It is England’s biggest festival of heritage and culture and, for the first time ever, Heritage Open Days will take place across two weekends, offering visitors across west Dorset more opportunities to discover the secret history of their towns, villages and countryside.

Alongside traditional events, there will be a special programme of Extraordinary Women talks, walks and exhibitions, in celebration of the centenary of the Universal Suffrage Act.

Openings take place from September 6 to 9 and again from September 13 to 16, with every single walk, talk, opening and exhibition free to visit.

Here's a taste of just some of the activities taking place across Dorset...

Belmont House, The Landmark Trust, Lyme Regis

See the results of an £1.8m project to restore Belmont to how it looked in the 18th century. Visitors can also learn about the occupier at the time, extraordinary woman Mrs Eleanor Coade, whose reliable kiln-fired method for making architectural embellishments revolutionised mass-production and influenced the way buildings look across the country.

Saturday, September 8 and Sunday, September 9, 10am – 4pm

Bridport Town Hall, Bridport Town Council, Bridport

Learn about Bridport’s maritime history with a rope and net display, memorabilia from HMS Bridport, and Paintings by Fra Newbery in this former Georgian Court House.

All festival days except Sundays, 10am – 4pm

Mapperton House, Beaminster

Explore the Earl and Countess of Sandwich’s Jacobean manor house on a tour of rooms and items not normally open to the public. Visitors will get to see a fine collection of pictures and furniture as well as learn about the Montagu family’s connection to Samuel Pepys, and the origin of the eponymous snack!

Friday, September14, 11am and 12pm

To find out more, visit heritageopendays.org.uk or nationaltrust.org.uk