HUNDREDS of people have enjoyed Winchester Heritage Open Days one of the biggest events in the country.

Around 40 places opened their doors to the public over the weekend in the Winchester district.

Some are well-known such as the mayor's official residence, Abbey House and Serle's House on Southgate Street; others less so, such as the Winchester Bindery at P&G Wells in College Street and Winchester Lido.

Local coordinator Nicky Gottlieb said: "I’m absolutely delighted at the response I’ve had – it’s really been a huge success. The bad weather on Saturday didn’t seem to put people off either and some events were so popular that they were either fully booked with waiting lists or had queues to get in. It definitely brought people in to Winchester with several attractions saying their visitor numbers were up."

Mrs Gottlieb added: "I want to thank everyone who supported me in putting the festival together but the real stars of the show are the event organisers - Heritage Open Days just wouldn’t happen without them.

"As for next year, I’ve already got a long list of ideas for the programme but they will need to be funded to get them up and running. Any help from sponsors would be greatly welcomed."