Visitors of all ages joined celebrations on Sunday 14 September 2025 as Andover marked the 200th anniversary of its Guildhall with a special heritage open day.
Standing in the heart of the town since 1825, the Guildhall opened its doors for tours of the Upper Guildhall and a programme of hands-on activities. The event was co-hosted by Test Valley Borough Council, Andover BID and Second Sundays.
A children’s art competition invited young artists aged 5 to 11 to depict the Guildhall past, present or imagined. More than 150 entries were displayed in the Upper Guildhall, with three winners chosen by the Mayor of Test Valley, Councillor Gordon Bailey, and a panel of local councillors.
Elsewhere, textile artists Sharon Kearley and Lucy Pick led drop-in sessions on sustainable dyeing and weaving. Visitors tried card looms and saw a Viking replica loom and a table loom in action. A sound piece by Boris Allenou, created from local reminiscences collected during a residency at Andover Museum with Chapel Arts Studios, offered stories of Andover life.
In the Chantry Centre, Harrow Way Community School students presented a history exhibit with suggested heritage trails, while Andover Museum ran a pop-up Victorian museum. Tying into this year’s national Heritage Open Days theme of architecture, Andover BID organised a “look up” trail to highlight details above street level. Andover Framing produced a limited-edition Guildhall 200 poster.
Councillor Gordon Bailey said:
“The Guildhall has been a cornerstone of Andover’s civic and cultural life for two centuries. This event was a wonderful way to celebrate its legacy and bring people together to share memories, make new ones, and look ahead to the future.”
Jon Deacon, Executive Director of Andover BID, said:
“As we continue to celebrate the Guildhall’s 200th year it was wonderful to see so many people taking part in the celebrations for Heritage Open Days. The Guildhall, as well as the town itself, has many stories to tell and it was especially nice to see so many children learning about the building and going on the ‘look up’ history trail around the High Street.”
