Tavistock Heritage Open Days
11th - 20th September 2026

Welcome to Tavistock’s celebration of England’s largest free festival of history and culture!

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From Anglo-Saxon nobles and early Christian memorial stones to family workshops, guided walks and hidden heritage sites, Heritage Open Days returns to Tavistock from 11-20 September 2026 with more than 40 events celebrating the town's remarkable history.

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This year's national theme is Everyday Lives, encouraging organisers to explore the experiences of ordinary people throughout history. Across the festival, you'll discover stories of miners, traders, craftspeople and local families, alongside the kings, abbots, entrepreneurs and visionaries who helped shape Tavistock and West Devon.

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This year’s highlights

Among the highlights will be historian John Fletcher's opening-night talk exploring the world of Ordgar, Ordulf and Ælfthryth, the powerful family behind the foundation of Tavistock Abbey. Visitors will also have the rare opportunity to join Dr Geri Parlby for guided tours of the Vicarage Stones, some of the earliest Christian memorial stones in England and among Tavistock's most important historic treasures.

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The Everyday Lives theme comes vividly to life through Dr Sue Andrews' fascinating talk A Pair of Shoes for a Poor Child, tracing the fortunes of three generations of a West Devon family between 1762 and 1903.

 

Families can look forward to the ever-popular Family Day on Saturday 19 September, including Working Life in Tavistock Through the Ages, where children can try their hand at mining, trading and stonemasonry through a series of fun, interactive activities in the Guildhall Courtroom.

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The festival also provides an opportunity to learn more about the Rediscovering Tavistock Abbey project, alongside a programme of walks, talks, tours and special access events organised by local heritage groups and volunteers.

 

Last year more than 1,000 people took part in Heritage Open Days events across the town, with many activities fully booked. We therefore recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.

 

Everything is completely free, but booking is required for some events — and places fill quickly!

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Keep Up to Date

 

Over the coming weeks, we will be publishing regular news stories highlighting individual events, speakers, venues and behind-the-scenes stories from this year's festival.

 

Visit our News section regularly to discover featured events, meet the people behind the programme and find inspiration for your own Heritage Open Days adventure.

 

The full programme is now available, and bookings are open. We look forward to welcoming you to Heritage Open Days 2026.

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Ticketed Events are as follows:

Please scan or click the QR codes to book your FREE tickets ​​​​​