More than 4,000 types of building stone are catalogued in a new online database launched by Historic England, as The Building Stones Database for England is the first online searchable tool gathering information on all types of stone used in the buildings of England.
The Institute of Conservation has published its new skills strategy to support the delivery of its strategic priorities. 
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- IHBC takes key step forward in Parliamentary ‘5 Commitments’ delivery, joining National Federation of Builders’ National Heritage Skills Forum 10/11/2026
- IHBC Marsh Awards OPEN: Nominate your ‘Successful learner’ (in Heritage Skills) or ‘Retired member’ (Community Contributions), to close 15 December 2026 10/11/2026
- Save the Date for #IHBCBristolBath2027 – Accessible, Certified CPD on ‘Climate Change & Significance’, June 10-12 2027: IHBC’s Annual School, with online options, free pre-conference webinars & more… 10/11/2026
- Bursaries now open for IHBC Annual School 2027: Accessible, certified CPD on Climate Change & Significance 10/11/2026
- IHBC’s ‘Research’ CPD signpost: Deregulated housing conversions linked to poor health and wellbeing, from UCL 10/11/2026
- IHBC HESPR’s ‘News from the Sector’: The Guardian on Clifton Suspension Bridge… ‘A big responsibility’ 10/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Back on track as Leas Lift carriages return home 10/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: New Visitor Levy fund to help futureproof Edinburgh’s cultural and heritage buildings 10/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: National Railway Museum celebrates start of construction on… the Porterbrook gallery 10/11/2026
- Nominate a building for the 20th edition of the Victorian Society’s Top Ten Endangered Buildings list, before 4 January 10/11/2026
- National Trust: ‘Landmark act of generosity secures home of London’s oldest restaurant for the future’ 10/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: ‘Preserving Legacies Climate Heritage Cohort Program’, open to 8 January, ‘…work with a place that is culturally significant to your community’ 10/11/2026
- IHBC offers advice and support in roll out of ‘Historic Environment Policy for Northern Ireland’ 06/11/2026
- IHBC’s November CPD Circular: Your user-friendly ‘What’s on’ guide to heritage learning, networking and experiences, from Branches to ‘CPD Providers’ & beyond… 06/11/2026
- IHBC Marsh Awards OPEN: Nominate your ‘Successful learner’ (in Heritage Skills) or ‘Retired member’ (Community Contributions), to close 15 December 2026 06/11/2026
- Bursaries now open for IHBC Annual School 2027: Accessible, certified CPD on Climate Change & Significance 06/11/2026
- IHBC’s ‘Research’ CPD signpost: RICHeS Access Fund 2nd call opens, to £20K & 15/12, to access ‘cutting-edge equipment, collections & expertise’, for charities, social enterprises, commercial companies etc. 06/11/2026
- IHBC Director’s top pick from HESPR’s £68M+ works: BID seeks multidisciplinary team to study local retail areas, to 20/11 and £40K 06/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the (builders) doorstep’: Budget measures welcomed, but much more work left to do – industry warns 06/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Castle Eden bridge demolition plans withdrawn by Stockton Borough Council 06/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Westminster honours engineer who helped inspire the world of James Bond 06/11/2026
- Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Wrexham shortlisted for UK City of Culture 2029 06/11/2026
- Local History Hub launches new School & Heritage Consultancy pilot 06/11/2026
- AHF awards new grants through the Heritage Revival Fund 06/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: First Joint Transnational Call of the ‘Resilient Cultural Heritage Partnership’ to 11 January 2027 06/11/2026
Building Stones Database for England launched
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Red List of Endangered Crafts 2023 published by Heritage Crafts
The 2023 edition of the Red List was produced by Heritage Crafts with the support of the Pilgrim Trust.
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ICON publishes new Skills Strategy 2023
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TCD: Incredible photos showing how a new ‘billboard law’ has completely transformed this city
The Cool Down (TCD) has reported on a recent Reddit post highlighting the impact of a Polish law that limits the placement of billboards throughout the country.
image for illustration: Times Square digital billboards by chensiyua, CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikipedia
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IHBC welcomes ministerial opening of National Trust’s new Heritage and Rural Skills Centre, Coleshill
IHBC’s Education Secretary Chris Wood has welcomed the formal opening of The National Trust’s new Heritage and Rural Skills Centre by Lord Parkinson, England\s Minister of State for the Arts and Heritage, on 19 May.
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Time too tight to catch up on ‘Climate Change and the Historic Environment’ at #IHBCSwansea2023 on June 23: Simply book your virtual Day School place from £30+VAT and review the record after!
[slideshow_deploy id=’36681′]
On 23 June the IHBC hosts a targeted examination into ‘Climate Change and the Historic Environment’, with current thinking from lead practitioners, funders, researchers & bodies across the UK, so if you are too busy to even drop in live online, stay in the practice loop with a virtual Day School place and review the recording when suits.
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SAHGB-IHBC Heritage Research Award 2023 celebrates ‘research… in heritage and conservation practice’: Enter online before 1/09/23
The IHBC is delighted to announce the opening of the 2023 joint Award with the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain (SAHGB) celebrating ‘the quality of architectural-historical research.. in heritage and conservation practice’, now open for submissions and closing end August 2023.
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LAST CHANCE TO BOOK: 2023 Natural Stone Show Seminar programme out includes free IHBC Recognised CPD from HE on Conservation Day, 08/06
The IHBC will be at the Natural Stone Show in ExCeL on 6-8 June, with the full programme of free sessions in the Show’s Seminar Theatre now out, including Conservation Day (08/06), the Historic England (HE) programme of free IHBC-recognised CPD, so be sure to register NOW!
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IHBC ‘Practice’ Signpost to #IHBCSwansea2023: Wright & Wright on the Spencer Building for Corpus Christi College, Oxford, Passivhouse and more
The Spencer Building, a new Special Collections Centre and Library for Corpus Christi College will bring together the College’s unique collection of manuscripts and early printed books into a single purpose-built space and ‘be one of the greenest projects ever completed at the University’.
image: for illustration – Front Quad, Corpus Christi College, Oxford by Marathon, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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IHBC’s HESPR ‘Special Interest News’: Dezeen on ‘New York is sinking’!
IHBC’s heritage business register HESPR – our Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition quality assurance scheme for heritage services – emails members weekly ‘News and Tender Alerts’, and this week features Dezeen on ‘New York is sinking’!
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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Ealing Council scraps plans for 26-storey tower at council HQ
Ealing Council scraps approved plans for a 26-storey tower which would have created 477 homes over rising cost of building materials, reports The Evening Standard.
image: for illustration – Philafrenzy, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Ealing Council Building
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‘By All, For All: The Power of Partnership’ – AHRC Creative Communities Deep Dive Report 2023
The Creative Communities programme has shared this first major output, drawing on its first year of activity and research tied to the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), profiling ‘for the first time the social, economic and political value of cross-sector AHRC R&D involving communities’.
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Scotland’s SPICE Spotlight: What is a ‘wellbeing economy’?
As Scotland now has a Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, SPICE – The Scottish Parliament Information Centre is investigating what a ‘wellbeing economy’ might be, and how is it influences Scottish Government policy.
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Lessons from successful ‘turnaround’ cities for the UK – Navigating Economic Change
The ‘Navigating Economic Change’ series from Economy 2030 Inquiry – linked to the Resolution Foundation – explores how cities can reverse long-term economic underperformance and move towards a new trajectory by looking at seven cities across five countries that faced severe economic shocks.
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World Monuments Fund Britain announces new Executive Director
Magnus von Wistinghausen has been appointed Executive Director of World Monuments Fund Britain (WMFB), replacing John Darlington, who takes up a new role as Director of Projects.
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IHBC’s IMHO on Scotland’s historic Churches – A little bit of hope on the horizon…
Scotland’s Churches Trust sees some light as Church of Scotland General Trustees introduce a new internal category of ‘Historic Signature Churches’ into their portfolio, which might see some further safeguarding of notable churches that would otherwise have likely been subject to disposal.
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Time too tight on June 23 to catch up on ‘Climate Change and the Historic Environment’ at #IHBCSwansea2023?
Just book your virtual Day School from £30+VAT and check the recording after!
[slideshow_deploy id=’36681′]
On 23 June the IHBC hosts a targeted examination into ‘Climate Change and the Historic Environment’, with current thinking from lead practitioners, funders, researchers & bodies across the UK, so if you are too busy to even drop in live online, stay in the practice loop with a virtual Day School place and review the recording when suits.
Posted in IHBC NewsBlog
Comments Off on Time too tight on June 23 to catch up on ‘Climate Change and the Historic Environment’ at #IHBCSwansea2023?
Just book your virtual Day School from £30+VAT and check the recording after!
Just book your virtual Day School from £30+VAT and check the recording after!
IHBC posts June’s CPD Circular: Easy access to training, awards and more, features IHBC’s 2023 Annual School & Heritage MarketPlace:LIVE, from 21 June
IHBC’s June CPD Circular is now out, with low-cost training and upskilling opportunities and featuring the 2023 School #IHBCSwansea 2023 and virtual Heritage MarketPlace:LIVE on 21 June, helping guide busy heritage practitioners on all IHBC-networked Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and more.
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IHBC launches #IHBCPetitionforCharter consultation web hub & resource: Peruse, pass on and promote
The IHBC has launched its consultation web hub & resource offering context, updates and more on the prospect of an IHBC Petition for Charter – #IHBCPetitionforCharter – to help engagement on the issues around the IHBC seeking a Royal Charter – the ‘Petition for Charter’ – with funding for volunteer and Branch initiatives open too.
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2023 Natural Stone Show Seminar programme out: Includes free IHBC Recognised CPD from HE on Conservation Day, 08/06
The IHBC will be at the Natural Stone Show in ExCeL on 6-8 June, with the full programme of free sessions in the Show’s Seminar Theatre now out, including Conservation Day (08/06), the Historic England (HE) programme of free IHBC-recognised CPD, so be sure to register NOW!
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IHBC’s ‘Practice’ Signpost: Designing Buildings on insurance for building design and construction
Designing Buildings (DB) – the Construction Wiki – has summarised insurance issues around individuals and firms engaging in building design and construction.
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IHBC’s HESPR pick from £105K costed works: Council seeks engineering advice on GI steel structure, closing 23/06
The IHBC’s heritage business register HESPR – our Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition quality assurance service – emails members weekly ‘News and Tender Alerts’, and the IHBC Director’s pick for this week features a Council’s call for structural engineering consultancy for inspections, advice etc. on a Grade I (GI) listed steel structure, closing 23/06.
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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Somerset Council steps in to save 16th century courthouse
A 16th century courthouse in Chard, Somerset, has been saved for posterity after the county council stepped in to buy it, reports Localgov.
image: for illustration – Main Street, Chard by Mike Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0
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VAT & Heritage in Parliament & Hansard: VAT write-off for new homes, imposed for repairs and maintenance
The House of Lords, on Wednesday 19 April 2023, considered a question concerning His Majesty’s Government and what assessment it has made of the case for applying the same rate of VAT to building repairs and maintenance as to the construction of new homes.
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Landscape Character Assessment database for UK & Ireland now available
The Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) database is now available, and includes over 500 LCAs from local to regional scale across the UK and Ireland.
image: for illustration
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