5 Free Historical Interest Events in the Leighton Buzzard Area this September

Explore the local history with these 5 Heritage Open Day events this September

Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Every year for 10 days in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community and history. Stories are told, traditions explored, and histories brought to life. It’s offers the public a chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – and it’s all FREE.

1. 14th September – Memories of Vauxhall Factory Floor

As part of this year’s Heritage Open Day celebrations, we’re inviting you to join us for an afternoon of local heritage as we explore Vauxhall’s 120 years in the town.

Luton Made: Vauxhall is a National Lottery Heritage Funded project celebrating the history of Vauxhall Motors in Luton. This free event offers a chance to learn more about the project, explore the stories we’ve gathered so far and contribute your own.

What to expect:
– An introduction to the Luton Made: Vauxhall project
– A display of photographs and objects from Vauxhall’s past
– An interactive memory sharing table, inviting you to bring your own thoughts and objects to the discussion
– A chance to vote on what you’d like to see in our future exhibition
– A chance to hear stories and memories from former Vauxhall employees
Whether you’re a former employee, have a family connection or are simply interested in Luton’s industrial past, all are welcome.

Location: Wardown Park Museum, Old Bedford Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU2 7HA
Date: 14th September 2025
Time: 12 – 3pm
No booking required. Just drop in. Free entry | All ages welcome | Café on site

2. 13th, 14th and 21st September – Aylesbury Quakers

Heritage Open Day: Visit a meeting house in old Aylesbury dating back to the early 1700s. Enjoy a peaceful garden, once a Quaker burial ground, near the centre of town. Find out about Quakers and other users of the site. The Society of Friends (also called Quakers) was founded in the 1640s. In the late 1650s Quakers met in Weston Turville and in Rowsham. There are records of Quaker meetings in a house in Aylesbury in 1689.

The two cottages fronting on to the road date from the end of the 17th century. In 1704, the cottages and land behind them were legally transferred to Aylesbury Quakers.

Aylesbury Quakers, 9-11 Rickfords Hill, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP20 2RT

Satuday 13th September :11am – 4pm, Sunday 14th September: 1pm – 4pm, Sunday 21st September :10.30am – 11. 30am. Free Entry.

3. 13th and 17th September Stewkley Film Archives

Heritage Open Days are pleased to be working with John from Stewkley Film Archives, who holds the digitised films of a number of local cinematographers active in the Buckinghamshire village of Stewkley and Aylesbury through the 1960s to modern times.

Films include the Aylesbury celebrations for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, Friars redevelopment and various Royal engagements. Screenings will be shown in the Town Hall Chamber, on Saturday alongside the Town Hall open day.

Timings & Tours

Saturday 13th September: 11am – 3pm, Wednesday 17th September:11am – 3pm

Location & directions

Town Hall, 5 Church Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP20 2QP

4. 13th and 14th September – Houghton House Tour

Houghton House was built in the early 17th century by Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, as an elaborate hunting lodge. An unusual mix of Jacobean and classical design, it retains two important early elements of classical architecture in the form of its two loggias, which have been attributed to Inigo Jones. The house may have been the inspiration for the ‘Palace Beautiful’ in the 17th-century Christian writer John Bunyan’s religious epic, The Pilgrim’s Progress. When it was dismantled in 1797, the ruins survived as a garden feature in the grounds of nearby Ampthill Park.

Timings & Tours

Saturday 13th September: 12pm, Sunday 14th September:12pm

Location & directions

Houghton House, Hazelwood Lane, Ampthill, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK45 2EY

5. Woburn Heritage Centre Exhibition

Woburn is a delight to visit for admirers of splendid architecture, it is Bedfordshire’s iconic Georgian town. Following the Heritage Open Days event last year commemorating the great fire of 1724 which destroyed many buildings in Woburn, the Woburn Heritage Centre in 2025 will be displaying information on the rebuilding of the town under the watchful eye of the 4th Duke of Bedford and his eminent architect, Henry Flitcroft. Woburn rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the 1724 fire and remains today a remarkable town of Palladian style architecture.

Timings & Tours

Friday 12th September 2pm – 4.30pm
Saturday 13th September 10am – 5pm
Sunday 14th September 10am – 5pm
Wednesday 17th September 2pm – 4.30pm
Thursday 18th September 2pm – 4.30 pm
Friday 19th September 2pm – 4.30pm
Saturday 20th September 10am – 5pm
Sunday 21st September:10am – 5 pm