September

Heritage Open Day draws crowds to Keele Hall 

Around 500 visitors stepped inside Keele Hall on Sunday 20 September as part of Heritage Open Day, making this year's event one of the most well attended to date. 

Visitors had the opportunity to explore the Hall, learn more about its history and enjoy the surrounding gardens and lakeside walks. Four fully booked heritage tours, led by former Keele staff member John Easom, gave guests a fascinating insight into the building's past. 

Creative activities ran throughout the day, including mosaic-making workshops inspired by the Minton tiles found outside Keele Hall and postcard painting workshops encouraging people to capture the Hall and landscape in their own artwork. The Raven Mason Collection of ceramics was also open to visitors. 

The event attracted a wide range of guests, including new students and their families, members of the local community, University staff, alumni and former employees connected to the Hall and its history. 

Kerry Jones, Development Manager for Arts and Public Engagement, said: 

"We planned the event to coincide with Welcome Week and that certainly seems to have helped bring more people through the doors than ever before. It was wonderful to see such a mix of visitors, from students and their families to alumni, staff and local residents." 

"Among the many conversations we had during the day were those with several Keele alumni, a 97-year-old former gardener and former workers from Mason's Ironstone, all of whom shared their own memories and connections to Keele. Many people asked when it was happening again! It really demonstrated the importance of heritage in bringing communities together and connecting people with the University's history."