Hillingdon's Open House line-up runs 12 to 20 September: the Battle of Britain Bunker's Generator House, Manor Farm and the Eastcote Dovecote, all free.

Six Hillingdon heritage sites open free during this year’s Open House Festival, which runs from Saturday 12 to Sunday 20 September. The council published its line-up on Tuesday. It includes the Generator House at the Battle of Britain Bunker in Uxbridge, the Tudor Manor House and medieval Great Barn at Manor Farm in Ruislip, and the interior of the Grade II listed dovecote at Eastcote House Gardens, which is normally shut. (Council opens doors to Hillingdon’s fascinating past, Hillingdon Council, 19 August 2026)

One thing the announcement leaves out matters if you want the Civic Centre tour. Booking for the festival’s ticketed activities opened at midday on Wednesday 19 August, the day the council’s release went out, and you need a free visitor account before you can book. (Open House Festival 2026, Open City)

What is open, and when

Grid showing which Hillingdon sites open on which days of Open House Festival 2026: Battle of Britain Bunker on 12, 13, 19 and 20 September; Manor Farm Manor House on 12 and 13 September; the Great Barn on 12 and 13 September; Eastcote Dovecote on 13 September only; Cranford Park on 13 September; Southlands Arts Centre on 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20 September; the Civic Centre tour on 12 September
Which Hillingdon sites open on which days. Source: Hillingdon Council, 19 August 2026, and the Open House Festival programme. Graphic by Uxbridge News.

From the council’s list:

  • Battle of Britain Bunker, Uxbridge: 12, 13, 19 and 20 September, 10am to 4pm. The Generator House and the Pillbox.
  • Manor Farm, Ruislip: 12 and 13 September, 10am to 4pm, with the Great Barn open 1pm to 4pm on 13 September.
  • Eastcote House Gardens: 13 September only, 10am to 4pm, for the dovecote.
  • Cranford Park: 13 September, 11am to 3pm. The restored stables, the Secret Garden and the conservation work on the historic cellars.
  • Southlands Arts Centre, West Drayton: 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20 September, 10am to 4pm. Open days, workshops and guided tours of the Queen Anne-era house.
  • Hillingdon Museum and Archives Service, Uxbridge: 12 September, 11am to midday. A guided tour of the Civic Centre, its architecture and its art collection.

Two traps in that list. The dovecote is a single day, and the Great Barn opens for three hours on the Sunday rather than the full day the rest of Manor Farm keeps.

Which ones you can just turn up to

Four of the six have entries in the Open House Festival programme, and all four are listed there as drop-in, free, no booking required:

  • The Generator House, Battle of Britain Bunker, UB10 0GG, all four days, 10am to 4pm. Tube to Uxbridge; buses 247, U1, U2, U3, U4 and U7. There is a car park, free for museum visitors. No level access. (Open House listing)
  • The Manor House, Manor Farm, Eastcote Road, HA4 8BD, 12 and 13 September, 10am to 4pm. Buses 331 and A10; on-site parking. (Open House listing)
  • The Great Barn, Manor Farm, Bury Street, HA4 7SU, 12 September 10am to 4pm and 13 September 1pm to 4pm. Step-free routes and blue badge parking. (Open House listing)
  • The Dovecote, Eastcote House Gardens, High Road, HA5 2FE, 13 September, 10am to 4pm. Accessible toilets, blue badge parking, family friendly. (Open House listing)

The Generator House is the pick of them. It is the last of the bunker’s three original generator houses, it still holds its 1930s standby diesel generator, and it is not part of the site’s regular paid tour. The bunker itself normally charges £14 for an adult ticket covering the bunker and visitor centre. (Battle of Britain Bunker)

The Civic Centre tour, Cranford Park and Southlands do not have their own programme listings that we could find, and the council’s release does not say whether the Civic Centre slot needs booking. Given it is a single one-hour guided tour, check before travelling.

What it means for you

  • If you want the Civic Centre tour, sort it this week. Festival ticketed bookings went live at noon on 19 August and popular tours go quickly. Register a free account at open-city.org.uk and check the council’s own heritage events page.
  • Sunday 13 September is the busy day. Five of the six sites are open, and it is the only day for the dovecote and for Cranford Park.
  • The Bunker weekend is the flexible one. The Generator House runs on both festival weekends, so if 12 and 13 September are booked up you still have 19 and 20.
  • Getting there: Manor Farm and the dovecote are on the Metropolitan line side of the borough, and the Piccadilly line has had planned closures to Uxbridge on weekdays this month. Check before you set out; our roadworks and travel page tracks the current closures.
  • More things to do locally are on our things to do in Uxbridge page.

Sources