An award-winning 10-day festival is set to make a welcome return to town.

The hugely popular Lowestoft Heritage Open Days Festival returns on Friday, September 8 with 10 days of free to enjoy activities celebrating the town's rich history and culture.

Lowestoft joins the nationwide celebration with activities specially curated for the festival - including talks, walks, exhibitions, recitals and rare opportunities to view behind the scenes at some of the area's most iconic buildings - as the town hosts more events than any other in Suffolk.

A new independent archive facility for the town, to be housed in the Grit Arts Centre on Old Nelson Street, opens on Friday with public tours available from Saturday.

On Saturday a free Heritage Bus Service will connect activities across Lowestoft and Oulton Broad as it is operated by the East Anglia Transport Museum in Carlton Colville which, with its working trams, trains and trolleybuses will open free of charge to all for the day.

Lowestoft Journal: East Anglia Transport Museum volunteers with one of the former Lowestoft Corporation vehicles which will form part of the free bus service for Lowestoft Heritage Open Days Festival. Picture: Lowestoft HODSEast Anglia Transport Museum volunteers with one of the former Lowestoft Corporation vehicles which will form part of the free bus service for Lowestoft Heritage Open Days Festival. Picture: Lowestoft HODS (Image: Wherry Lines CRP)

Other activities during the opening weekend includes an 1880s Festival in the High Street and Triangle Market, Seafest 23 – a showcase of fish and seafood with live music and stalls at Sam’s Cold Store on Hadenham Road, an exhibition featuring the former Lowestoft to Yarmouth Railway and tours of the historic swing bridge at Somerleyton.

Lowestoft Journal: Somerleyton swing bridge. Picture: Wherry Lines CRPSomerleyton swing bridge. Picture: Wherry Lines CRP (Image: Wherry Lines CRP)

With the Festival Information Hub open throughout at the Tourist information Office at the railway station, Martin Halliday, newly appointed Chair of the Lowestoft Heritage Open Days festival steering group, said: "We are thrilled to be launching this year’s festival, a unique celebration of our town’s heritage with all events free for the public to enjoy.

"We are hugely grateful to the many organisations and individuals that are enabling access to some of the town’s most iconic buildings or share some unique elements of our history."

To view all the free activities visit www.heritageopendays.org.uk and search Lowestoft.

A free 12-page printed listing guide is also available to collect from the Festival Information Hub at the railway station.