Cheltenham Civic Society has launched the programme for this year's Heritage Open Days festival of events.

About 50 Civic Society members and others came to St Luke's Church to find out what's in store for this September.

The Civic Society's team of volunteers who organise the events announced a programme of 70 open buildings, plays, walks and talks - which is up on last year's programme by 40%.

Heritage Open Days enable you to see behind the doors of some of our town's finest and most interesting buildings, as well as to learn about Cheltenham's rich history. And it's all free to explore!

Two of the 21 open buildings this year are: All Saints Church in Fairview (one of the town's five Grade I listed buildings); and Cheltenham's 1930s open-air swimming complex, Sandford Parks Lido.

The 18 guided walks include: "The Prestbury you didn't know"; and "Cheltenham's Bath Road - 200 years of trading history".

And the 21 talks include: "Cheltenham - a secret A-Z" by David Elder; and "Hiding in plain sight - the stained glass of Thomas Denny" at St Christopher's Church.

The full programme brochure can be picked up from shops and venues around town, or downloaded from https://cheltcivicsoc.org/events/heritage-open-days 

Where spaces are limited, bookings can be made from Monday 1st August via: hods@cheltcivicsoc.org