HERITAGE OPEN DAYS 2026
Friday 11th September - Sunday 20th September
Heritage Open Days is England's largest community led festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Every year in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community and history. Stories are told, traditions explored, and histories brought to life. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – and it’s all FREE.
Scroll down for a list of the places in the local area that can be visited as part of Heritage Open Days
Please see the Heritage Open Days website for further information on each of the locations and for other ideas for places to visit as part of this event.
Built in 1748 as a purpose-built gaol, the building is now a museum charting the development of Buckingham through the ages.
The main focus during Heritage Open Days 2026 will be on local author Flora Thompson, and local businesses.
Saturday 19th September, 10am - 4pm (pre-booking is not required)
A rare chance to see inside the Gothic Temple, a splendid folly built in 1741 by architect James Gibbs. This is an opportunity to enjoy free entry to both Stowe Landscape Gardens and its Gothic Temple.
Saturday 19th September, 10:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday 20th September, 10:30am - 4:30pm
(pre-booking is advised)
The scale and beauty of Stowe has attracted visitors for over 300 years. Picture-perfect views, winding paths, lakeside walks and temples create a timeless landscape, reflecting the changing seasons.
Friday 11th September - Sunday 20th September, 10am - 4pm (pre-booking is not required)
Brackley Road Cemetery, Buckingham is the final resting place of ten soldiers and airmen who died for their country during WW1 and WW2. This tour is an opportunity to hear their stories and find out about the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s history.
Monday 14th September, 2pm - 3pm (pre-booking is required - please see details on the Landmark Trust website)
A chance to learn all about the heritage of the Buckingham Canal which was opened in 1801 and speak with our volunteers who will be working on site. Also discover more about the Society’s plan to restore the canal. There is then the option to take a self-guided walk with a leaflet provided by them to explore more of the canal and visit a second site along the route of the canal which is also on part of the Ouse Valley Way footpath.
Visitors can then return using the same route or plan their own circular route back to the start of the walk at Bourton Meadow, Buckingham
Sunday 13th September, 11am - 1pm (pre-booking is not required)
There will be an Everyday Histories exhibition of key groups in Maids Moreton dating from 1801 to the present day within its Village Hall; including a focus on the Wheatsheaf and its landlords; the growth and decline of the Post Office; Schools in the village, etc.
Refreshments, including delicious cakes shall be available (cash donations)
There will also be a self-guided walking tour of historic houses in Maids Moreton. The Village Hall will be where you can pick up a map of the self-guided tour.
Saturday 19th September, 1pm - 4pm (pre-booking is not required)
Discover the legacy of Sir John Vanbrugh on a guided tour offering a rare opportunity to explore parts of the external House complex not usually accessible to visitors and hidden architectural details that contribute to Stowe’s extraordinary design.
Led by knowledgeable guides, this tour will uncover Vanbrugh’s influence on the estate, highlighting key architectural features while also exploring Stowe’s distinctive approach to commissioning designers, both historic and modern. Over time, this vision has created a rich layering of work by some of the most celebrated architects of the period, making Stowe a living record of evolving taste, ambition, and craftsmanship.
In keeping with the Heritage Open Days theme of “Everyday Histories,” the tours will also shine a light on the often overlooked spaces that supported daily life at Stowe. Vanbrugh’s contribution was not limited to grand, theatrical statements. Visitors will gain insight into areas such workaday areas, where the rhythms of everyday work once sustained the household.
The Tours shall be taking place Saturday 19th September, 11:00; 12:00; 13:00; 14:00; 15:00
Pre-booking is essential. Please see the Stowe House website for further information and booking details
