Free heritage walking tours are taking place in Hexham over the summer months to give residents and visitors a chance to find out all about the town's rich history. 
 

The tours will be taken by Hexham Heritage Guides on alternate Saturdays and must be booked in advance through the Queen’s Hall booking office or by logging on to  nland.cc/tours.  

The 90-minute tour will highlight points of interest including many buildings, and the histories of a number of Hexham’s more famous and infamous residents, embellished by the volunteer guides’ own knowledge of the town and its history. 

The Heritage Guides group was formed through the town’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) - a government-funded programme led by Historic England, in partnership with Northumberland County Council - and designed to secure lasting improvements and rejuvenate historic high streets. 

The guides are provided with a Wi-fi communications system that allows them to share the fascinating history of Hexham clearly, even on a busy, noisy day. 

Northumberland County Councillor, Jeff Watson, cabinet member for promoting healthy lives said: 

“The heritage tours are an amazing opportunity for everyone to find out more about the wonderful history of Hexham. 

“The tours aim to protect, commemorate and celebrate that history and build local pride in where we live, while at the same time showcasing the town's heritage countrywide.” 
 

“They follow a similar route the local heritage trail which is available on an app, however we appreciate that not everyone wants to receive their information through their phone and would prefer a more interactive experience.” 
 

As the HSHAZ programme draws to a close next spring, the Hexham Heritage Guides are being supported by the Hexham Community Partnership to ensure that tours will continue to be offered in the future and a legacy to the HSHAZ is created. 
 

The chairperson of the Hexham Heritage Guides, Mark Baker said “As a small group of volunteers who run guided historical tours round our beautiful and interesting town, we’re always looking out for new volunteer guides, and would be happy to talk with anyone interested in doing this. The nine tours scheduled for 2023 have already been filled and we would like to be able to offer more tours “ 
 

Richard Butterfield from Historic England said: “It’s wonderful to see local people giving up their free time to share their love of Hexham’s history. I’m delighted that these tours will continue after the High Street Heritage Action Zone has concluded, enabling visitor and locals the chance to continue to experience them over the coming years.”   
 

Interested in becoming a volunteer guide and finding out more ?  email  mark@hardian.clara.co.uk ‘