Visitors have the chance to uncover history and celebrate culture at several Diocesan churches this month (Sept).

Several churches are taking part in the Heritage Open Days scheme, which is being hosted at a variety of venues across England between Friday 9 and Sunday 18 September.

Hailed as England’s largest festival of history and culture, thousands of volunteers organise free events for people to enjoy and experience.

Our Lady of the Angels and St Peter in Chains, Hartshill Road, Stoke-on-Trent, is taking part in Heritage Open Days for the first time.

All are welcome to take a tour of the church building and explore an exhibition of historic artefacts and pictures on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September.

The church will be open for guided or self-guided tours. There will be a trail for children, and visitors will be able to access areas like the choir loft and cellar - which are not usually open to the public.

Refreshments will be available and on Sunday 18 at 5pm the event will end with a free concert by a local acapella singing group. Donations at this event will be for the Ukraine appeal.

Full details

St Mary, Brierley Hill in the West Midlands, is open on Saturday 17 September.

A chance to tour this historic Pugin Church with harp and organ recitals to listen to plus the children of St Mary’s Primary singing!

Full details

Our Lady’s at Lillington (pictured) will be open on the afternoons of Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September.

Our Lady's Church is a beautiful Grade II listed building in the heart of Warwickshire. It is a hidden gem with simply stunning stained glass created by Fr Dom Charles Norris OSB and a team of Benedictine monks. The Church is brilliantly embellished with extensive clerestory and ground-floor chapels with abstract and figurative dalle-de-verre.

Full details

St Anne’s at Wappenbury will be open every day from Friday 9 to Sunday 18 September.

Discover this small Catholic church dedicated to St Anne lies in the tranquil hamlet of Wappenbury.

The church sits on an old Roman encampment with a rich history going back to the 18th century. The church was completely restored in 2014 using archive records and specialist craftsmen.

Full details

The Birmingham Oratory (Immaculate Conception), Edgbaston, will be open for six days during the Open Days event.

Take a tour of the Oratory Church, a Grade II* listed building with an interior which evokes the Italian Baroque, and the Museum of St John Henry Newman.

Full details

St Marie’s in Rugby, Warwickshire, will be open on Saturday 10 September. Do come to visit this landmark church with its beautiful Pugin interior and learn a little of this part of Rugby's history.

Full details

Heritage Open Days website