Woodbrooke is teaming up with 10 local venues and opening up its gardens as part of Bournville Heritage Open Day on Saturday 9 September.
The event managed by Selly Manor Museum and Bournville Village Trust will see 11 venues in historic Bournville open to the public for free from 10 am – 4 pm with each venue offering a glimpse into the unique Cadbury story.
Download the Bournville Heritage Open Day Map with details of locations, refreshments, car parking and accessibility, and bring it with you on the day.
For our Heritage Open Day, Woodbrooke will be hosting an “open garden day” where visitors can enjoy our 10 acres of organically managed grounds including woodland, boating lake, walled garden and labyrinth. You can also take part in our “Can You Find Challenge” giant Jenga and croquet on the lawn.
Other sites that will open for Bournville’s Heritage Open Day include:
- Selly Manor Museum – dating back to 1474, Selly Manor was rescued from demolition by George Cadbury and founded as a museum
- Bournville Junior School – opened by George and his second wife Dame Elizabeth, the school features Bournville-inspired frescoes painted in 1914
- St Francis Church – completed in 1925, George ensured land was set aside for this Anglican church despite being a Quaker himself
- Quaker Meeting House – built in 1905, you’ll find a bust of George Cadbury here where his ashes, and those of Dame Elizabeth, are buried.
- Bournville Carillon – a rare sight in the UK, the Bournville Carillon is not only one of the largest of its kind but also one of only two working carillons in Britain.
- Rest House – paid for by employees of Cadbury, this building marks the silver wedding anniversary of George and Elizabeth in 1913.
- St Lazar’s Church – highly decorative, the church was built for political refugees from Yugoslavia after World War II. Dame Elizabeth sponsored thirteen Serbian refugee children during World War I.
- The Bournville Experience – part of Cadbury World, the experience focuses on the Quaker ethics of the Cadbury family and how Bournville was built.
- Bournville Almshouses – built from 1897 by architect Ewan Harper for Bournville co-founder Richard Cadbury who wished to provide homes for retired Cadbury workers, aged over 60 and on lower incomes.
- Fircroft College of Adult Education – founded in 1909 by George Cadbury, originally created to provide educational opportunities for some of the most disadvantaged and excluded members of society.
For more information about the offering from each venue visit: http://www.sellymanormuseum.org.uk/our-events/bournville-heritage-open-day/
