HISTORIC venues across the region will throw open their doors for visits and events as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days weekend.

More than 700 events are planned across the North-East and Yorkshire between September 11 and 14, as the annual initiative reaches its 20th year.

Among the highlights will be the first chance to walk on Dunston Staithes, Gateshead, in more than 20 years.

Opened by the North Eastern Railway company in 1893, the Staithes is the largest timber structure in Europe and in its heyday was used to load 5.5 million tonnes of coal a year onto ships waiting on the River Tyne.

Elsewhere, Hylton Castle, a 14th century fortified country house in Sunderland which is normally closed to the public, will be open and Alistair Anderson will lead the Hexham Village Band and the Jazz Jammers in a special concert in Hexham Abbey.

The centenary of the outbreak of the First World War will be commemorated with a roadshow in Middleton-in-Teesdale and Tommy’s Story, a photographic exhibition, in Houghton-le-Spring.

Step back into Victorian times on a guided tour of Bowes, where the boarding schools inspired Charles Dickens to write Nicholas Nickleby, and, new for 2014, take a ‘pebble safari’ around Seaham to learn how Durham’s east coast was formed.

In North Yorkshire, Ripon’s Courthouse Museum will be open, including for the first time its underground cell where prisoners were held while awaiting trial.

In Darlington, there will be tours of Crown Street Library, the Civic Theatre and the Head of Steam museum and several historic churches will be open.

Television presenter Lloyd Grossman, patron of Heritage Open Days, said: “2014 is a landmark year.

“Over the last two decades we’ve enabled millions of people to visit thousands of places that are normally closed to the public, helping to put local heritage at the forefront of community life throughout England.

“This summer we’re looking forward to our most spectacular festival ever – a unique national celebration that brings our hidden history to life.”

A full programme of events is available online at heritageopendays.org.uk