PEOPLE can take guided tours and gain rare access to Lye and Wollescote Cemetery Chapels tomorrow (Saturday September 8) as part of the borough’s Heritage Open Day celebrations.

Dudley Council and volunteers from the West Midlands Historic Buildings Trust have teamed up again to open the grade II listed chapels to the public.

The chapels will be open from 11am to 3pm and there will be free guided tours of Lye Cemetery by authors Jean Weston and Marlene Price, who wrote ‘The Lye & Wollescote Cemetery and Chapels: A Victorian Cemetery and its Notable Burials’, at 11am and 2pm.

Representatives from the trust will also be talking about their plans for a new use for the chapels, for which funding applications are in progress.

Councillor Melvyn Mottram, Mayor of Dudley, said: “This will be a great opportunity to have a look around and find out more about the history of the cemetery and chapels and see the plans for its future.”

Robert Tolley, chairman of the West Midlands Historic Buildings Trust, added: “The heritage open days always prove extremely popular as they allow people to see inside buildings not normally open to the public.

“It is also an ideal opportunity for visitors to see and discuss with us our plans to repair and convert the building for future use.”

Events and activities are also taking place tomorrow at Dudley Council House and Stourbridge Town Hall.

The Council House on Priory Road, Dudley, will be open from 11am to 3pm.

There will be guided tours of the council chamber, including a talk about how the council works and the insignia at 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm and 2.30pm when people can also see the mayoral badge chain and mace.

There will also be photographs of Dudley town centre over the years and a children’s trail and colouring activities.

Visitors can also join the Mayor and Mayoress for tea in the Mayor’s Parlour.

Stourbridge Town Hall will be open from 10am to 3pm. Residents can see exhibits from the Black Country Society and Stourbridge Historical Society and archive material from across the Black Country.

There will also be performances by amateur dramatics groups from 12.30pm and take a guided town walk at 11am starting from the town hall foyer.

To find out more go to www.discover.dudley.org.uk or www.heritageopendays.org.uk For details about Lye and Wollescote chapel visit www.lyeandwollescote.info