Royal Holloway, University of London will take part in the UK wide Heritage Open Days on Sunday 15 September 2024, as the university welcomes members of the local community onto its Egham campus.

This year’s Heritage Open Day marks 175 years since the foundation of Bedford College, the first Higher Education College for women in the UK, and one of the two Colleges which came together to create the university.

Royal Holloway will be opening its doors to guests and members of the local community, with a campus-wide array of free events on offer between 9.30am and 4.30pm on the day.

Guests are invited to take a tour of the historic Founder’s Building and walk in the footsteps of the Victorian women who first attended the University. Several other free talks and tours will also be running, exploring Royal Holloway’s proud history as a university founded by social pioneers.

Children might wish to explore the Royal Holloway Picture Gallery, where Arts Collection Officer Peggy Ainsworth will take them through some of the University’s most famous animal paintings, explain why animals make such popular subjects for artists, and try to spot some hidden creatures in the collection, and there is a special children’s trail for families to explore the university campus and its history.

Or, if the history of women’s education interests you, two doctoral students from the University will be running a mini exhibition that delves into the founding motives of Bedford College, celebrating 175 years this year, and how its values still resonate through Royal Holloway today.

Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Royal Holloway, University of London, said: “Heritage Open Day is an event that we all look forward to each year. The opportunity to invite our wonderful local community, alumni and other guests of all ages to explore our campus and learn more about how our values continue to shape our story is always exciting.

“As a University founded with a strong sense of social purpose, we celebrate our history on days like these, but we are also engaging with it every day in our education and research as we think about our responsibility to the future.”

A full programme of events can be found here.