There’s also the chance to witness a demonstration of the venue’s 300-year-old organ
Hull Minster will be open for visitors on the weekend of September 12 and 13, as part of Heritage Open Days 2025. The event will see a diverse programme of activities with something for the whole family on offer.
Live period actors will bring memorialized figures from the Minster’s past to the present day as Agnes Bedford, John Alderson and the Crowle Family will wander the halls once again. Tales of treachery, and acts of heroism will give visitors a first-hand taste of what life was like in Hull centuries ago.
There will be a variety of hands-on activities that will cater for all ages in a bid to generate interest in the cultural heritage in the area. Volunteer-led workshops will take place at the minster and will feature stained glass window making. Artefacts will also be on display from coffin plates to cannonballs, allowing those in attendance the chance to feel history.
At 1pm on September 12, the Director of Music, Mark Keith, will lead a virtual tour of the grand organ of Hull Minster. This will include a full demonstration of the instrument, and visitors will get to the insides of the organ from a live screening in the naïve. The organ contains nearly 5,000 pipes and at three centuries old is an important part of history.
Tower tours will take place during this time and will give visitors the opportunity to get up high and witness the pride of Hull’s skyline. This will also present the chance to enter the ringing chambers and see the mechanisms behind the great clock before being treated to the best panoramic view of the city.
The peal will take place during the open days which is a four-hour marathon ringing session. Visitors will be able to witness a demonstration of bellringing tradition in the Minster’s bell tower which will also be available to watch on a live feed. The experience will provide a great opportunity for people to see the centuries-long tradition first hand on one of the premier sets of bells in the country.
The Minster’s heritage project manager, James Cameron said: “We are hugely excited to be able to provide a look ‘behind the scenes’ into the Minster’s heritage for this year’s Heritage Open Days. We hope to be able to provide people with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to interact with our history, through the Organ Tour, the streaming of the peal, and by allowing visitors to interact with our artefacts first-hand.
“The period actors roaming the Minster offers a great way for people to engage with history and to immerse themselves in centuries gone-by by talking to the people themselves. Hopefully it will be not just a fun and educational day out, but we can make a few memories as well.” You can visit the event website for Heritage Open Days here.
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