A virtual chance to enjoy an important part of Hartlepool's heritage

The fascinating history of a Hartlepool church will be spotlighted at an open day with a difference.
By Chris Cordner
Published 10th Sep 2020, 16:45 BST
St Hilda's Church in Hartlepool.St Hilda's Church in Hartlepool.
St Hilda's Church in Hartlepool.

The annual Heritage Open Days programme, which is England's largest festival of history and culture, happens every September.

Places across the country open their doors for free but this year it is different. Online events will be offered for the first time and one of those events centres on St Hilda’s Church in Hartlepool.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Because of this year’s exceptional circumstances surrounding Covid-19, St Hilda’s will celebrate Heritage Open days online only via the church’s website.

The 12th Century church, on the site of a 7th Century monastery where St Hilda was abbess, is holding two presentations.

One is a virtual tour of the church and the other is details of a new pilgrimage route from Hartlepool to Whitby.

The ‘open day’ will look at St Hilda and her church in Hartlepool. There will also be a focus on the the architecture of St Hilda’s Church in its historical context.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On top of that, there is a virtual tour of the church and details of a new pilgrimage route - The Way of St Hild - from Hartlepool to Whitby.

Annie Reilly, Head of Producing at Heritage Open Days, said: “The festival is about connecting people so we can share in the amazing stories of the places, spaces, nature, heritage and history around us. The last few months have shown us how online events can bring us together even when we have to remain apart.”

To find out more about Heritage Open Days, visit here.

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.Subscribe to the Hartlepool Mail website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.

Related topics:HartlepoolEnglandCovid-19WhitbyHartlepool Mail