One of England’s biggest festivals starts next week with over 6,000 free things to do from footie to kid-friendly events

ACROSS 10 days in September, Brits can enjoy thousands of free events courtesy of Heritage Open Days. The festival has thousands of free things to do from checking out Silverstone race course to ghost walks and even football tickets are up for grabs. Heritage Open Days is a free festival across England Credit: Alamy There are events all over the country and plenty are child-friendly Credit: Arnhel de Serra Powderham Castle Between September 11-20, lots of England’s best-known attractions and destinations will open to the public for free. Events will be held across the country – here are some of the places to explore with Heritage Open Days. Sign up for the Travel newsletter Thank you! For racing fanatics, book a day out at Silverstone where the collections team take you through its history with a guided tour. At Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, families can check out the codebreaking trail, try hands-on activities and have a go themselves. Other spots to explore include the grand Lyme Park in Cheshire, Wightwick Manor and Lyveden. Transport museums around the country are open with lots of vintage trains and buses for viewing. This includes Aldridge Transport Museum, Dover Transport Museum and East Anglia Transport Museum. At the Museum of Transport in Manchester, visitors can ride on its historic buses. Most read in Travel Depending on who you support, some people might be interested to know that you can get free football tickets. Head into Wigan Athletic Heritage Museum and then enjoy the match as the team plays Wycombe Wanderers (make sure to prebook). Families can hop onboard vintage vehicles at transport museums Credit: National Trust/Paul Harris Activities for kids include medieval crafting like decorating shields, crowns, princess hats and horse puppets at The Garage in Norfolk. Over at Acorn Bank Watermill in Cumbria, see the mill in action and even taste some of baked goods yourself. In Milton Keynes, head to the Midsummer Place Shopping Centre for the Caribbean carnival village celebrations with hands-on workshops. At museums across the UK, kids can dress up and see what life was like in different eras – like the 1800s in the National Justice Museum. Some of the best events take place during twilight hours. Onboard the Tudor ship, the Golden Hinde, there’s a reconstruction of living, working and sailing. Try out the codebreaking trail and hands-on-activities at Bletchley Park Credit: Alamy Other days out include medieval crafting and immersive museums Credit: National Trust/Paul Harris At the Rosse Observatory, get up close to the impressive telescope itself – and if it’s a clear night, you could even see Saturn or Jupiter. Or if you’re into ghosts, head to Ripon Market Place in North Yorkshire for some spooky walks. Make sure to look at activities and events in advance as you may need to pre-book before attending. For more on attractions – check out all the ones that you pay for once and then return all year for free. Comment now