Heritage Open Days

Every September some 40,000 volunteers across England organise 5,000 events to celebrate our fantastic history and culture. It's your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are FREE to explore.

We're delighted to once again be taking part in Heritage Open Days. Visitors during these days will have the opportunity to see the exhibition of our National Lottery Heritage Fund funded project, Cecil Thomas: Soldier Sculptor project.

Cecil Thomas: Soldier Sculptor is a project which focused on the personal wartime experiences of Cecil Thomas FRBS (1885-1976), one of the Society’s most prestigious members whose papers, including his unpublished autobiography, are held in our archives, and whose previous home and studio, Dora House, were bequeathed by Thomas to the Society in 1976.

During his army service, Thomas used his sculpting skills to create 3D maps used by the British Army to plan skirmishes. For this project, we have partnered with local veterans charity Stoll to work with some of their residents to encourage them to reflect on their journey post-service through art-making. The work produced during this partnership will be on display alongside items from Cecil's archive. A video about Cecil's time during WWI and subsequent recovery will also be playing.