IHBC NewsBlogs

The ‘museums at night’ festival, run over three days this May, allows everyone to experience special ‘behind the scenes’ or late night events at museums throughout  Wales, Scotland and England.

Events are wide and varied, and include a pub quiz in the Museum of the Order of St John, ‘grown-up colouring in’ at The Oxfordshire Museum, a British Cheese Party at the Museum of English Rural Life, a ceilidh at the  Interactive Fields of Poppies Launch at Taigh Chearsabhagh on Uist, a Steampunk: Salvaged Jewellery Workshop at the University of Edinburgh Anatomy Museum and Drinks and nibbles on the roof of the Cardiff Story Museum.

Find out more and explore events

IHBC newsblog on museums

A fire has extensively damaged Clandon Park in Surrey owned by the National Trust.

The National Trust (NT) writes:
We’re saddened to say that a fire broke out on Wednesday 29 April at Clandon Park in Surrey.  Everyone was evacuated from the building and there were no reports of injuries. The fire spread throughout the building and has caused significant damage.

Eighty firefighters tackled the blaze at its height and crews worked throughout the night to combat the fire which is now out.  Fire investigation officers are looking to establish the cause of the fire. We’re currently assessing and cataloguing the items which were able to be salvaged.

Clandon Park was one of the country’s most complete examples of a Palladian mansion and contained a superb collection of 18th-century furniture, porcelain and textiles.  The Duchess starring Keira Knightley was filmed there in 2008. Scenes were shot in the Marble Hall.

Speaking from the site of the blaze, our Director General, Helen Ghosh, said:  ‘The fire is now out but the scale of the damage to the mansion has been devastating. The house is now essentially a shell, most of the roof, ceiling and floors have collapsed into the bottom of the building.  There is perhaps one room that is relatively untouched but, other than that, the interior is extensively damaged. The external walls are still standing.’

‘It’s a terrible sight. We have saved some significant items but certainly not everything that we wanted to save.  We have a very well-rehearsed plan to get key items out of houses but it’s still too early to say just how much we have been able to save.  It will clearly take some time to assess the full scale of the damage and to then consider what the options are for the house.’

‘The most important thing is that no-one was injured and everyone was safely evacuated. Although I’m upset by what has happened, I also feel huge pride at the tremendous work of our staff and volunteers in dealing with this terrible event. The local team have had marvellous support from colleagues from neighbouring properties and specialists from across the Trust.  We’ve also had a large number of messages of support from members and the public – which we truly appreciate.  I would also like to thank the amazing efforts of the fire brigade. We’ll continue to work closely with them over the coming days.’

We’re asking our supporters not to visit Clandon Park at this time to offer help as the incident is still being managed on site and a fire investigation is underway.

View the news release

View the NT video of the fire and damage to the property

View a BBC news article about the fire and the salvaging of historic artefacts

Civil Society news article on the fire

View the NT property information for Clandon Park

A new tool has been published by a consortium of four partners to promote the better understanding of towns and their inter-relationships in Scotland.

The Carnegie UK Trust writes:
A consortium, made up of the Carnegie UK Trust, Scotland’s Towns Partnership, the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), and the University of Stirling, has unveiled the UK’s first online tool to help understand the facts, figures and interrelationships that underpin all of Scotland’s towns and cities.

The launch took place in Musselburgh which saw Margaret Burgess MSP, Minister for Housing and Welfare ’switch-on’ the new online tool.

Understanding Scottish Places (USP) answers a pressing need for better quality information to inform important decisions about how communities are organised and funded. It brings together 36,000 different pieces of data about places and people in Scotland into one online, visual, searchable database.  From today, anyone can access a full suite of information about any of 479 Scottish communities digitally – and compare that information with any other place across the country.

The launch of the new tool comes on the back of an Ipsos MORI survey carried out in March by the Carnegie UK Trust, leaders of the USP consortium, which encouragingly revealed that the majority (54%) of Scots value the services available in their local communities.  Many of those questioned recognised the way in which places in Scotland are inter-related and rely on each other for different facilities and services, something that is explored further in USP.  Almost 40% revealed that they travel to access the services they require.

Margaret Burgess MSP, Minister for Housing and Welfare said: ‘USP is a powerful resource for people working across the country giving them the opportunity to design better strategies for their communities – whether they are in councils, town partnerships or BIDs, traders associations, businesses or community groups.  It’s a great tool, ideally positioned to help local people see how their area is working for them and be inspired to get involved in revitalising their towns.  It is just one of a number of measures that the Scottish Government is backing to help to deliver the Town Centre Action Plan.  We hope that this platform will encourage communities to look at other towns with similar characteristics and start to share more of their success stories.’

Martyn Evans, Chief Executive of the Carnegie UK Trust, joined Margaret Burgess for today’s switch-on, and said: ‘USP is a valuable tool for all of those invested in making our town’s better places to live.  It recognises that different places have different needs, and require different services and resources. It explores the way in which each place has a unique identity and this is how we need to think about places when we design services, invest, and innovate. For the first time, the platform looks at the levels of interdependency between communities, to give us a more sophisticated and constructive picture of how our places work together.  In the coming months, we will be consulting further across the whole country, to see what needs to be added to this platform to deepen that understanding and grow the sophistication of the data we can offer.’

The platform has been designed and built by the Carnegie UK Trust, Scotland’s Towns Partnership, the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), and the University of Stirling.  Co-funded by Carnegie UK and the Scottish Government, it is a practical output of the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Action Plan.

View the news release 

UK Local Gov article

Access the resource

View a video about the new tool

Election coverage continues on The Planning Portal Blog with an analysis of each party manifesto and its policies affecting town planning, whilst BEFS assesses the potential impact of proposals on Scotland’s built environment and RIBA urges us to ‘Build a better Britain’ by asking candidates to sign pledges championing a better built environment.

View the planning portal summary

View the BEFS bulletin analysis of manifestos

Visit the RIBA ‘Build a Better Britain’ resource

View the Heritage Alliance manifesto analysis

View previous IHBC newsblogs on election matters

Newport Crown Court considered unauthorised alteration works to a Grade II (GII) listed property in South Wales, once home to Cecil Alexander (composer of ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’), with sentencing due to take place on May 15.

The Daily Mail, Wales Online and the Guardian have all reported on this case, which has allegedly involved replacement windows, interior modernization work and external driveway works.

View the articles on this case

WalesOnline news

Guardian article

Did you know that the carrier bag levy where you pay a small charge for carrier bags in shops can go to fund listed building works?

DoENI writes:
Environment Minister Mark H Durkan today gave hope to environmental groups suffering funding cuts.  He will allocate £2million, still to be distributed from the £4.2million revenue raised via the Carrier Bag Levy, to help offset the funding cut to his Department as a result of the Government budget.  The money will go to deliver key environmental priorities with particular emphasis on projects that benefit communities.

The Minister has developed a three pronged plan to allocate the money.

One million pounds will be made available for a Natural Environment Fund. The Minister will convene a workshop tomorrow, Thursday, for relevant NGOs who have suffered cuts to their natural environment funds. Through the new Fund he will be seeking ways for the groups to safeguard our most valuable sites and protect our wider countryside, lever in significant other sources of funding and encourage volunteering and community action. He will also be looking to the groups to operate as cost effectively as possible including creating shared services such as administration to help reduce their own costs.

The second element of the plan is to provide £0.55million for DOE’s Challenge Fund, targeted principally at schools and community groups.

Thirdly, the Minister will allocate a further half a million pounds for Listed Building Grants.

Commenting on this additional money Mark H Durkan said: ‘My Department suffered a higher percentage of cuts than any other department which created strain across all DOE business areas. Last month at the Environment Committee, I vowed to do what I could to respond to concerns raised by a range of key environment groups across the North.  The £1million injection into the Natural Environment Fund will see those NGOs and councils, specifically managing our landscapes, who had previously been in receipt of, but lost funding, now get some funding restored. But we need the money to be used effectively. That is why I am organising a workshop in Crawfordsburn tomorrow to work with environment groups on how we can ensure we use this money as effectively as possible. I need to hear their views on how we can safeguard our best environmental sites and our unique landscape, how we can best protect our priority species, and how we can encourage closeness to nature and access to the countryside.

‘I will be asking the groups how they can cut their running costs, to share services focussing on delivery, so that this money can stretch as far as possible. This is a limited amount of money and we must use it to the maximum.  On top of this, the existing DOE Challenge Fund will receive £0.55million, but with a much greater focus on delivering schemes for schools and community groups, particularly those who support vulnerable, unemployed or older people.

‘Half a million pounds will also now be allocated to listed building grants. Under the budget cuts no money was to be allocated here. Now some important community and church buildings for which applications have already been approved and whose focus is on community access, will benefit.’

Mark H Durkan concluded: ‘This is a tough tough time for environmental groups. I hear their concerns loud and clear. What I am now doing is fulfilling my vow to try and alleviate some of that pain as imaginatively as possible. When the Carrier Bag Levy was introduced, the promise was that it would be spent on the environment. We are fulfilling that promise, but in a focussed way with emphasis on projects that benefit communities, while also putting the onus on those receiving the money to be as efficient and effective as possible. I will continue throughout the year to keep seeking ways to address this budget problem for the benefit of our environment.’

NI Gov article

A council is poised to demand a demolished historic pub be rebuilt ‘brick by brick’ after it was demolished without permission. 

LocalGov writes:
Westminster City Council is expected to next week issue an unprecedented enforcement order requiring the owners of the Carlton Tavern in Maida Vale to ‘recreate in facsimile the building as it stood immediately prior to its demolition’.

The 1920s pub survived bombing during the Second World War but was bulldozed in April. The local authority had received an application to demolish the building and replace it with mixed-use accommodation but councillors turned it down.

However the owners, Tel Aviv-based company CLTX, went ahead with demolition, in a move that cllr Jan Prendergast told the BBC ‘came as such a shock to everyone’.

It sparked local outrage with people spraying ‘this is vandalism’ on boarding surrounding the building site.

A council order for the reconstruction of a building this size could mark a UK first. The decision would also stop the firm from selling the site until the pub has been rebuilt.

Director of planning at Westminster City Council, John Walker, said: ‘There is a paper going to planning committee next week. Obviously, we cannot pre-empt any decision, but this shows how important the issue is to local residents and the council, and officers have worked hard to bring this to the committee as quickly as possible.

‘We are still liaising with Historic England and DCMS and the advice provided by them will help to determine the final course of action.’

CLTX is understood to be appealing the decision to refuse consent, the Standard reports. The company was unable to be reached for comment. 

UK Local Gov article

A woman in west London’s Kensington has been told by The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) to remove the red and white stripes she had painted on her house in protest over a rejected planning application.

RBKC has served an enforcement notice on the owner ordering the stripes’ removal after neighbours complained.

The stripes appeared earlier this month after plans to demolish the house and replace it with a new house and two-storey basement were refused.

Planning Portal Blog 

BBC News

A row over whether a block of apartments in Bath should be demolished or altered has been referred to the planning inspectorate as City councillors say the scheme as built bears little resemblance to the scheme they approved. 

The BBC writes (and includes photographs of before and after):
The Upper Oldfield Park development is on conservation land and councillors locally say it bears little resemblance to the scheme they approved.

Last week they refused a retrospective application which has now been appealed by Landmark Developments Ltd.

A meeting will be held on 29 April to discuss possible enforcement action.

Speaking on behalf of the developer, planning consultant Mark Willis said they had been ‘fully cooperating’ with officers throughout the entire process.

‘There has been continuous and detailed dialogue with both the building control officers, and the planning officers and the enforcement officers the whole way through,’ said Mr Willis.

He added it would be unnecessary to demolish the whole building as the internal steel frame can be altered. He also argues the changes actually improve the building and its design.

But those against the work say the building is taller and wider than agreed and lacks certain design elements involving its balconies and roof.

Last year, Bath and North East Somerset Council ordered the work to be halted and since then the issue has passed back and forth between councillors and the developer.

Caroline Kay, chief executive of the Bath Preservation Trust, said the location was appropriate for ‘well considered’ redevelopment but this had become a ‘very unhappy situation for all parties’.

‘There is a planning principle at stake here, about agreed planning permissions and whether one should agree something different from that retrospectively,’ she added.

‘The important place for this to be thrashed out is now in front of a planning inspectorate appeal, and the outcome that everyone seeks is one that is not harmful to the conservation area and respects planning law as a way forward for taking this panning development on.’

BBC News

The latest statistics show a growth in apprenticeship and traineeship figures from the latest academic year, writes the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) 

CITB writes:
Apprenticeships are going from strength to strength after official figures revealed they saw a boost in popularity in the first part of the academic year.

Some 670,000 people chose to learn vital skills on the job between the end of 2014 and the start of 2015, according to statistics from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.  And a huge chunk of this number was made up by the 16-24 age group, with around 400,000 young people opting to enrol on workplace training schemes.  There was also a rise in the number of recruits to higher apprenticeships and to traineeships, showing that more and more people are seeing vocational training as worth their while.

Ministers and industry chiefs have welcomed the news as positive for both the economy and workers, adding that it should help to keep employers focused on the value of such schemes.

Stephen Radley, CITB Director of Policy and Strategic Planning, said: ‘It is great to see the dramatic increase in apprentice numbers this academic year, particularly those aged 16 to 24.  Many young people are voting with their feet to take up an apprenticeship.  The growth of higher apprenticeships also demonstrates that apprenticeships are a route to skills at all levels.  The challenge now for construction employers is to take this message to teachers, parents and careers advisers. Building on this success must also be a priority for the next government.’

On top of the growth in apprentice numbers, the figures show that around 9,000 traineeships have started since August 2014, helping young people get experience and training in the workplace.  Meanwhile, more than 19,000 people have signed up to higher apprenticeships, which aim to prepare people for jobs in law or accountancy.  And there has also been a year-on-year increase in the number of adults aged 19 to 64 in England qualified to at least Level 2, the equivalent of five A*-C GCSEs.

Skills Minister Nick Boles said: ‘Apprenticeships deliver for employers, young people, adults and the economy. Today’s figures show that the long-term economic plan is working as more and more people across the country reap the benefits of apprenticeships.  I am greatly encouraged to see the significant growth in traineeships. Despite only being in their second year, traineeships are equipping thousands of young people with the experience and skills essential for the workplace.’

View the news release

IHBC newsblogs on apprenticeships

IHBC newsblogs on construction

A poll by the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA) reveals opinions that the Green Investment Bank should be given a greater role in national infrastructure projects, and criticises the role of the planning system in lack of action or powers for acting on sustainable economy issues.

IEMA writes:
Two thirds of IEMA Members surveyed this week say that ultimately national needs must take priority where there is conflict between national and local built environment issues.

From 646 Members polled, 65% say that while a balance is obviously needed, nationally significant infrastructure projects must take priority. Members also indicated that the Government’s Green Investment Bank should have a greater role in taking forward such nationally significant infrastructure. 92% said that they want to see the role of the Green Investment Bank increased so that it has powers to appropriately borrow and invest in projects that both protect and improve the UK’s natural capital.

Furthermore, where there are prominent regional concerns, such as the recent peak in air pollution levels in the South East of England, IEMA Members say that these should not be left to Local Authorities alone; in fact 89% of respondents say that resolving the UK’s poor air quality is a critical priority for the next Government. Making significant progress on improvements to air quality will benefit the environment as well as human health and well-being, as poor air quality is currently linked to 29,000 premature deaths each year.

Three quarters of IEMA’s respondents say that the current planning system is not equipped to aid the UK’s much-needed transition to a sustainable economy. 75% said that the Planning System – including its legislation, policies and guidance – is not currently capable of playing the vital role necessary in order to achieve sustainable economy goals. Lack of action on this issue could threaten the UK’s ability to implement infrastructure projects which harmonise with the need to protect the natural environment.

IEMA’s Policy Lead on planning and environmental impact Josh Fothergill said ‘This poll very markedly shows that there is an opportunity for the incoming Government to take the bold decision needed to kick the UK’s transition to a sustainable economy up a gear. In particular professionals using the Planning system indicate it must play an enhanced role in this transition.’

Other significant statistics from IEMA’s poll include:

• In relation to managing coastal erosion and the associated risks to people and property, IEMA Members believe that if the next Government continues to pursue a ‘managed retreat’ policy then it must alter its approach to compensating those whose property is at risk. 64% say that the Government should expand community adaptation funds, such as the 2009 Pathfinder scheme, to assist communities most at risk.
• In regards to other built environment developments, 84% believe that identifying brownfield sites should be a priority for new housing developments needed to address the UK’s housing crisis. 58% said urban infill is a key option and 42% said publically owned land could also be used.

IHBC newsblogs on housing

IHBC newsblogs on sustainability  

View the news release

Recruiting has commenced for the post of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

Jane Ryder OBE, Chair, HES, writes:
This is an extraordinary and exciting moment for the historic environment in Scotland as the organisation prepares to take on a new role and responsibilities from 1 October 2015.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES), established by the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014, brings together two organisations – Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) – that have helped to look after our nation’s heritage for over a century.

The new organisation will be the lead body for the historic environment in Scotland, working within the new Historic Environment Strategy ‘Our Place in Time’ and impacting positively on all communities within Scotland.

As the first Chief Executive you will have a unique opportunity to be involved in the creation of a new organisation which will play a lead role in shaping the historic environment in Scotland, and in the lives of Scottish people and visitors alike, for decades to come.

See more on the post and Apply

London Mayor Boris Johnson has decided not to intervene over proposals for a 215-metre high residential tower, the UK’s tallest, proposed for Marsh Wall near Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs in East London.

The scheme, known as South Quay Plaza will provide 888 flats, 188 of which will be affordable, was approved by Tower Hamlets Council last November.

Designed by Foster & Partners, the scheme comprises a 68-storey tower and a smaller 36-storey structure. There will also be ground-floor commercial units, car parking and landscaping. Three existing commercial buildings will be demolished. Changes from the original planning application include a reduction in the height of the tallest building from 73 storeys to 68. 

Visit the South Quay Plaza website

Planning Portal Blog

The Department for Communities and Local Government has announced changes to the guidance on the vacant building credit (VBC) regime initially introduced in November last year. 

The changes confirm that the intention of the VBC is to act as an incentive for brownfield development on sites containing vacant buildings and that it can operate with respect to either the number of affordable housing units or the amount of a financial contribution towards affordable housing.

The revised guidance makes it clear that the regime provides an element of discretion for local planning authorities (LPAs) over the way VBC is applied.

This means that LPAs can consider whether the building was made vacant for the sole purpose of redevelopment and whether the building was already covered by an existing or recently expired planning permission for a development similar what is now proposed.

The updated advice also sets out the detailed procedure for determining the VBC where there are changes in the gross floor space of vacant buildings on the site, which affect the amount of affordable housing contribution.

When the guidance was originally published some local authorities, particularly in London, opposed the principle of the initiative on the basis that it would significantly reduce the level of affordable housing contributions.

Some local authorities are considering introducing local planning policies to mitigate the impact or establish a local VBC exemption.

View the guidance on the Vacant Building Credit

Planning Portal Blog

The Welsh Government have released a new best practice guide to community asset transfer, outlining case studies of successful transfer, templates for best practice and summarising the legislative process applicable to transfers.

Download the guide

The Icon Conservation Awards 2015 Programme has been launched, with six major national awards on offer to individuals or on behalf of an organisation or community projects, with applications due before 15 May 2015.

further details…

The Open University (OU) is seeking participants for a national project relating to the adaption of religious buildings, and offering two PhD studentships connected to the project. 

The Open University (OU) writes:
Researchers at The Open University (OU) are looking for those who use and have responsibility for historic religious buildings to work with on an exciting new project to engage local communities and unlock the potential of these important sites for future generations.

This flagship project aims to explore how religious sites such as churches, mosques, synagogues and temples in the UK can be respectfully and sensitively adapted so they offer their communities better facilities. Researchers will work with local community groups and historic places of worship that are planning projects involving restoration and/or some physical change in their building with the engagement of their community. Using an approach known as Community Led Design, which puts local people at the heart of making changes to their environments and neighbourhoods, this project will also draw on the expertise of specialists from a wide range of disciplines such as architecture, design, historic buildings and community engagement.

Over a period of five years researchers and a team of specialists will work with the guardians of these sites to help explore creative ways to engage with their communities to develop more open and sustainable places that can respond to wider societal needs.  Examples of how these sites could be adapted may include small-scale changes in these buildings such as the installation of kitchens and toilets right up to larger-scale changes such as the creation of arts and educational spaces, libraries, or health and wellbeing centres.

Project lead and senior lecturer in design at The Open University, Dr Theodore Zamenopoulos said: ‘The UK has an impressive range of historic places of worship with important architectural but also spiritual and social value. In some cases, the future of these places is at risk due to reduced use and disrepair. However, amongst others there is a growing aspiration to meet the needs of the local community while respecting the heritage of the place. This project will unlock the potential of these sites so that they can be part of the future of our communities.’

Dr Zamenopoulos added: ‘Everyone who participates in this flagship project can play a vital role in helping us to realise the potential of these historic sites, enabling them to be an important resource for the whole community.’ On completion, the lessons and experience gained from the project will be used to develop free educational resources and training for congregations, community groups, design students and architects.

Empowering Design Practices: historic places of worship as catalysts for connecting communities is a £1.5m research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council under the Connected Communities and Design highlight notice. It is a collaborative partnership between three OU faculties and institutes (Maths, Computing and Technology, Arts, and the Institute of Educational Technology), Historic England (previously English Heritage), the Historic Religious Buildings Alliance, Heritage Lottery Fund and The Glass-House Community Led Design. Additional professional support will also be provided by Wright and Wright Architects, Live Works, Silent Cities, and heritage consultant Becky Payne, amongst others.

View the news release

To find out more or to get involved with the project please visit the project website

View information about the 2 PhD studentships attached to the project (deadline 5 May)  

IHBC newsblogs on churches

Several war memorials associated with Gallipoli have been listed, or had their listing upgraded, to make the centenary of the military action.

Historic England writes:
War memorials in Warwickshire, Greater Manchester and Kent associated with Gallipoli, one of the most notable military actions of the First World War, have been listed or have had their listing upgraded to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign.

They have been listed by the Government on the advice of Historic England (formerly English Heritage) as part of a Historic England scheme to list up to 2,500 war memorials over the next five years to mark the centenary of the First World War. Built in the years following the conflict, war memorials are a poignant, physical reminder of the sacrifices and loss the First World War brought about.

St George’s Church War Memorial Cross in Deal, Kent
This memorial has been listed at Grade II*. It was originally a private family memorial to two sons, one of whom, Arthur Tisdall, was killed at Gallipoli. Later it was decided to add the names of other men from the parish who died as the War progressed. Arthur Tisdall, Sub-Lieutenant who was in command of 13 Platoon, D Company, Anson Battalion, was awarded a Victoria Cross for his bravery at Gallipoli for his repeated efforts to rescue a number of wounded soldiers who were pinned down on the beach by Turkish machine gun fire. Before the war, he had also received a University of Cambridge’s Chancellor’s Medal for Classical Learning. The two very different medals of this exceptional scholar-soldier are represented in accurate, life-sized bronzes on the memorial shaft.

The Lancashire Fusiliers memorial, in Gallipoli Gardens, Bury, Greater Manchester has been upgraded from Grade II to Grade II* for its strong cultural and historic significance, notably as a reminder of the heavy losses of Bury men who served in the Lancashire Fusiliers in the Gallipoli campaign. It is a simple yet elegant obelisk incorporating carved decoration and two life-sized, heavily detailed, painted stone flags representing the colours of the King and the regiment. It was designed by the nationally renowned architect Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, who had a personal connection to the Lancashire Fusiliers regiment through his father and uncle and who is better known as architect of The Cenotaph in Whitehall, possibly the most famous war memorial in the world.

The Lancashire Fusiliers suffered notably heavy losses in the Gallipoli campaign when a large allied force landed in the Dardanelles intending to take Constantinople from the Turks. In a ten-month stalemate, over 1,800 Fusiliers were killed. This included 600 of the 1,000 men who came ashore on ‘W’ Beach in the initial landing, in the course of which the Regiment was awarded six Victoria Crosses, known as ‘the Six VCs before breakfast’.

The 29th Division War Memorial, situated at the junction of the A45 and B4455 in Stretton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire has been upgraded from Grade II to Grade II* because it is probably the most significant single memorial in Britain associated with the Gallipoli Campaign. It marks the spot where King George V reviewed the men of the 29th Division in 1915 before they embarked for Gallipoli where they suffered heavy losses.

The Gallipoli Campaign is one of the key centenaries being marked by national ceremonial events as part of the First World War commemorations. On Saturday 25 April 2015, there will be three commemorative ceremonies in London: a Dawn Service at Hyde Park Corner, a service at The Cenotaph and a service at Westminster Abbey. Before this there will also be a Commonwealth and Ireland Commemoration Service on Friday 24 April 2015 at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Cape Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey.

View the news release

IHBC newsblogs on memorials

The Historic Houses Association (HHA) has been celebrating its 40,000th member. 

The Historic Houses Association (HHA) writes:
We are delighted to announce that we now have our 40,000th Friend!

Kate Dewhirst from Stockton-on-Tees became the 40,000th Friend of the HHA in March 2015.  To celebrate this milestone, Richard Compton, President of the HHA, has invited Kate and her husband to enjoy a private tour of Newby Hall in Yorkshire with him, followed by afternoon tea.

Richard Compton, President of the Historic Houses Association, said: ‘This is the first time that the HHA has had over 40,000 Friends and reaching this significant milestone shows that HHA Friends Membership is proving good value, popular and worthwhile to thousands of people across the UK with a shared passion for historic houses, castles and gardens.

‘My wife Lucinda and I are very much looking forward to welcoming Kate and her husband to our family home where I hope to share an insight into the history and running of the house, followed by a delicious traditional afternoon tea.’

Newby Hall in Ripon in North Yorkshire, has been in Richard Compton’s family since 1747 and is free to visit if you are a Friend of the HHA.  It is positioned a few miles from the A1 and close to the magnificent Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire Moors National Parks and the historic cities of York and Ripon.  It was the location for the 2007 TV film of Mansfield Park starring Billie Piper, Hayley Atwell and Rory Kinear.  In World War II Newby Hall was reserved for the Royal Family in case of evacuation from London. Its miniature railway has carried over a million passengers since it started running (and has never been late!), and it has the gate from Newgate Prison, through which the famous highwayman Dick Turpin’s rival Jack Sheppard escaped.

The house has a collection of over 100 chamber pots, some dating from the 1500s, stunning and unique Gobelins tapestries and Chippendale chairs, and the impressive Statue Gallery with its collection of Roman sculptures.  It also has more than a few striking similarities to Downton Abbey.

The Historic Houses Association represents 1,600 of the UK’s privately owned historic houses, castles and gardens.  Around 500 of these properties open their doors to visitors for days out, special tours, school visits, film locations, weddings and events, or as memorable places to stay.  13 million people a year visit HHA Member properties and there are 40,000 Friends of the HHA.

Members range from iconic stately homes such as Blenheim Palace, Highclere Castle, Castle Howard, Knebworth House, Longleat and Burghley House, to more intimate houses such as Traquair in Scotland, Treowen in Wales and Belle Isle in Northern Ireland. Most are still private family homes.

By buying Friends Membership you will be helping to conserve these wonderful places in the interests of the nation. 

HHA article

The National Trust (NT) has now completed the three year project restoring Mount Stewart in County Down, costing £8 million and involving volunteers, staff and specialist contractors. 

The National Trust (NT) writes:
Mount Stewart, on the shores of Strangford Lough in County Down, is now open after a three-year, £8 million restoration project involving 200 volunteers. The work included reinvigorating the world-famous garden, extensive repairs to the house and the creation of new displays.

The transformation has seen nearly every room in the house redecorated following extensive repairs to the plasterwork. Previously unopened rooms including the butler’s silver store and billiard room will also be on show for the first time.

Hundreds of new items will be on display including internationally significant pieces on loan from the Estate of the Marquess of Londonderry. These include 11 family portraits by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), arguably one of the greatest British portrait painters of the early 19th century.  Amongst the striking items on display is the Congress of Vienna Desk, thought to have been used at the signing of the Treaties of Paris and Vienna in 1814 and 1815. The Congress aimed to create a long-term peace plan for Europe following the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. 

Garden lovers will also be able to delight in the reinvigorated garden which has been carefully replanted to reflect the formal gardens created by Edith, Lady Londonderry. Lady Edith’s vibrant designs mean Mount Stewart is among the world’s most celebrated gardens.  A new fernery has been created and the next few years will also see the restoration of the walled garden which will include replanting the rose garden and restoring the old dairy and glasshouse. Lady Edith cherished her roses and used to dry rose petals in her pot-pourri room.

The reopening of Mount Stewart is the culmination of years of team work. ‘It’s taken hundreds of people to bring our vision for this grand house to life including builders, joinery apprentices and expert conservators and curators’ said Jon Kerr, our manager at Mount Stewart.  ‘We also couldn’t have done it without our 200 volunteers who have helped with every aspect of the project including the restoration of fabrics and furniture,’ added Jon. ‘They will also play a huge role in welcoming many more visitors over the coming months and years.’

The exciting project brings a unique family home back to its former glory. ‘It showcases the history of this special place and offers a fascinating insight into the life of the Stewart family,’ said Jon. ‘We couldn’t have done it without the generosity of the Marquess of Londonderry who made it possible for so many items to return to Mount Stewart.  It is an enormous pleasure to see this family home restored and reinvigorated,’ said Lady Rose Lauritzen, Lady Edith’s granddaughter. ’I believe it is the single most important contribution to improve the presentation of this house since my grandmother made it her principle residence in the 1920s. I look forward to seeing the hallways and rooms filled with people once again.’

Find out more about Mount Stewart

National Trust Article