Discover St John’s at Heritage Open Days 2026
St John’s Church is delighted to be taking part in Heritage Open Days Chester 2026, with a special programme of free events on Wednesday 16 September.
Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture, giving people the opportunity to discover fascinating places, stories and traditions – all completely free of charge.
Here at St John’s, we’ll be opening our doors for an afternoon and evening of live music, history, guided tours and a fascinating talk exploring the very stone on which Chester was built.
A full day of free events
There’s plenty happening throughout the day, so why not come along and discover a little more about this remarkable Chester landmark?
1pm – Concert: Dunelm Duo
We begin with beautiful live music from the Dunelm Duo. Drop in, take a seat and enjoy a relaxing lunchtime concert within the wonderful surroundings and acoustics of St John’s.
2pm – Discover the Chapter House
Step inside our atmospheric Chapter House, a rarely explored part of St John’s and a fascinating historic gem. Come along, take a look around and discover another part of the church’s extraordinary story.
From 2pm – Guided Tours of St John’s
How much do you really know about one of Chester’s most historic buildings?
Join one of our guided tours and discover the history and heritage of St John’s. Founded in AD 689, St John’s has witnessed more than 1,300 years of Chester’s history and was once the city’s cathedral.
Our guides will introduce you to some of the remarkable stories, architecture and features that make St John’s such a special place.
Places on the guided tours are limited and advance booking is essential.
7.30pm – A Trek Through Triassic Chester
As part of the Heritage Open Days Chester, we round off the day with a fascinating evening talk exploring the Triassic sandstone that forms Chester’s bedrock and has provided the building stone for so much of the city – including the masonry of St John’s itself.
It promises to be a fascinating look beneath the surface of Chester and at the geology that has quite literally shaped the city we see today.
Places for the talk are limited and advance booking is essential.
Come and discover St John’s
Whether you’re interested in local history, architecture, archaeology, geology, music, or simply fancy discovering somewhere you may have walked past many times before, we’d love you to join us.
All of the events are FREE and take place at St John the Baptist Church, Chester, on Wednesday 16 September 2026.
For the guided tours and evening talk, booking is essential. Search for St John’s Church, Chester on the Heritage Open Days website to reserve your place.
We look forward to welcoming you to St John’s and sharing some of the stories behind one of Chester’s most extraordinary historic buildings.