A scene from the childhood of Charles Darwin will be re-enacted for the public as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days in Shrewsbury. A glimpse of the young Darwin arriving for his first day at Shrewsbury School will be presented outside Shrewsbury Library on Castlegates at 11.30am, 1.15pm and 3.15pm on Saturday 13th September. As well as Darwin himself, aged 9, the characters include Charles’s sisters, the stern headmaster Dr. Butler, parents and citizens of Shrewsbury
passing by.
All are welcome to watch the scene outside the library and for anyone wanting to explore Darwin’s Shrewsbury in more detail, the scenes are preceded by guided walking tours of the sites which Darwin knew and which influenced his life. The 90 minute tours should be booked in advance but are free and start from the Visitor Information Centre at 10.15am, 12 noon and 2pm, ending at the library.
The dramatic scenes have been created and are acted by Shrewsbury Heritage Celebrations. The group aims to stage more scenes from Darwin’s life around Shrewsbury during his bicentenary year in 2009.
Heritage Open Days is a national initiative that aims to raise public awareness of the heritage around us. In Shrewsbury the varied programme includes opportunities to visit historic properties such as Attingham Park and Wroxteter Roman City free of charge. It also offers the chance to see sites and collections which are not always accessible to the public. Amongst these is the fascinating collection of catering and domestic artefacts at the Radbrook College Culinary Museum. Former students collect and care for the memorabilia and photographs from the early 20th century to the 1960’s. The Museum is open on Thursday and Friday 11th & 12th September from 11am – 3pm. The Lion Hotel offers a further glimpse into the world of hospitality and catering with a behind the scenes tour of the historic coaching inn on Sunday 14th September.
Shrewsbury’s industrial heritage is also featured with a talk on Friday evening about the Shrewsbury and Newport Canal which looks to the future and the plans to restore this waterway to navigable status.
The heritage of gardens is explored in two locations with Column Allotments behind the Shirehall holding their popular open days and for the first time guided tours of the restored allotments at Crosshouses. These date back to the 1870s when they were part of the workhouse and hospital kitchen garden. The tours, which start from the Old Chapel Community Hall at 11am, 2pm and 4pm, also look at the 18th & 19th century buildings.
The full Heritage Open days programme is available from the Visitor Information Centre in The Square. Tel: 01743 281200. Heritage Open days in Shrewsbury is coordinated by Shrewsbury Civic Society and Destination Shrewsbury.
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