The IHBC’s 2026 Yearbook is out, our essential sector guide, reference and review for 2026-27, with features showcasing our 2026 Newcastle School theme and IHBC officers’ updates that include Meggen Gondek, on ‘RICHeS’, the focus of a long-term, £80 million investment in the UK’s new Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science.
IHBCs Yearbook: A note from 2026 for 2027
Since its launch in 2001, the IHBC Yearbook has grown from an 80-page publication to one of 120 pages today – our largest ever. Each edition includes a selection of articles supporting the theme of the Annual School, and the 2026 topic, the adaptive reuse of historic buildings, was ‘a particularly interesting one’, says co-editor Jonathan Taylor: ‘the topic raises a host of challenging issues, from sustainability and retrofit to the threat of redundancy, and this year we were delighted to welcome articles on a diverse range of topics from adapting churches in Wales to area-wide regeneration initiatives across the UK.’
On next year’s school topic, climate change and significance, Taylor finds himself working closely with his colleagues in IHBC’s South-West branch, as the 2027 event is to be held in Bath and Bristol, with a pre-school conference in Plymouth. ‘We all need to keep abreast of current developments in this fast-evolving field’ says Taylor… Alongside an exciting range of presentations and site visits, many of the most important issues will be explored in webinars and, of course, in the 2027 edition of the IHBC Yearbook itself.
Meggen Gondek, Head of Riches, writes:
The UK is widely seen as a global leader in conservation and heritage science, with an extraordinary range of research programmes. While these programmes often intersect and inform one another and sector bodies such as IHBC, ICON and NHSF act as collaborative hubs, there has, until now, been no single framework to help coordinate resources and disseminate knowledge at a national, or indeed transnational level.
That role is now fulfilled by RICHeS, the UK’s new Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science. It represents a long-term £80 million investment from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), to strengthen excellence and collaboration across the conservation and heritage science sector. RICHeS is more than an infrastructure programme, it is a catalyst for transformation, enhancing the UK’s position as a global leader in this field.
WHAT RICHES CAN OFFER YOU
RICHeS opens the door to a connected ecosystem of expertise, facilities and nationally significant collections. Through the programme, users can access:
• World class research infrastructure, including specialist laboratories, mobile units and unique reference collections
• Expert support to address conservation and heritage science challenges
• Collaborative opportunities with leading researchers, practitioners and institutions across the UK
UKRI’s mission is to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive economic growth through research and innovation. RICHeS contributes directly to this ambition by delivering a generational step change in sector effectiveness, efficiency and excellence.
Specifically, RICHeS will:
• Catalyse a more informed, collaborative and innovative UK heritage science community
• Ensure the sector has the capability and the capacity to meet demand and deliver world-class scientific outcomes
• Ensure that heritage science equipment, expertise, resources and data are findable and accessible to users, available to external stakeholders, and capable of being leveraged by a range of partners.
Through these investments, RICHeS will strengthen sector resilience, support evidence-based policy, deepen public understanding and enhance the UK’s global reputation for excellence in heritage science.
A NATIONAL NETWORK OF COLLECTIONS AND FACILITIES
Launched in October 2024, RICHeS is invested in national capability through 13 host collections and 17 host facilities across the UK. From 2026 onwards, these will be fully operational, offering year-round access to a broad range of users. Each investment includes dedicated specialist staff to support informed and effective access.
The RICHeS portfolio reflects the full breadth of conservation and heritage science, spanning architecture, archaeology, art, moving image, written texts and landscapes.
…
… GET INVOLVED
RICHeS is an open, collaborative infrastructure and its success depends on the community it serves. To learn more, explore opportunities or discuss how RICHeS can support your work:
• Email: RICHeS@ahrc.ukri.org
• Website: https://www.riches.ukri.org /
• Stay connected: Subscribe to the newsletter and follow RICHeS on LinkedIn for updates, funding calls and opportunities.
Meggen Gondek is Head of RICHeS IHQ and Professor of Archaeology at University of Chester
2026 YEARBOOK CONTENTS
Structure and Membership
- What is the IHBC?
- Structure of the IHBC
- Elected and appointed officers
- Branch areas
- Membership of the IHBC
Review and Analysis
- Foreword – Jan Bessell – President of the Royal Town Planning Institute
- Welcome – Rebecca Thompson, IHBC President
- Chairs’s Review – God is in the detail – David McDonald, IHBC Chair
- Director’s Update – Empowering Volunteers, Empowered by Volunteers – Sean O’Reilly, IHBC Director
Overview – Adaption and Change
- Sustainable Retrofit – Steve Berry
- Why All Regeneration Should be Heritage Led – Owen Barton
- Adapting Our Churches for Continued and Future Use – Martyn Jones
- Victorian Prisons – The Challenge of Adaption – Jonathan Taylor
- Adaptive Change and Transformation in Edinburgh – Terry Levinthal
Directory
- HESPR companies
- IHBC promotions and publications
- Directory of members
Useful Information
- IHBC-recognised courses
- RICHeS, Meggen Gondek
- National organisations
- Local authority contacts
- Products and services
- Specialist suppliers index
See the IHBC’s 2026 Yearbook feature on RICHeS, by Meggen Gondek
See more background news on IHBC’s NewsBlog service (Sign up free HERE):
- IHBC welcomes RICHeS Access Fund second call, opening 14/09 – ‘access… cutting-edge equipment, collections & expertise’, to £20K, for charities, social enterprises, commercial companies etc.
- As 90% of ‘Virtual’ Newcastle School feedback is ‘5/5’ or ‘4/5’, IHBC celebrates success in 2026, in learning, partnerships, friends & more, with thanks & congrats to all as Bristol 2027 looms, in June, on ‘Climate Change and Significance’
- IHBC’s Director joins RICHeS Programme Board: ‘Honoured, of course, but mostly I’m impressed by the £80M of research opportunities for historic and built environment conservation’
See the IHBC 2026 Yearbook HERE
See more on the IHBC’s Yearbook publications
See more on, and links to, IHBC Branches
