Looking to Lowestoft's future sees many features ground in the past.

With so many historic parts to the town, major projects are ongoing to restore and renovate iconic sites such as the Town Hall and Post Office, as well as a number of High Street buildings.

But the town is doing more than any other to celebrate its unique and illustrious heritage.

Building on the success of last year's Heritage Open Days Festival, Lowestoft will once again host the most free-to-enjoy events out of any town in England taking part in the national celebrations.

With over 120 events planned, the town's heritage - from maritime to manufacturing - will take centre stage for 10 days from September 9.

In 2021, an estimated 18,000 visitors enjoyed an array of events, proving the town's history has a key part to play moving forward.

This year, there will be a host of buildings to explore, along with guided walks, exhibitions, talks, films, concerts, boat trips and more, while leading local historians will be sharing their extensive knowledge throughout the festival with a series of walks and lectures.

The festival will open with the arrival of Lydia Eva, the last surviving steam drifter which was built in 1930 and will sail from her home in Great Yarmouth to moor alongside Lowestoft's 100-year-old fishing smack Excelsior and the Mincarlo - the last surviving fishing vessel to be constructed in the town.

Last month, thousands of visitors descended on the coast to see a historic Smack Race hit the water in homage to a once-annual event in decades gone by.

It returned for the first time in more than 20 years to mark the centenary of Excelsior.

Celebrations of Lowestoft's association with the sea includes the return of the hugely popular Herring and Ale Maritime Fayre on Oddfellows Green, in Pakefield, on Sunday, September 11.

The event, running from midday to 6pm, will also feature a special 'Blessing the Herring' ceremony, as well as stalls, demonstrations, displays and talks, with live music from the Lowestoft Longshoremen and the Occasional Ceilidh Band.

Talks, exhibitions and demonstrations will continue throughout the 10 days focusing on the fishing industry, boatbuilding, maritime science, lifeboats, ice making and HM Coastguard, as well as free boat trips around the harbour and along the coast courtesy of Jet Adventures.

A celebration of the town's manufacturing heritage will take place on Saturday, September 17, with a special event featuring the former CWS factory and the Cooperative movement, hosted by the Cooperative Heritage Trust at Lowestoft railway station.

The railway, which this year celebrates 175 years since it reached Lowestoft, will host the Festival Information Hub at the Tourist Information Office, as well as providing an extremely rare opportunity to visit one of the area's historic swing bridges.

There will also be events in the station's restored Parcels Office exhibition space, including talks and a musical event telling the story of when Buffalo Bill brought his Wild West show to Lowestoft in 1903.

A number of local museums will also be taking part, including the Lowestoft Museum in Oulton Broad, the Maritime Museum and Royal Naval Patrol Service Museum at Sparrow's Nest Gardens, and the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville, which will offer free admission on September 10.

The Grit, Lowestoft's art centre based in the former court building on Old Nelson Street, will host talks about the fishing industry, ice making and 1960s music, along with film screenings and exhibitions.

A workshop and tour day will take place at the Marina Theatre, while the Seagull Theatre will host a talk on the Prunier Herring Trophy given by Ivan Bunn, followed by a concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Waveney Folk Club.

A number of buildings will open their doors to the public, including the St Johns Ambulance Headquarters and Heritage Centre in Oxford Road, the former Chemist shop in High Street, and Lowestoft Town Hall, as well as behind-the-scenes tours at Crown Meadow.

The festival is supported by Lowestoft Town Council - who awarded the steering group a Major Event grant - as well as the Lowestoft Central Project, the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership, Sunrise Studios and the Kirkley Centre.

To find out more, go to www.heritageopendays.org.uk and search Lowestoft.