Heritage Open Days – Art Festival 8th – 17th September 2023

This year’s theme is to unwrap the colourful history of creativity – from the famous to the ‘familiar only to locals’ and covering all areas of creativity. We can’t wait to see what is uncovered for this spotlight on the people who give Saddleworth Church heritage the X factor!

The week will kick off with the opening party for the Art festival, which will be hosted by our Parish Centre Art Group. The subsequent exhibition will be in church and will be open to the public all week long. Some of the artwork will be for sale, but there is also to be a silent auction of selected works. Alongside the church being open to visitors, the Hearse House will be offering refreshments and Grandpa Greene ice-cream too.

We also invite talented young artists to explore and express the rich heritage of Saddleworth, through their artistic creations. This competition will encourage participants to delve into the cultural, historical, and natural aspects of Saddleworth.

From a heritage perspective, we will be offering guided tours around the churchyards, with presentations given by some knowledgeable people about the genealogy journey. This is a great opportunity for visitors to hear about the heritage work of the volunteers and to discover new and old but interesting stories about the residents.

We will also be exploring the design and designers behind the building and churchyard.

As the church has been immortalised in the poetry of Ammon Wrigley, we will be delving into this and exploring other creative figures who have likewise been inspired.

The building was architecturally designed for its acoustics, along with its history of Bellringing. We will be showcasing a variety of musical performances and we also hope to present a variety of local groups who are following the craft traditions of the past, and are keeping our Saddleworth culture alive for the next generation.

If you can help then please get in touch. Keeping the building and grounds open to the public is a worthy Saddleworth legacy, and your support is needed now more than ever.