PEOPLE in Northwich are being urged to ‘Treasure their Treasures’ when the town’s tourist attractions open their doors for Heritage Open Day.

Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse will be open for free on Saturday, September 11, when Lion Salt Works will also be offering free taster tours from 12pm and allowing some visitors to see parts of the museum not normally open to the public.

The Plaza Cinema will be open to the public throughout the weekend between 11 and 4pm, with demonstrations of hot wax painting throughout the day. Anderton Boat Lift will be having a ‘Food Fiesta’ and staff will be dressed in Victorian costume.

There will be a children’s treasure hunt and a photographic exhibition in Northwich Library plus special half-hour history tours on the Saturday morning.

Northwich and District Heritage Society will be running a guided town trail, meeting at Waitrose car park at 11am and 2pm.

St Mary’s Church, Weaverham and the oldest building in Northwich, St Helen’s Church, Witton, will be open throughout the weekend.

St Helen's Bellringers will be joining in the national 'Challenge 500' for Heritage Open Day on the evening of Thursday, September 8 from 6pm to 7pm, when it is hoped up to 500 churches across the UK will be ringing their bells to celebrate this increasingly popular weekend.

‘Treasure Your Treasures’ is the theme for this year’s festival, which calls on communities to champion their local heritage and show their support for cultural and historic assets on their doorsteps.

Visitors are encouraged to capture themselves on camera with the objects, people or places they treasure and to share their stories online via social media using the hashtag #TreasureYourTreasures.

The festival will offer a rare chance to see inside The Plaza Cinema in Witton Street, a listed neoclassical style cinema/bingo hall.

Built in 1928, it closed as a cinema in the 1960s and became a bingo hall. The Plaza finally closed its doors in 2011.

Visitors are restricted to foyer and bar areas, but there is a fine view of the ornate auditorium and stage. There will be a small art exhibition with work for sale.

At various times during the day there will be a demonstration of encaustic art (hot wax painting) - you may even want to have a go yourself.

The building will be open from 11am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11.