Industrial Heritage Networks

Industrial Heritage Sites Among those Eligible for £2.5m Tree Planting Fund

July 22, 2026July 21, 2026mikenevell

The Tree Council and Defra are working in partnership to deliver the Trees Outside Woodland Fund for the 2026/27 planting season. The fund’s purpose is to establish trees outside woodland to create or enhance green spaces using a range of tree sizes, species, and planting types. This is the seond year of the fund, which has more than doubled from its first year. The fund offers grants to local authority and charity-led projects in England, including heritage sites.

The fund offers grants of between £10,000 and £40,000 for tree, hedgerow, and orchard establishment projects. It supports the planting of trees in locations including parks, playgrounds, and streets meaning that medium to large-sized industrial heritage charities, with an annual income or turnover of more than £100,000, and suitable spaces, are eligible to apply. Among the projects funded in the 2025/26 year was Avebury Manor Garden in Wiltshire, a National Trust heritage site, which received support to become more climate-resilient following flooding in 2024.

For 2026/27, applications must show clear benefit to communities and demonstrate how plantings will enhance biodiversity. Successful applicants must meet a Biosecure Procurement Requirement, ensuring newly planted trees are sourced from Plant Healthy certified nurseries or have a Ready to Plant assessment voucher. A one-stage application process has been introduced.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with the fund open until 31 October 2026 or until all funding has been allocated. More details about the fund can be found here: Trees Outside Woodland Fund – The Tree Council

BESTT – Boiler & Engineering Skills Training Trust – Courses for 2026

July 21, 2026July 20, 2026mikenevell

The Boiler and Engineering Skills Training Trust (BESTT) has announced new courses for 2026. BESTT is a partnership of steam heritage organisations representing railways, ships, and traction engines, and is developing a range of training courses on boiler repair (based on demand), maintenance, and the mechanical overhaul of steam engines – on rails, land, or water.

The courses arranged for 2026 are as follows:

STAYS and PATCHSCREWS 15th August practical day (plus 2 evening zoom lectures) at Cheltenham Workshop with Colin Hatch and Sam Thompson;
SMALL DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR 12th September practical day (plus 2 evening zoom lectures) at Derwent Valley Light Railway, Murton Park;
RIVETING 12 October 4 day course at Stephenson Railway, North Tyneside with Michael Wortley and Gordon Newton.

It is also hoped to offer a Boiler Washout and Examination Course in October 26 – January 27 period, dates, and location to be confirmed.

For further information and to book please email enquiries@bestt.org.uk

Summer Industrial Heritage Exhibitions to Visit

July 20, 2026July 20, 2026mikenevell

As the summer holidays approach, and the festival of archaeology begins, there are many exhibitions at industrial heritage sites and museums available to visit. Here are three industrial heritage sites showcasing restored buildings, images of industry, and local communities.

Shuttles, Steam and Soot premiered at Queen Street Mill Textile Museum from 8 July 2026 before touring to other Lancashire locations. This facsimile exhibition recreates an original touring show from the 1970s, when these extraordinary photographs were taken, documenting working life in Queen Street Mill, Bancroft Shed in Barnoldswick and even atop a 150 foot chimney stack! Follow this link: Daniel Meadows: Shuttles, Steam and Soot – Pendle Radicals

The Staffordshire Potteries Water Board and Potteries Central Savings Bank is hosting pop-up exhibitions, beginning with artwork produced by students from Pinc College, which runs creative study programmes for neurodivergent young people. Known as One Bethesda, building restoration charity Re-Form Heritage, which runs Middleport Pottery, is working with its owner on future possible uses. Further details here: One Bethesda comes to life with Free Pinc College Pop-Up exhibition this Summer!

The Lion Salt Works is presenting an online exhibition about the history and uses of salt, A Brine Romance. To visit the exhibition follow this link: A Brine Romance | West Cheshire Museums

*One of the preserved open pans at the Lion Salt Woks, Cheshire. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.*

Festival of Archaeology 2026: Industrial Sites & Events

July 14, 2026mikenevell

The 2026 Festival of Archaeology, organised by the Council for Brityish Archaeology (CBA), includes more than 1200 events running from 18th July to 2nd August. Amongst these are many industrial archaoelogy and heritage related events.

Amongst the industrial archaeology and heritage events are:

Excavation of a small late 18th/early 19th century tile kiln and associated anomalies, Shorne Woods Country Park, Gravesend, Kent
Pinkery Canal Excavation, Exmoor National Park, built 1819-20, 8km long, and highest canal built in England
Archaeology Lab at Queens Street Mill, Lancashire
Tour of Wigston Framework Knitters Museum, Leics

There are also many talks and walks on industrial subjects across England and Wales. To explore the events on offer for the Festival follow this link: Festival of Archaeology Council for British Archaeology

The theme for the 2026 CBA Festival of Archaeology is “Archaeology and Nature”. Archaeology and nature are interconnected revealing how humans have lived with, shaped, and been shaped by the environment around them. By exploring the past using the climate, geology, animals, plants, landscapes and the effect of nature on archaeological sites and buildings today, we can understand how places and communities evolve and develop.

The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) is a leading educational charity dedicated to championing and promoting engagement in archaeology and supporting grassroots archaeologists across the UK. Established in 1944, they have a long history of championing public participation in archaeology, aiming to connect diverse communities with the heritage of our shared past.

DCMS Launches Call for Evidence for National Lottery Future Funding Model

July 13, 2026July 20, 2026mikenevell

The UK Government has launched a call for evidence on National Lottery Good Causes funding to help shape its future investment priorities. The 12-week consultation, National Lottery Good Causes: Fund What Matters To You, is open to members of the public, organisations, and community groups across the UK. This is the first major review of National Lottery Good Causes funding in more than 20 years.

The National Lottery is a crucial source of funding for museums and heritage. Since being established in 1994 it has awarded £9.5bn to more than 53,000 projects across the UK via the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This includes hundreds of industrial heritage sites and projects in England alone.

The UK Government is asking lottery players, organisations, and communities for views on what is working and how funding could be improved in the future. The review aims to make funding more accessible and give local people a greater say in how money is used in their communities. Under legislation, heritage receives 20% of annual National Lottery Good Causes distributions.

The consultation is open until 23 September 2026. More details about the call for evidence and how to contribute here: Public to have their say on National Lottery Good Causes – GOV.UK

To respond to the call follow this link: (Call for Evidence) National Lottery Good Causes – Fund What Matters To You

AIA Norwich 2026 Conference Bookings Still Open

July 6, 2026July 3, 2026mikenevell

The 2026 Association for Industrial Archaeology Conference is taking place at Norwich, Norfolk, in the east of England, in September. Places for the annual event are still available, providing an opportunity to explore the industrial archaeology of the city and its region.

The main part of the conference, on the 5th and 6th September, will explore the city’s electricity supply, East Anglian maltings, and the archaeology of the Herring fishing industry. The Annual Rolt Memorial Lecture on the Sunday will be given by Dr Russell Thomas on ‘From Gasworks to Heritage: Reading, Re-using, and Remembering the Gas industry’. A series of industrial archaeology tours across the region will take palce from 6th to 9th September, including windmills, pumping stations, and engineering works.

Flexible booking is available for the main weekend conference, with a deadline of 24th July, whilst online-only attendance for the weekend events can be booked up to 1^st September 2026. To book a place on the conference follow this link: Annual Conference – The Association for Industrial Archaeology

*Stationary steam engine at the Cambridge Museum of Technology. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.*

Iron Bridge Documents Recieve UNESCO Recognition

July 3, 2026July 2, 2026mikenevell

Three original documents relating to the building of the Iron Bridge in Ironbridge, Shropshire, have recieved recogntion from UNESCO’ s ‘Memory of the World’ (MOW) programme. This scheme protects humanity’s vital documentary heritage from being lost or forgotten. While some UNESCO programmes save historic buildings, this initiative preserves fragile archives, manuscripts, and library collections. Other British inscriptions include the Magna Carta, the Domesday Book, Charles Darwin’s archive, and documents tracking the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

The three Ironbridge documents added to the UK MOW relate to the building of the Iron Bridge in the 1770s, and are held in the archives of the National Trust Ironbridge Gorge Museums. They are:

An estimate for erecting a cast iron bridge with stone abutments over the River Severn between Madeley and Broseley, dated September 1775.
An Iron Bridge Share Certificate No. 10, issued to Abraham Darby, 20 October 1777, with three red wax seals. The item is countersigned in 1782 and again in 1819.
Abraham Darby III’s Ledger, 1771-1781. The personal business interests of Abraham Darby III for this period are listed alphabetically in the index at the front of the volume. Included are brickworks, roads and turnpikes, limeworks, house expenses, and the iron foundry at Ketley.

The three items cover the financial context for the building of the Iron Bridge. Their provenance is known, and is secure and all are in excellent condition. The documents will be on display in the entrance to the Museum of Iron in Coialbrookdale, Telford, Shropshire, from the 15th July for two weeks for visitors to see for free as a celebratation of their addition to the Memory of the World prgamme. There will also be a family trail to highlight other significant objects related to the iron bridge throughout the museum.

The UNESCO listing and detailed images of the documents can be found here: Documentary heritage relating to the building of the Iron Bridge, Shropshire | UNESCO in the UK

UNESCO World Heritage UK Launch New Online Industrial Heritage Trail

July 2, 2026mikenevell

UNESCO World Heritage UK has launched a new online Industrial Heritage Trail linking industrial world heritage sites, landscapes, global geoparks, cities of literature and film, and several of the UK’s Tentative List sites. The trail covers locations in England, Scotland, and Wales in a digital journey that runs from Cornwall to the Firth of Forth.

These 20 sites tell the story of industry from the top to the bottom of Britain, ranging from mills, mines, and quarries to canals, railways, and industrial cities. The intention is to ‘connect places and landscape shaped by innovation, labour and geology, inviting visitors to explore how industry transformed everyday life and left a lasting cutlural legacy’.

To access the trail follow this link: Industrial Heritage Trail

Arts Council England: Museum Checklist Guidance for Dealing with Local Government Reorganisation

June 29, 2026mikenevell

Arts Council England (ACE) has shared a checklist to support museums in preparing for the challenges and opportunities of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) during the years 2026-28. This support is designed to help leaders in local authority-owned and operated museum services, as well as independent museums, gather critical information about their museums and services.

The checklist includes operations, risks, responsibilities and value, and will be essential for future planning within new authority structures. It will help museums’ on advocating for their sites and services by looking at: service operations; risks and responsibilities; and the value the museum delivers.

There is also a dedicated section (Action 10) for independent and local authority reliant museums, helping them to strengthen their case and advocate effectively for continued support in the new landscape.

To download the full ACE checklist follow this link: Museums readiness checklist for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) | Arts Council England

Former Signal Box to Open as Industrial Museum

June 29, 2026mikenevell

England’s newest industrial heritage museum is the Haslemere Signal Box, which opened this June. Decommissioned in October 2025, the Grade II listed signal box at Haslemere station, in Surrey, was in service for more than 130 years. It was decommissioned as part of the Farncombe to Petersfield re-signalling programme and has been handed over to a trust to be run by the local community.

The newly restored signal box will be run as a museum by the Haslemere Signal Box Trust. Over the past three months it has been restored to its traditional Southern Railway appearance. More than 35 volunteers from South Western Railway and Network Rail supported the refurbishment.

Ken Griffiths, chair of the Haslemere Signal Box Trust, said: “Thanks must be given to all the volunteers who helped us renovate the box and fit out the museum. They included Network Rail and South Western Railway employees and the local pool of volunteers from Haslemere and the surrounding district.”

For further details follow this link: Haslemere Signal Box & Community Railway Station