ring a bell.

Gribbin Daymark
Where: Menabilly, Polridmouth, Fowey
When: Sunday, September 11
Climb the Gribbin Daymark near Fowey for fantastic views out to sea and over the Cornish countryside.

Godolphin House & Gardens
Where: Godolphin Cross, Helston
When: Various events September 9-18
Godolphin is celebrating its mining history with a series of guided walks and themed talks.

Lizard Wireless Station
Where: Marconi Bungalow, The Lizard, Helston
When: Sunday, September 11
A day of discovery to explore the history of Marconi’s astounding invention in wireless communication right through to present day radio.

Predanack Anti Aircraft Museum and Heritage Centre
Where: St Helena, Ruan Minor, Helston
When: Saturday, September 17
Visitors can see the original site built to defend Predannack Airfield during WWII, including the Command Centre, equipment and some of the weapons and vehicles of that era.

Cyprus Well
Where: Ridgegrove Hill, Launceston
When: Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11
Visit the home of Cornish poet, Charles Causley CBE, recipient of the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry, revered poet, friend of Ted Hughes & Siegfried Sassoon and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, who lived in Launceston for most of his life.

Southgate Arch
Where: Southgate Street, Launceston
When: Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11
Southgate Arch is the only remaining Medieval gateway of the three original gated entries into the old walled town of Launceston and also formed part of the old town wall. It was used as a prison between 1381 and 1884.

Liskeard Unlocked - Arts and Crafts Open Studios
Where: Homestead, Looedown, Liskeard
When: Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10
A range of beautiful arts and crafts created by Liskeard’s innovative Market Makers group in a historical farmyard setting – free cream tea for all visitors.

Liskeard Unlocked - Exhibition of Liskeard’s Michael Loam and the Man Engine
Where: Stuart House Arts & Heritage Centre, Barras Street, Liskeard
When: September 9-17
Exhibition about the invention and development of the Man Engine as used in Cornish mines. Also, a trail of inventions in the House which we now take for granted, an Art and Craft exhibition and rare photograph exhibition.

Liskeard Unlocked - How Rice, Coad and Sansom were inspired by 19th Century Architectural Innovation
Where: Public Hall, 3-5 West Street, Liskeard
When: Friday, September 9
An illustrated talk on how innovations in architecture influenced architects in Liskeard.

Liskeard Unlocked - Lego and Meccano Competition
Where: Liskeard & District Museum, Foresters Hall, 1 Pike Street, Liskeard
When: September 9-17
Fancy yourself a bit of an inventor? Take part in this Lego and Meccano machine competition. Make your machines, send in a photo and some information about what it does and the judge's favourite machines will be displayed and voted on during Liskeard Unlocked.

Liskeard Unlocked - Liskeard’s Little Known Innovators Stroll
Where: The Fountain monument, The Parade, Liskeard
When: Sunday, September 18
A short stroll around Liskeard town centre stopping outside the premises of some innovators that many people may not be aware of.

Liskeard Unlocked - Liskerrett Community Centre - Schools Out
Where: Liskerrett Community Centre, Varley Lane, Liskeard
When: Saturday, September 10
An exhibition of resources relating to the site's previous history as a School.

Liskeard Unlocked - Local Produce Market
Where: Outside The Cornish Times, Webbs House, The Parade, Liskeard
When: Saturday, September 10
Bringing together food producers from the local area and offering a range of products including fresh locally grown fruit and vegetables, cakes and doughnuts, savoury pies, meat and cheeses, speciality goat products, plants, gin, jams, honey and chutneys. 

Liskeard Unlocked - Print The Streets
Where: Liskerrett Community Centre, Varley Lane, Liskeard
When: Saturday, September 10
Using Takuhon, a Japanese press free printmaking technique, the session will explore the town of Liskeard through environmental printing.

Liskeard Unlocked - Scything in the Park with Making Space For Nature
Where: Castle Park, Liskeard
When: Wednesday, September 14
Join the Making Space for Nature team and professional scythe user Kevin Austin at Castle Park for a day of nature themed activities and the opportunity to learn about this quintessential tool of the British countryside.

Liskeard Unlocked - St Martin’s Church
Where: St Martin's Church, Church Street, Liskeard
When: Saturday, September 10
Explore St Martin’s Church, seeing the history behind the building and how it has been a place of Christian worship for over 800 years.

Liskeard Unlocked - St Martin’s Freemasons Lodge
Where: Masonic Hall, The Parade, Liskeard
When: Saturday, September 10
Lodge Number 510. This 2-storey stone Hall, with interlaced triangles above the door, has beautiful stonework to see inside and out. Visit the Main Hall and Exhibition. This purpose built building forms a feature of Liskeard’s Parade.

Liskeard Unlocked - The Catholic Church of Our Lady and St Neot
Where: 2 West Street, Liskeard, Cornwall
When: Saturday, September 10
The Church is in regular use for worship by parishioners, on this day, it will be open for all to visit, and view this historic building with its connections with Cornish mining heritage and the ancient pilgrimage site of Our Lady of Liskeard.

Liskeard Unlocked - The Mayor’s Parlour, Council Chamber and the Public Hall
Where: Liskeard Town Council, 3-5 West Street, Liskeard
When: Saturday, September 10
Whilst visiting the Mayor's Parlour and the Council Chamber head to the main Hall and discover more interesting historical facts and see the exhibitions about historically important properties in the town.

Liskeard Unlocked - The Old Brewery
Where: Bay Tree Hill, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 4BG
When: Friday, September 9 and Monday, September 12
Find out more about the history of The Old Brewery; from rumours of an old nunnery, the fire of Vennings Brewery to the new and improved indoor market and studio space.

Liskeard Unlocked - The Pipewell
Where: The Pipewell, Well Lane, Liskeard
When: Saturday, September 10
Come and see the Pipewell with the gates open so that you can view the lovely stonework as well as the water source. Hosts will be there to tell everyone about the building and the slate tank where the spring water is channelled.

Liskeard Unlocked - Walk Around Historic Residences West of Liskeard
Where: Homestead, Liskeard
When: Sunday, September 11
A chance to combine a three-mile countryside ramble and hear short stories of six fine residences along the route.

Liskeard Unlocked - Westbourne House
Where: Westbourne House, West Street, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 6BY
When: Saturday, September 10
A rare chance to view the progress of creating high-tech offices while preserving architectural features in a Georgian building.

Trerice Manor
Where: Newquay
When: Thursday, September 15
Spend a day discovering Trerice, an Elizabethan manor on a Cornish scale. Explore the fascinating house and collection, relax and play in the charming garden. With plenty of hands on activities, there are lots for all ages to see and do.

Trengwainton Garden
Where: Boscathnoe Lane, Madron, Penzance
When: Sunday, September 11 and Monday, September 12 
Enjoy free entry to this tranquil, wooded garden with its rare plants, walled kitchen garden (built to the dimensions of Noah's Ark) and sea views.

Behind-the-scenes tours at Kresen Kernow
Where: Cornwall Council, Kresen Kernow, Little Vauxhall, Redruth
When: September 10, 13 and 15
Behind-the-scenes tours at Kresen Kernow, and the chance to view documents relating to astounding inventions from Cornwall's past.

Moseley Heritage Museum
Where: Tumblydown Farm, Tolgus Mount, Redruth
When: Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10
Discover vintage toys and trains, narrow gauge mine train rides, mining displays, curio corner, bric a brac and second hand books, Murdoch Flyer live steam road locomotive, light refreshments, exhibitions and Family fun.

St Odulph’s Church, Pillaton - Church Tower Bells
Where: St Odulph's Church, Pillaton, Saltash
When: Sunday, September 18
Visitors will be able to climb the tower steps to see the bells at close quarters. Visits to the tower roof may also be possible.

Wheal Martyn Clay Works
Where: Carthew, St Austell
When: Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11
Explore behind the scenes of the china clay industry, old and new.

Shaped in Slate - 30th anniversary of Tintagel Old Post Office roof restoration
Where: Trevena & Tintagel Women's Institute hall, Catherine John's Gift House, Fore Street, Tintagel
When: Saturday, September 17 and Sunday, September 18
This free pop-up exhibition showcases the 1992 roof restoration of National Trust's Tintagel Old Post Office - a major conservation project which involved repairing the Tudor roof, before relaying the slates in their original wonky position.

Maker Heights
Where: Rame Conservation Trust, Maker Heights, Millbrook, Torpoint
When: Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11
Rame Conservation Trust will be offering guided walking tours of Redoubt No. 4 (Grenville Battery) and Redoubt No. 5.

Heritage Open Days run from Friday, September 9 until Sunday, September 18.

For more information on these or the many other events around the country, visit the Heritage Open Days website.