Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre
The Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre is now open for tours!
Visitors will have a guided tour of the wonderful grounds, workshops and machinery, collected by Fred over his working life, and will then be able to sit and relax in the garden, the snug or the lounge, and take in the atmosphere of this amazing piece of English history! Refreshments will be available and there will be a superb range of memorabilia and souvenirs to purchase.
Visitors must pre-book, anyone who turns up without a ticket will not be allowed entry. (planning permission rules)
The cost of each ticket is £12 per person.
Opening hours are:
- Monday – Closed
- Tuesday – Closed
- Wednesday – One tour at 2pm
- Thursday – One tour at 2pm
- Friday – Closed
- Saturday Tours at 10am and 2pm
- Sunday – Closed
Open every bank holiday for tours at 10am and 2 pm.
How to get there:
View Larger Map
Address: 121 Radcliffe Road, Bolton, BL2 1NU
When placing an order please leave a note stating your preferred date and time of tour.
Sorry no items found. Try manual search: 'Visit the Heritage Centre'.
Cheques are also accepted. Please make payable to Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre c/o 121 Radcliffe Road, Bolton, BL2 1NU
You can also contact the Heritage Centre at freddibnahtours@live.com
Update:
(film by Bellyfloptv)
Operate more tours – 4 tours a week is pathetic.
Hi Knob, the tours are as follows: Tuesday 10am & 2pm (currently tuesday tours are reserved for coach parties) Wednesday 2pm, Thursday 2pm and Saturday 10am & 2pm. There is a special event on Saturday, 6th November (Fred’s Anniversary)to celebrate Fred’s life. Details of this event will be posted on the official website (www.freddibnahheritagecentre.co.uk) and on facebook so please feel free to add us as a friend (fred dibnah heritage centre). Unfortunately, due to council restrictions, the only other tours permitted are Wednesday and Thursday at 10am, but the afternoon tours proved much more popular. If you have a group of people wanting a tour, please feel free to get in touch and we will be happy to discuss your requirements on 07976 812 596 or e-mail freddibnahtourbookings@live.co.uk.
Many Thanks and we look forward to welcoming you soon.
How many times do you want to visit? 4 not enough?!?
Think it’s disgusting that your holding events on the anniverary of Fred’s death. How disrespectful. To celibrate Fred’s life it would be more apt on his birthday. Talk about making money out of a dead man!
And just what are you asking as an entrance fee for these so called events? I bet it isn’t the usual rediculous entrance fee of £12 per person is it?
Hi Roger
I’m sure Leon or one of the team from the Heritage Centre will reply when they can..but if I can say (from a totally independent view as someone not connected with the Centre) I find it quite common for famous people to have events on the Anniversary of their passing, I’m sure there is no disrespect meant by doing so.
I only recently found out about the event on the 6th November, I’ll see if I can get more info including the cost. In the ideal world it would be great if it was free tickets, but (despite what his underlying motivation may be) I know that Leon has pumped a lot of money into the Centre so it’s unlikely to be free. Perhaps a free event on the anniversary of Fred’s Birthday next year would be a great idea?
Have you visited yet Roger?…
Im sorry to to all you leaving such abusive comments go & winge at someone else!
Its been really hard for the guys getting the heritage centre up & running so that there IS somewhere to see Freds things etc, its not cheap & paying the admission fee is part of keeping it up & running so Im sure that as time goes by if it is succesfull then they will be able to put the moneis into more things to do at the centre? Yes granted when I first saw the site I did think my gosh they are trying a bit to hard to squeeze money out of everything but you cant blame them they want to keep his memory alive. What would you prefer it all got sold at auction & all that was l;eft was a few books & dvds??? no so stop wining & get over there & maybe ‘suggest’ things that could make it better instead of knocking what they’v done. Love from a daughter of a big Fred Fan. In fact my dad is so like fred we thought maybe it was his long lost son! (“,)
Just added a new (to me anyhow) video about the heritage centre.
In Fred’s Will (the one he made in 1998, before changing it several days before he died), Fred stipulated he wished his house and yard to be preserved and turned into a Heritage Centre after his death so people could see his collection of artefacts and enjoy the experience of being somewhere unique. Leon is correct in saying Fred had tried and failed to do this a couple of times, but Bolton Council rejected the idea.
I’m happy to see not only has Leon forged ahead and secured Fred’s original dream of officially opening the yard to the general public, but is successful in preserving and maintaining the magic and essence of the yard. Anyone who enters cannot fail to be enthralled by the spectacular amount of sheer hard graft Fred obviously put in for well over three decades of living there, the result of which is this unique and special place.
The atmosphere is casual, and people feel more likes friends stopping by for a natter as they freely wander round the yard, marvelling at relics such as the pit-winding engine after the tour and enjoy seeing the inside of the house and perhaps enjoy a cuppa at the very same kitchen table and chairs where Fred dreamed up so many of his ambitious engineering plans or chatting to Alf over a meat pie before I came home!
All museums and heritage sites offer the visitor a glimpse into the past. But more than anywhere else this is a rare opportunity to feel the spirit of the life and times of a great man; the likes of which we shall never see again.
There has been a lot of speculation and nastiness flying around every aspect surrounding the death of Fred and the legacy he leaves behind, but let’s not get bogged down with personal attacks and such, because what really matters is that the 6.5 million people who enjoyed watching Fred’s programmes (and still do), can now come along and recall many scenes in the garden which made television history, such as ‘the bow and arrow’ scene, and stand in the very same stop to have their photo taken; going away with happy memories.
This house and yard was Fred’s life….. I hope you enjoy your visit.
Very well said Sheila Fred would have wanted his adoring fans to have been able to visit the Heritage Center .To see where Fred made his dreams come true.In the early days Fred struggled as one can see from his early video’s It is a fitting tribute to Fred and everyone concerned that he lives on through the Heritage Center.We have yet to visit be be assured it is on our list of things to do. I remember when Fred visited the Elvaston Steam Rally he was so popular.He never forgot his roots even when he was a household name. Fred may he always RIP.In the knowledge that his legacy lives on.
i think twelve nicker is a ridiculously low sum, i would happily give a score to walk around those grounds, 20 pounds, you are all very lucky it has been saved , and the hi ab lorrys hav,nt been in there pilfering the old iron for private collectors, what a wonderfull piece of history a museum to fred, and to the gentlemen who thinks its wrong opening up on freds aniversary, he would be overwhelmed , beleive me, long live fred bibnah,
thank god for fred dibhan he was amazing man and showed as all the great things he had done and the love of steam engines! i would have like to have met him ,and thank you for bolton council and the owners of the fred dibnah heritage center i will be paying it a vist soon thanks fred your name and works will live on forever
I had the pleasure of finally visiting the Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre and made the journey from S Wales. It was an experience I shall never forget to walk in the footsteps of the great man who I had the privilege to see live on stage in Cardiff. Leon and his team of volunteers have worked hard to restore the site after the vandals had removed many valuable items and to end the visit it was nice to sit in the kitchen where many of his ideas had originated. So I say a big thank you to Leon/Jan for saving the house and workshops for the general public and I am planning another visit soon. Ps If I was living nearer I would enjoy helping to restore his equipment.
It’s great to hear that you had a good visit Victor.
It was something I have wanted to do for a while and even though retired I do voluntay work and my fanily keeps me busy but try to visit Living history museums/Heretige sites. I have your pamphlets on the rear window of our car. campervan. touring caravan and sons car for people in and around the area we live and places we visit on our travels. I hope to visit again soon. Best wishes Victor
We all had a very good time at the Fred Dibnah Heritage centre. a fantastic experience with lots of things to see.what made the day for us was when we met Alf freds mate that made our day.we hope to go back soom day . A big thankyou to Leon Powsney and his wife for giving up their dream in Spain to open up Freds place into a Heritage centre for us all .Thankyou Pat&Chris & freinds
Glad to hear you had a good time.