Heritage fun day celebrates what Higham Ferrers and Rushden have to offer

The Higham Ferrers and Rushden heritage family fun day was held at Rushden Lakes last month.

It was held as part of the annual 10-day Nene Valley Festival and also as part of the National Heritage open weekends.

The event was supported by Rushden Lakes and brought together a family day out with the opportunity for new visitors to learn all about the heritage and history of the two towns.

Businesses from Rushden and Higham Ferrers were invited to have a stall free of charge at the event.

More than 35 local businesses and community groups took up the offer and attended on the day.

Entertainment at the event included performances from Rushden Town Band, medieval fun, heritage displays, family activities and a chance for the Higham Chichele Society to launch their illustrated timeline of Higham Ferrers.

A ‘Shop Local in Rushden and Higham Ferrers High Streets’ booklet containing more than 48 redeemable discount vouchers was compiled and produced in September.

More than 1,500 of these booklets were given out to visitors at the family fun day, with a further 500 booklets distributed among the shops in both High Streets.

Other giveaways handed out on the day included 500 promotional shopping bags containing local literature aimed to encourage new visitors to explore the nearby towns.

The aim of the heritage family fun day on September 16 was to raise awareness of all that is available in Higham Ferrers and Rushden, as well as showcase the local heritage and offer a snippet of information about the local history.