York Unlocked will see the doors to over 60 fabulous York buildings opened to the public FREE OF CHARGE on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 October 2022.
The new weekend event will celebrate and provide special access to many buildings that are not normally regularly opened to the public, along with the chance to see ‘secret’ features that are often unseen or overlooked.
Building lovers, architecture, design, history and heritage fans or people who would simply like a glimpse of usually secret York are invited to save the date, which also falls at the end of York Restaurant Week.
Some of the special properties taking part include:
Herbert House, The Guildhall, De Grey Rooms, Kings Manor, the Duncombe Place Masonic Hall, Hudson Quarter, Monk Bar, Chapel (St John’s University), Bootham School, Castlegate House, Garforth House, Bar Convent, Bedern, many York churches plus a selection of RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) award-winning projects.
The celebratory weekend is a unique York take on successful unlocked events already well established in London, Scotland, Bristol, Wales and across Europe. York Unlocked is being run on a not for profit basis with aspirations to grow in future years to help even more people explore the urban landscape and appreciate and understand the amazing diversity and richness of York’s built heritage.
Kathy M King, founder of York Unlocked, explains:
“York is blessed with such a rich diversity of buildings that all have amazing stories to tell. Our aspiration is to open up access to help people discover these gems. Large and small, old to new, award-winning and awe-inspiring – many packed to the rafters with layers of history. We encourage you to create your own list of building must-sees to explore across this unique weekend.”
York Unlocked is searching for volunteers in a range of roles across the weekend including building stewards and is also keen to encourage more building owners to join the event.
More information about York Unlocked including the current list of open buildings and volunteer opportunities can be found at https://york-unlocked.org.uk/.
Interested volunteers can also email volunteer@york-unlocked.org.uk