Some of the district's most treasured historical buildings which are not usually open to the public are offering the chance to go behind the scenes.

More than 30 venues in Deal, 15 in Sandwich and 10 in Dover are taking part in the Heritage Open Days.

It is the country's biggest heritage festival celebrating history, architecture and culture and it starts on Saturday.

This year will be the first that the Chapel of the Sacred Heart in Walmer will be open for the event. The church was designed in characteristic style by the Pugin firm who designed the interior of the Houses of Parliament.

The ancient church of Blessed Mary of Walmer will also be open. It contains the coat of arms of the Duke of Wellington which was carried on his funeral procession.

Next to it is the ruin of a Medieval Manor House where there will be guided tours by the private owner.

In Deal, the St John the Evangelist Catholic Church opens. It was built for the large numbers of miners moving to the area, while St Andrew's is known as The Boatmen’s Church. Both will be welcoming visitors.

Boats at Walmer Lifeboat Station can be viewed throughout the weekend, and St John’s Village Hall in Kingsdown will have an exhibition of its history which started as the village school.

In Sandwich, St Peter's Tower can be climbed for a special reduced rate of £2.50 just for the weekend.

New this year will be tours of the USN P22 Gunboat which featured in the film Dunkirk. There will also be a special bell ringing demonstration at St Clement's Church Tower on Saturday from 2pm until 4.30pm.

Other venues taking part include the New Street cottage of Tom Paine, a founding father of the United States of America and the French Republic. Sandwich Masonic Hall also opens in the High Street.

Dover Town Hall and St Martin’s Priory are among Dover's 10 historic buildings to open to visitors this weekend too.

The town's efforts for the Heritage Open Days weekend is organised by the Dover Society on behalf of the National Trust.

One place is the Maison Dieu, Dover Town Hall, where pilgrims slept after it was founded in 1203 and members of the Navy got their victuals.

It also once had a council debating chamber and was Dover’s magistrates’ court right until it was replaced by the Pencester Road building in December 1987. Tours are on Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

There is also a tour of the remains of the 12th century St Martin’s Priory, which later became a farm and is now occupied by Dover College.

It was there Stephen, King of England, died in October 1154 during a visit to the town. He was in late his late 50s and had fallen ill with a stomach disorder. Tours are from 11am to 2pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The bell tower at St Mary-the-Virgin opens in Cannon Street with ringing demonstrations. This is from 1.30pm to 4pm on Saturday. The church itself, dating from Saxon times and rebuilt in 1843, is open from 10am to 4pm.

Maison Dieu House in Biggin Street, built in 1665 and now the Dover Town Council offices, is also open on Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

The same times are for St Edmund’s Chapel in Priory Road, which was consecrated in 1253 and is still used for services.

The 1820-built Unitarian Church above York Street will open and an art exhibition will also take place there. The Grand Shaft at Snargate Street, carved in the cliffs from 1804-07 to reach the barracks above, opens too. The times for both are 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The Western Heights Tunnel, built in 1869 and closed in 1967, is open on both days from 10am to 3pm.

St Radegund’s (sic) Abbey in Hougham, founded in 1191 and visited by monarchs, has tours on Sunday from 10am to noon and 2.30-4pm.

And Dover Museum at Market Square has a family day with a Bronze Age Boat theme on Saturday from 10.30am to 3pm.

Free programmes are available at the Tourist Information Office in Deal Town Hall, Sandwich Guidhall Museum, Tourist Information Centre, Market Square, Dover or online at heritageopendays.org

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