Later this week properties across England will throw open their doors for free as part of the country’s annual celebration of local architecture, history and culture.

Supported nationally by English Heritage and run locally by an army of volunteers and community champions, Heritage Open Days takes place on people doorstops and is the country’s leading grassroots cultural event.

One million people are expected to take advantage of the four day event, exploring more than 4,000 properties of every style, period and function, many of which are normally closed to the public or usually charge an admission fee.

Participating properties in North West England include:

Barrow – Dalton Castle (Dalton-in-Furness)
Birkenhead – Birkenhead Park, Birkenhead Priory, Lady Lever Art Gallery
Blackpool – Blackpool Tower, Winter Gardens
Bolton – Bolton Steam Museum
Burnley – Gawthorpe Hall (Padiham), Queen Street Mill Textile Museum
Bury – Fusilier Museum, East Lancashire Railway, Peel Tower
Carlisle – High Head Sculpture Valley
Chester – Chester Racecourse, Grosvenor Museum, Little Moreton Hall (Congleton)
Kendal – Abbott Hall Art Gallery, Museum of Lakeland Life, Sizergh Castle
Lake District – Beatix Potter Gallery (Hawkshead), Blackwell (Windermere),
Liverpool – St George’s Hall, Cunard Building, Liver Building,
Macclesfield – Quarry Bank Mill
Manchester – Victoria Baths
Morecambe – Morecambe Town Hall
Oldham – Saddleworth Museum
Penrith – Acorn Bank
Preston – Samlesbury Hall
Rochdale – Healey Dell, Rochdale Pioneers Museum, Touchstones,
St Helens – World of Glass
Stockport – Hat Works, Staircase House, Air Raid Shelters, Bramall Hall
Warrington – Norton Priory (Runcorn)
Wigan – Museum of Wigan Life, Trencherfield Mill Engine

Up to 71 hectares of post industrial damaged land across North Manchester and Oldham has been proposed for extensive environmental regeneration works that will transform it into vibrant community woodland, helping to promote the local area’s physical and social regeneration. Through the £59 million environmental regeneration scheme, Newlands, which is led by the NWDA and Forestry Commission, the site will also become a green artery, connecting the area to a network of green spaces that include Lightbowne Country Park and the existing Newlands site, Moston Vale.

NWDA and the FC will now work with the site’s landowners, Manchester City Council, Oldham Council and Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority in partnership with Groundwork Northwest, Environment Agency and Pennine Edge Forest to develop detailed costed proposals to regenerate the area named after the watercourse that runs through the site, Moston Brook.

Four times the size of the Trafford Centre, Moston Brook straddles the urban communities of Failsworth and New Moston. The vision for Moston Brook is to stimulate the local economy by attracting people to live, work and play in a community with ample businesses and good quality green spaces. Part of the eastern edge of Moston Brook falls within the Oldham and Rochdale Housing Market Renewal (HMR) pathfinder area, and it is Newlands’ intention to create a much-valued city forest.

Newlands at Moston Brook hopes to repeat the success of their earlier work in the North Manchester HMR area, which saw the value of houses directly abutting another Newlands site, Moston Vale, almost treble once it was transformed from a former landfill into community woodland.

Financially and physically, Newlands at Moston Brook is the largest investment the programme has made to the city regions of Manchester and Oldham. Connecting the Moston Vale and Moston Brook sites brings Newlands investment to Manchester and Oldham to more than £6 million for the transformation of over 92 hectares of brownfield land.

Their first round FA Cup tie against Leeds United at Boundary Park will be shown live on the Football Association website. Kick off is at 5.30 pm on November 7 2009.

Each team will receive payment £67,500. Latics Chief Executive Alan Hardy said, ‘We were offered a financial boost by the FA by having the game broadcast over the internet via the FA’s web site and I am pleased that negotiations with the Police went well, they have been very accommodating knowing that the broadcast fee is vital to the club and I would like to place on record my thanks to them.’

The match itself will be all ticket with no sales on the day of the game.

The event starts tomorrow and runs until Sunday September 13.

Hundreds of attractions and properties in the North West are taking part. For more details visit the official Heritage Open Days website.

Highlights include:

Barrow

Furness Abbey – Impressive remains of a Cistercian monastery.
Barrow Town Hall
Dalton Castle, Dalton-in-Furness – 14th century tower.

Birkenhead

Birkenhead Park – Grade I listed public space.
Birkenhead Priory – The oldest standing building in Merseyside.
Oxton Village
Port Sunlight Museum

Blackburn

Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington – Tudor-style Edwardian house in 9 acres of parkland. Home of Europe’s largest public collection of Tiffany Glass.

Blackpool

Blackpool Tower – Guided tour of the aquarium, circus, and ballroom.
Funny Girls – Opened as the biggest Odeon cinema outside London. Now one of Blackpool’s premier entertainment venues.
Marton Mere Local Nature Reserve – Nature reserve on the outskirts of Blackpool.
Stanley Park
Grand Theatre Blackpool – 1100-seat theatre designed by Frank Matcham in 1894.
Winter Gardens
Lytham Hall, Lytham St Annes – Grade I 18th century manor house in 80 acres of mature parkland.
The White Church, Lytham St Annes – Fairhaven United Reform Church.

Bolton

Bolton Steam Museum – Houses 25 steam engines that once drove the cotton mills of Northern England.
Hall i’th’ Wood – Tudor wooden-framed house.
Smithills Hall – Manor house.

Burnley

Burnley Football Club – Tour of Turf Moor, home of Burnley FC.
Oak Mount Hill Engine House – Cotton mill engine house dating from 1887 with recently restored steam engine.
Queen Street Mill Textile Museum
Rourke’s Forge – Watch blacksmiths at work.
Towneley Hall – Historic house, art gallery and museums, natural history centre, woodland walks and nature trails.
Gawthorpe Hall, Padiham

Bury

Bury Transport Museum
Fusiliers’ Museum – Tour of the new museum
East Lancashire Railway – Tour behind the scenes at the East Lancashire Railway, including a ride from Bolton Street station to Ramsbottom.
Peel Tower – Climb to the top of Bury’s famous landmark, built in 1852 in tribute to Bury-born Sir Robert Peel.

Carlisle

Carlisle Castle

Lake District

Beatrix Potter Gallery, Hawkshead – Home to original watercolours and sketches of Beatrix Potter.
Hill Top, Hawkshead – 17th century farmhouse where Beatrix Potter wrote many of her stories.
Townend, Windermere – 17th century stone and slate house.

Chester & Cheshire

Bear & Billet – One of the oldest pubs in Chester.
Chester Racecourse
Grosvenor Museum
Grosvenor Park
Little Moreton Hall, Congleton – Cheshire’s most iconic black and white house.
Beeston Castle, Tarporley – Former Royal Castle perched high on a rocky sandstone crag.

Kendal

Sizergh Castle

Lancaster

Lune Aqueduct – Canal cruise from Lancaster city centre to the Lune Aqueduct.

Liverpool

Britannia Adelphi
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral – Roman catholic cathedral.
Liverpool Town Hall
St George’s Hall – Grade I listed building opposite Lime Street station.
The Bluecoat – The oldest building in Liverpool city centre.

Macclesfield

Silk Museum
Quarry Bank Mill, Wilmslow – Former cotton mill.

Manchester

Manchester Town Hall
Monastery – Restored monastery in Gorton.
Victoria Baths

Morecambe

Morecambe Town Hall
Morecambe Winter Gardens

Oldham

Saddleworth Museum & Art Gallery

Penrith

Acorn Bank Garden & Watermill – Tours of the herb garden and Acorn Bank house.
Penrith & Eden Museum – Local history museum and Tourist Information Centre.

Preston

Museum of Lancashire – Museum in Preston’s Old Court House.
Samlesbury Hall – Historic house dating back to 1325.

Rochdale

Greater Manchester Fire Museum – Official museum of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.
Healey Dell Nature Reserve – Guided walk.
Hollingworth Lake
Rochdale Pioneers Museum – The world’s first successfully operated co-operative store. Now a museum with restored historic shop.
Three Owls Bird Sanctuary – Wild bird hospital.
Touchstones – Arts and heritage centre with museum, art gallery, local studies library, tourist information, shop and café.

St Helens

Dream – Spectacular sculpture designed by world-renowned artist Jaume Plensa.
World of Glass – Explores the history of St Helens and its glass making heritage.

Stockport

Bramall Hall – One of Cheshire’s grandest black and white timber-framed Tudor manor houses.
Hat Works – The only museum in the UK dedicated to the hatting industry.
Lyme Park – Mansion house, gardens, and ancient deer park.
Staircase House
Stockport Air Raid Shelters – Underground labyrinth of tunnels built for shelter during World War II.

Warrington

Norton Priory, Runcorn – 38 acre site with excavated remains of the Augustinian Priory and woodland gardens.

Wigan

Trencherfield Mill – Restored steam engine.

The budget hotel chain is offering 50,000 rooms at only £12. The rate applies for stays between January 1 and April 1 2010. Rooms are also available from £19 (book 21 days ahead) and from £29 (book 7 days ahead).

To take advantage of this amazing offer, visit this page on their website.

The offer is available on this special page on their website and is valid for bookings made now for stays between February and April 2009.

Rooms for other dates are also available from £19 and £29 provided bookings are made 7 and 21 days ahead respectively.

The budget hotel group is currently offering thousands of rooms at only £19 for stays in December and January. They can be booked via this special page on their website.

Large Hotel of the Year

Marriott Worsley Park Hotel and Country Club, Manchester (Winner)
Cottons Hotel and Spa, Knutsford
Macdonald Old England Hotel and Spa, Bowness
Big Blue Hotel, Blackpool
Marriott Liverpool City Centre Hotel

Small Hotel of the Year

White House Manor, near Macclesfield (Winner)
Appleby Manor, Appleby
The Shireburn Arms Hotel, Clitheroe

Bed and Breakfast of the Year

Augill Castle, Kirkby Stephen (Winner)
Number One, South Beach, Blackpool (Highly Commended)
Moss Lodge, Rochdale
42 Caldy Road, West Kirby
Sand Hollow Farm, Burwardsley

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

Manchester Art Gallery (Winner)
Ness Botanic Gardens, Neston
South Lakes Wild Animal Park, Dalton in Furness
Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

The Quaker Tapestry Exhibition, Kendal (Winner)
Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre, Cotebrook
Farmer Ted’s Farm Park, Ormskirk
Smithills Hall, Bolton
Mersey Ferries Manchester Ship Canal Cruises

Self Catering Holiday of the Year

The Beach House, Blackpool (Winner)
Staying Cool, Manchester (Highly Commended)
Premier Apartments, Liverpool
Mellow Brook Cottage at Harrop Fold Farm, Macclesfield
The Lodge Holiday Cottage, Hayton

Holiday Park of the Year

Park Cliffe Camping and Caravan Park, Windermere (Winner)
Newton Hall Holiday Park, Blackpool
Manor Wood Country Caravan Park, Coddington

Excellence in Business Tourism

The Rheged Centre, Penrith (Winner)
Park Royal Hotel, Warrington (Highly Commended)
Barton Grange Hotel, Preston
Manchester United
The Conference Centre at LACE, Liverpool

Taste of England’s Northwest

Roses Tea Room, Heswall (Winner)
The Hollies Farm Shop, Cheshire (Highly Commended)
The Village Bakery Melmerby
Northcote Manor, Langho
Isinglass Restaurant, Urmston

Tourism Experience of the Year

Manchester International Festival (Winner)
Tate Liverpool – Turner Prize (Highly Commended)
Shacklabank Free Range Walking, Sedbergh (Highly Commended)
Byways Breaks, Cheshire
Downy Duckling Experience, WWT Martin Mere
Lancashire Food Festival, Accrington
Cholmondeley Fireworks Concert and Garden Party

Excellence in Customer Service

Gary Henshall – Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool (Winner)
Julie Lyons – De Vere Carden Park Hotel, Chester
Daniel Fairweather, Windermere Marina Village
Pam Simpson – World of Glass, St Helens
Madge Butler – Crowne Plaza Manchester Airport

Sustainable Tourism Award

Palace Hotel, Manchester (Winner)
Cote How Organic Guest House, Rydal (Highly Commended)

RSPB Leighton Moss Nature Reserve, Silverdale
Carden Park Hotel, Chester

Tourism for All Award

The Beacon Museum, Whitehaven (Winner)
The Trafford Centre, Manchester (Highly Commended)
Wyre Estuary Country Park
The National Wildflower Centre, Knowsley

Tourist Information Centre of the Year

Congleton TIC (Winner)
Fleetwood TIC (Highly Commended)
Manchester Visitor Centre
St.Helens TIC
Keswick TIC

Jubilant Chief Executive Alan Hardy said, ‘It’s something the fans deserve, because for years they’ve been going to other towns and seeing the benefit of rebuilt and redeveloped stadia. This is almost as good as getting to the Wembley in the League Cup Final and FA Cup semi-finals, but this redevelopment is important because it’s about the future. It’s not to do with the past, this is about looking ahead and hopefully Oldham Athletic will now have a bright future to look forward to.’