Heritage Open Days is an opportunity to discover some of the “secret places” connecting Barton upon Humber to its fascinating past.  Many venues involved in the festival are closed to the public throughout the year, so from Thursday 6 – Sunday 16 September, come and enjoy a unique glimpse behind the closed doors of some of Barton’s most special and historic locations.

For the first time in our 2018 programme, the public can take a trip underground and explore one of the last-remaining public air raid shelters in Barton upon Humber.  The shelter was built during World War II in the grounds of a former clinic, which now is known as Applegate House with accommodation and a support service for people with autistic spectrum disorders.  Although several large private houses in the town were given Anderson shelters at this time, this large public shelter was used by many local residents, to provide a safe haven from sudden air raid attacks.

Now, thanks to Applegate House, its owner the Options Group and Barton Lions for additional funding the shelter has been  renovated and opened up enabling enable those of a certain generation to re-live wartime memories and for the younger generations to see at first hand exactly what life was like during the Second World War.

The shelter will be open for guided tours on Sunday 9 and Sunday 16 September from 10.00am – 3.00pm, and Tuesday 11, Thursday 13 and Saturday 15 September from 1.00pm – 4.00pm.  Booking is not required for any of these dates, and as the house is based close to the town centre, this is the perfect opportunity to combine a visit to some of the other venues involved, including St. Peter’s Church, Wilderspin National School Museum, Providence House and The Ropewalk.