Heritage
Free to explore
Heritage Open Days is England’s largest history and heritage Festival. Each year, thousands of volunteers give their time to host events and open buildings not normally open to the public. All for free.
Heritage Open Days
Heritage Open Days return to Rugby between 11-20 September 2026
What's on
Events in Rugby
Download the Rugby Heritage Open Days 2026 programme or pick up a copy from Rugby Visitor Centre. You can also check our Calendar for further details.
Highlights for this year include:
- Cemex plant tour
- Tour St. Andrew’s Church Tower and its stained-glass windows
- Demonstrations and music at Art at the Alex
- Rugby School tour and tour of its gardens
And much, much more! Please note: some events require booking. We recommend early booking, to avoid disappointment. Unless differently indicated in the event description, events can be booked here.
Local Participation
Art at the Alex
Join Art at the Alex for a celebration of local history, creativity and traditional crafts. This year’s Heritage Open Days programme features Tudors and Textiles alongside the Sheep to Shawl Challenge.
Step back in time with textile artist Tamsen Flack to explore Tudor life through textile demonstrations, traditional food preparation, fabric dyeing, silk painting and live music. Watch fibre artists transform locally sourced sheep’s fleece into a wearable shawl using traditional heritage crafts: spinning, weaving, knitting and crochet techniques.