Alconbury Weald celebrates Heritage Open Day

To celebrate this year’s National Trust Heritage Open Days, Alconbury Weald will be hosting a vintage Summer Saturday with the Umbrella Big Band back by popular demand alongside stalls and food trucks on Watch Office Green from midday on Saturday 10 September 2022.

Bohemia will also be serving a themed menu at its café and bistro based in the World War II listed Watch Office: the first permanent control tower at the airbase, acting as a central operation building for the whole airfield.

As well as pre-booked tours and talks on the former airfield, budding artists can flex their artistic muscles and join Urban Sketchers to capture some of the historic military structures or more recent buildings at Alconbury Weald, like New Shire Hall. Bring your sketchbook or canvas and artistic materials along to the Watch Office at 1pm for a brief introduction before letting your creative juices flow. Add yourself to the guest list at https://bit.ly/AW_Urban_Sketchers.

Rachel Arnold, Communities and Partnerships for Urban&Civic, said: “Following the success of last year’s Heritage Open Day, we’re looking forward to welcoming residents and the local community to celebrate the military past that is helping shape Alconbury Weald alongside some great family entertainment and activities.”

The site’s military past has been an important influencer in Alconbury Weald’s designs, with key listed buildings preserved and enhanced in heritage settings, as well as a number of echoes of its previous role reflected in the layout of parks and spaces that capture the footprints of history.

All of these will come together as the development rolls out into a Heritage Trail as well as a specific Cold War Heritage Area that will come forward in Phase 3 of Alconbury Weald to tell the unique story of this place’s military past and its role in intelligence gathering during the Cold War.

Heritage Open Days is England's largest festival of history and culture, bringing together over 2,000 local people and organisations, and thousands of volunteers. Every year in September, places across the country throw open their doors to celebrate their heritage, community and history; with a chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences.