Heritage open days 2016
- 8 September 2016 12:29317645Great places to visit in and around town, best to check the opening times before setting out.
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/visiting - 10 September 2016 08:12317706Just a reminder of the open days, guided tours of the Town Hall and Maison Dieu House are highly recommended.
- 10 September 2016 18:02317727I went to the council ioffice at Deal today it was very interesting,& from there a short walk up the road to the Martime musuem it is very small but there is a lot in there well worth a visit,The two ladies that were in there were very nice. The only thing was a lot of the things in there were not marked as to what they were & any history,about the things that were in there. The lady that was in there told me that no schools come in for a look around which it a shame,howard mcsweeney1 likes this
- Andy B
- Location: dover
- Registered: 10 Nov 2012
- Posts: 1,829
10 September 2016 21:48317733Exellent,wish there was more offers like this.I went to ,Mason du house,St edmunds chapel,(last time i visited this was with Astor primary school back around 1972-73 and finally Fan bay deep shelter,i couldnt believe how long the walk was from the visitor centre to get there but well worth it.Amazing how much has been done,i highly recommend it.Didnt make St marys bell tower as i ran out of time, hoping to go tomorrow. Would like to have visited the North entrance tunnels on Military hill but was surprised to find it was booking only and all full although i didnt need to prebook for Fan bay which is a far more involved and longer tour.They managed but the Western Heights couldnt,such a shame.howard mcsweeney1 likes this - 11 September 2016 22:25317749Andy B wrote:Would like to have visited the North entrance tunnels on Military hill but was surprised to find it was booking only and all full although i didnt need to prebook for Fan bay which is a far more involved and longer tour.They managed but the Western Heights couldnt,such a shame.
The opening of the North Entrance Tunnel was the first time ever that a public group was able to access the site since it was closed over 40 years, and as such was a learning exercise for the Western Heights Preservation Society on how to open a new site. With the health and safety risks of drops and uneven floors it was felt that this first event needed strictly limited groups whilst we get visitor feedback on how to run the site. This is the same as we first did when we opened the Drop Redoubt in 2003, and they have evolved into a free-flow system.
We had approximately 200 visitors this weekend from all over Kent and beyond, who were our guinea-pigs providing very useful feedback as well as giving donations into this project which has seen the volunteers move over 16 tonnes of rubble over the last year and expenses of lighting systems, skips etc. The tunnel saw devastating vandalism last year which was our impetus to get this area open in some way.
With the success of this weekend we will be discussing how we can carry our more tours in 2017 and ensuring with the landlord. English Heritage, that it can all be done safely.
Next week on the 17 and 18 September is the second Open Weekend of 2017 at the Drop Redoubt, which will be £5 for adults and free for accompanied children, and the Grand Shaft that will be open to all. Hope to see people there !!Jan Higgins, howard mcsweeney1, Brian Dixon and 1 more like thisJan Higgins, howard mcsweeney1, Brian Dixon and Reginald Barrington like this - Andy B
- Location: dover
- Registered: 10 Nov 2012
- Posts: 1,829
12 September 2016 08:37317753I,m pleased it was a success but with the limited amount of places available maybe in future if booking is still the case perhaps you may consider giving preference to Dover residents first rather than those from all over Kent and beyond which you speak of.The places were booked very early so many of us Dover residents didnt even get a chance. - Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
12 September 2016 09:07317757I suspect that most of those who were from further afield would have been those who keep in regular contact with the group either through membership or as past or present volunteers.
There have been some great pictures and positive postings on FB.-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------