Unwrap creativity with Heritage Open Days in Chesterfield

Discover the Chesterfield events that are part of the country’s largest festival of history and culture.

A selection of drawings and artworks by local artist Joseph Syddall will be on display at Revolution House in Old Whittington on Sunday 10 September from 11am to 4pm.

On Saturday 16 September the Chesterfield Museum team will be showcasing the never-before-seen art collection store facility in Hasland from 11am to 12pm. Visitors will also be able to learn more about how the artworks are stored safely.

The Winding Wheel Theatre is also celebrating its centenary throughout the week with an exhibition charting the history of the building and exclusive tours of the entire Grade II listed building including the backstage areas.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to explore the Museum’s collection and celebrate our history. We’ve made sure there is something for everyone to enjoy and our events are free to attend.”

Joseph Syddall was born in Whittington in 1864, he went on to become a member of the Royal Academy for his pencil drawings and was one of the illustrators of Thomas Hardy’s ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ when it was published in the Graphic Magazine in 1891. After his death, his collection was donated to the town of Chesterfield and is currently held in trust by Chesterfield Museum.

The event showcasing his work at Revolution House is free to attend with drop in talks on the history of the House taking place throughout the day. Find out more about the event by visiting: www.visitchesterfield.info/whats-on/discover-joseph-syddall-p1913201

Chesterfield Museum holds a wide range of artworks in its collection, many of which cannot be displayed regularly. On the Art Store tour, visitors will see works by Joseph Syddall, a range of other artworks relating to Chesterfield and a chance to see the portrait of Rosa Markham which was recently restored.

Visitors will also be able to find out more about how art is stored and the process of moving the collection when the Museum closed for renovation last year. The offsite store is located at Unit 22 Calow Lane Industrial Estate, and visitors can attend from 11am to 12pm. Booking is not necessary but it will be on a first come first served basis due to the limited size of the store. Find out more about the event here: www.visitchesterfield.info/whats-on/heritage-open-day-museum-store-tour-p1974031

The Winding Wheel Theatre first opened in 1923 as a luxurious cinema, it has had an illustrious history including time as popular disco before becoming The Winding Wheel Theatre in 1987 when Chesterfield Borough Council reopened the venue.

To celebrate there will be an exhibition documenting the building’s history, exclusive tours, cinema screenings from the last 100 years and a Centenary Gala Concert. Find out more about the events and book tickets by visiting: https://chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk/100

Heritage Open Days is a national festival from 8 to 17 September with thousands of history and culture events. This year’s theme, Creativity Unwrapped, is about sharing England’s colourful history of creativity. Learn more about the festival and other local events by visiting: www.heritageopendays.org.uk