A series of Heritage Open Days were held throughout Trowbridge on Saturday.

Each September thousands of volunteers across the country open up local landmarks so residents can explore the history, architecture and culture of their towns, all for free.

One of Trowbridge’s most recognisable landmarks, The Blind House was open to view by the public on Saturday.

It was built in 1757 and served as a prison, and formed part of a heritage trail around the town.

The Blind House was used as a lock-up for ‘overnight guests’ of the law during the 18th and 19th centuries: wrongdoers locked up in the blindhouse would have ranged from serious criminals who would be held until they could be put before a justice and committed to trial, to drunks who would be released in the morning when they had sobered up. Sometimes, sympathetic bystanders would even fetch beer and feed it to the prisoners by using one of the long ‘churchwarden’ pipes pushed through a slit in the wall!

A wall carving in one of the cells dates the building at 1758, but some believe that it might date back to the late 17th century. The roof sustained serious damage in July 1942 when a German bomb fell on the upper part of Stallard Street, badly damaging what was the Royal British Legion Club (now Bridge House), and unfortunately resulting in the deaths of two civilians.

Parade House in Trowbridge was also open, and welcomed almost 400 visitors through its doors.

It said: "We were delighted to welcome almost 400 visitors through our doors today for our Heritage Open Day. Thank you all so much for coming! It was an enormous pleasure for us to meet and chat with you all. We were especially pleased to welcome local artist Paul Workman, whose splendid portrait of Francis Seymour, 1st Baron Trowbridge, now dominates the west wall of Parade House's ballroom. "

The bell tower of St James's Church in Trowbridge was also open to members of the public.

It is the only church in Wiltshire to have a total of 12 bells in the tower. Brian Coward rang the bells for the Queen’s Coronation in1952 and tolled the bell on the announcement of her passing on Thursday, September 8.