ENGLAND’s biggest festival of heritage and culture will take place across two weekends for the first time.

From September 6 to 9 and 13 to 16, there will be free Heritage Open Days events in towns, villages and countryside across the North-East, along with Extraordinary Women talks, walks and exhibitions to mark the centenary of the Universal Suffrage Act.

Extraordinary Women events venues confirmed include Lady Waterford Hall in Northumberland on September 8, 9, 15 and 16, from 11am to 5pm, and Ferguson Hall in Northumberland on September 9 from 11am to 4pm.

Families can also enjoy a special tour of Binchester Roman Fort near Bishop Auckland on all festival days from 10.30am to 4.30pm, and can get up close to locomotives at Locomotion in Shildon each day from 10am to 5pm.

There will also be an opportunity to talk to marine experts and watch marine life at Newcastle University’s Dove Marine Laboratory in North Shields on September 16 from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.

Patron Loyd Grossman said: “Every year, Heritage Open Days becomes a more diverse and fascinating festival.

“It’s wonderful that, thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we are able to continue the Unsung Stories project, which actively sources and shares stories of individuals and events that conventional histories may have overlooked. And, of course, we continue to celebrate all aspects of local heritage, with thousands of other walks, talks, openings and events – all of them free.”

People invited to join the newly-formed Houghton Feast Trust, for a book launch celebrating Houghton-le-Spring’s 800-year-old festival. A special outdoor photography exhibition will also feature nostalgic photographs of the fairground, carnival parade, fireworks and ox roasting at the town’s famous traditional event from 10am to 2pm on Saturday September 8 and 15. .

At Darlington Friends Meeting House, from 1pm to 4pm on Saturday September 9, visitors will be able to hear stories of local Extraordinary Women from the Quaker community, whose political activism changed the town and society at large. They will also learn about the ground-breaking work of Elizabeth Pease Nichol, a publicly spoken abolitionist, and Sophia Fry who founded the Women’s Liberal Federation.

Open festival days will be held at Tanfield Railway, near Stanley, on every festival day from Sunday September 9, from 10am to 3pm.

At Durham Cathedral visitors will be able to see areas not normally open to the public, including the Chapter House and the Deanery where they can see rare medieval wall paintings on Saturday September 8 and 15.

Full regional listings can be found at www.heritageopendays.org.uk.