Industrial Heritage Networks

Heritage At Risk Capital Fund Grants to Support Industrial Sites

October 20, 2026October 19, 2026mikenevell

The Heritage at Risk Capital Fund helps save heritage buildings in the greatest need from at-risk status, with an emphasis on their role within communities. Now in its second year, and part of the £1.5bn ‘Arts Everywhere Fund’ delivered by Historic England, the Grants for 2026 have been announced. Nearly £13 million will support 20 recipients in England, including several industrial heritage sites.

The four industrial heritage sites receiving support in 2026 are:

Bourne Mill, Colchester, Grade I (£224,200)
Shildon Railway Institute, Grade II (£617,905)
Sommerfeld & Thomas Warehouse, King’s Lynn, Grade II (£902,632)
The Pin Factory Annexe, Gloucester, Grade II (£380,000) (in addition to a grant in 2025)

Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross said: “Nothing tells the stories of our nation quite like the historic buildings at the heart of our communities. But too often they are a far cry from their former glory with leaking roofs and crumbling stonework. Thanks to this funding, the much loved buildings that fill our hometowns with character will be keeping the doors open to communities for years to come.”

*Sommerfeld & Thomas Warehouse, King’s Lynn, Grade II*. Image courtesy of Historic England.

*The Pin Factory Annexe, Gloucester, Grade II*. Image courtesy of Historic England.

11th East-West Workshop on Industrial Archaeology: Industrial Landscapes

October 19, 2026mikenevell

The next East-West workshop on Industrial Archaeology, run jointly by the UK Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) and the Institute for Cultural Heritage and History of Science & Technology (USTB), China University, will be on the 21st November 2026, 10:00 to 12:00 (London Time).

The East-West Workshops on Industrial Archaeology were established in 2021 and aim to exchange ideas and knowledge among Western and Eastern colleagues to build a more international and diverse industrial archaeology. The latest free seminar will be looking at the theme of industrial landscapes. The four speakers for the day are:

Speakers & Talks

Stephen Walker: “Spinning Yarns – A Tale of Landscape Archaeology in the Leen Valley of Nottinghamshire, UK.”
Hyun-Jin Chun: “Line Forest Park Design in Seoul, South Korea.”
Fang Wei: “Re-imaging Machine and Garden: Public Preception of Post-industrial Landscapes from a Human Factors Perspective (China).”
David L T Pereira: “Archaeometric Characterisation of Bricks from the Paulista Co Workshops (Sao Paulo State, Brazil): Raw Materials, Technology and the Production of Sao Paulo’s Railway Landscape.”

Recordings of earlier workshops (covering topics including brewing and wine production; railways; metal production; textile archaeology and heritage; and industrial ruins), are available on the AIA YouTube channel and full written reports of the workshops are available in IA News, published by the AIA.

Register for FREE to get the Zoom link to the event on the 21st November 2026, 10:00 – 12:00 London time, here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/11th-east-west-workshop-on-industrial-archaeology-industrial-landscapes-tickets-2003465209373?aff=oddtdtcreator

Heritage Crime Conference, Lancashire: Blackpool, November 2026

October 13, 2026October 11, 2026mikenevell

A free Heritage Crime Conference, focussing on Lancashire, will be held on 27 November 2026. Although the focus is the county of Lancashire, individuals from communities, sites, and societies across the heritage sector and outside Lancashire, including industrial heritage sites, are invited to attend in order to hear about protecting heritage assets from crime and sharing best practice experiences.

The conference is being run by Lancashire Constabulary, LANPAC, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Blackpool Council, Fylde Council, and Wyre Council. The event will provide practical guidance on preventing and responding to heritage crime, alongside opportunities to connect with experts and fellow custodians. A key focus of the day is strengthening partnerships, improving communication, and supporting a joined-up approach to safeguarding Lancashire’s heritage for future generations.

For more details and to book a place on the conference follow this link: Heritage Crime Conference Tickets, Friday, November 27 • 9:30 AM – 3 PM | Eventbrite

Industrial Heritage Network Meetings 2026: More Dates Added

October 11, 2026mikenevell

The in-person Industrial Heritage Network meetings, run by the IHSO project, return this autumn, and two new dates have been added for regional meetings in Cornwall & Devon and the South West. These meetings are a great way of meeting fellow industrial heritage people, working at industrial heritage and archaeology sites, and exchanging experiences.

The themes for this year’s meetings are liaising with schools and adapting to hotter summers. The confirmed dates and venues for the in-person meetings in Cornwall & Devon and the South West are:

Cornwall & Devon, 29 Oct: Roby Trust, Tavistock
South West, 30 Oct: Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre, Bristol

If you would like your site to take part in these friendly and free meetings please email the IHSO, Dr Michael Nevell, for more details: michael.nevell@nationaltrust.org.uk

*Delegates at the Cornwall & Devon IHN meeting at King Edward Mine Museum in 2019. Image copyrigth Dr Michael Nevell.*

Woodhorn Mining Museum Celebrates 20th Anniversary Whilst Looking to a Renewable Future

October 10, 2026October 9, 2026mikenevell

Woodhorn Museum, a mining museum in North East England, is marking 20 years this October since it re-opened, after a £16m redevelopment which created exhibition spaces, community, and learning facilities and a cafe. The renovation also restored the colliery’s two heapsteads or pit heads, which are again undergoing restoration work. Since 2025 the former colliery has been run by North East Museums, which runs 12 museums across the region.

The 2006 scheme included the opening of the Cutter Building, which became a permanent home for the Ashington Group (also known as the Pitmen Painters) collection of artworks, alongside the collections of Northumberland Archives. The Woodhorn Museum, which is located in what was once the largest pit village in the world, chronicles the life of the Ashington coalmining community. Jo Raw, Northumberland venues manager for North East Museums, said: “Completing the restoration of the heapsteads makes this anniversary particularly special, allowing us to protect an important part of our industrial heritage while reopening more of the historic site for visitors to enjoy.”

The site is also looking to develop a low carbon future. It is part of the Borderlands Energy Investment Programme (BEIP) which aims to provide a strategic opportunity to accelerate the region’s transition to net zero. Across a range of sites it will seek to reduce carbon emissions, strengthen energy resilience, and create new green jobs and skills in South Scotland and the North of England.

The ‘Powering the Past and the Future’ project at Woodhorn Museum is led by Northumberland County Council, and will install ground source heat pumps (GSHP), solar panels, LED lighting upgrades, solar carports and battery storage at the former colliery. Using the region’s industrial heritage, it will showcase the economic and environmental benefits of low-carbon technologies, reduce the museum’s carbon footprint and energy costs, enhance the visitor experience, and support local STEM education.

Further details of this new project can be found here: Borderlands Energy Investment Programme

*The heapsteads at Woodhorn Museum. Image courtesy of North East Museums.*

Historic England Launch New Fund: Neighbourhood Heritage – Grants for Communities

October 8, 2026mikenevell

Historic England (HE) have launched a new grant fund – ‘Neighbourhood Heritage: Grants for Communities’. This is designed to support communities to use (industrial) heritage as a way of shaping the future of their local places. Historic England are looking to provide 21 grants of these grants worth up to £15,000.

Heritage is more than historic buildings, sites and stories; it can help communities to build confidence, strengthen local identity, create new relationships and influence decisions about the places where they live. HE are interested in funding projects that will discover what people value about their neighbourhoods while improving how heritage can help communities to participate in shaping local change.

Successful applicants will support communities to use heritage as a way of shaping the future of their local places. Projects must be co-created, within an area of IMD1-3, and working with underrepresented communities.

The deadline for applications is 27 November 2026. Details on how to apply here: How To Apply for a Neighbourhood Heritage Grant | Historic England

North UK Mills Group Online Talk, October 2026

October 5, 2026mikenevell

The North UK Mils Group provides an opportunity for organisations and individuals working with or interested in mill buildings to come together, network, and discuss. Their latest free online lecture will take place on 15th October.

The October talk will be given by Mildred Cookson – former miller, founding trustee of the Mills Archive Trust, committee member and past Chair of the SPAB Mills Section. She will talk about the changes she has observed over the course of her career in milling and as a part of the organisations aiming to preserve and support its practice for the future.

The North UK Mills Working Group is a collection of interested individuals and organisations (including Heritage Trust Network and SPAB Scotland) who have come together to explore how people and organisations working with mills could be better connected with each other and help keep these buildings, skills, and mill cultures alive and accessible. The group offers an opportunity for organisations working with or people interested in mill buildings to come together, network, and discuss.

To book your free place follow this link: North UK Mills Group – October 2026 Tickets, Thursday 15 October • 10 AM – 11:30 AM GMT+1 | Eventbrite

*Watermil image courtesy of North UK Mills Group.*

Dates for In-person IHN Autumn 2026 Meetings

September 29, 2026October 11, 2026mikenevell

The in-person Industrial Heritage Network meetings, run by the IHSO project, return this autumn, and the first round of dates are now available. These meetings are a great way of meeting fellow industrial heritage people working at industrial heritage and archaeology sites and exchanging experiences.

The themes for this year’s meetings are liaising with schools and adapting to hotter summers. Our first meeting of the season was last month (August), when the North West IHN met at Helmshore Textile Museum, where there was a great turn out and lively discussion. The confirmed dates for the in-person autumn 2026 meetings so far are:

Yorkshire IHN, 30 Sept: National Musuem of Mining, Wakefield
North East IHN, 14 Oct: Locomotion, Shildon
East Midlands IHN, 16 Nov: Taylors Bell Foundry, Loughborough
West Midlands IHN, 17 Nov: Hereford Waterworks Museum
South East IHN, 19 Nov: The Brickworks Museum
London IHN, 20 Nov: Postal Museum

If you would like your site to take part in these friendly and free meetings please email the IHSO, Dr Michael Nevell, for more details: michael.nevell@nationaltrust.org.uk

*Delegates attending the North West IHN at Helmshore Textile Museum in August 2026. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.*

Industrial Heritage Sites Recieve Sandford Awards for 2026

September 28, 2026September 28, 2026mikenevell

Ten industrial heritage museums and sites have received a Sandford Award for 2026. This is a leading mark of quality for heritage learning, and is run by Lincoln Bishop University alongside the Heritage Education Trust. Applying for the Sandford Award is an opportunity to reflect on, strengthen, and gain independent recognition for the learning experiences sites offer.

The industrial museums and sites that have been recognised for their excellence through recieving the 2026 Award recipients | Heritage Education Trust are:

Bradford Industrial Museum
Discovery Museum & Tyne & Wear Archives
Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre
Hopetown Darlington
Middleport Pottery
National Museum of Computing (Bucks)
National Tramway
Port Sunlight Trust
Tower Bridge
Watercress Linbe Railway Heritage Trust

The Award is respected because it is independently assessed, expert-led and based on on-site assessment visits, not paperwork alone. Holding one can also aid further grant applications. Applications for the 2027 awards open on 30 November.

Windmills & Furnicular Facing Temporary Closures

September 28, 2026mikenevell

Three industrial heritage sites are facing an uncertain future this autumn. Ellis Mill in Lincoln, Whitburn Windmill in South Tyneside, and the Spa Cliff Lift furnicular in Scarborough are all facing temporary closure.

Ellis Mill, which was built in 1798, is the last of nine that once stood on Lincoln’s Yarborough hill and is currently on Historic England’s at-risk register. Lincolnshire County Council, which owns the Grade II listed building, is planning to remove the deteriorating mill cap and sails, and to install a temporary weatherproof structure to maintain its structural integrity, ahead of a decision on repairs. The windmill has only been occasionally open to the public since 2020. A local group has proposed taking over the site. More details here: Lincoln’s ‘at risk’ windmill cap and sails to be removed

The Grade II listed Whitburn Windmill, on South Tyneside, is to have its sails removed due to structural safety concerns. The windmill was damged in a storm over the winter, causing some of the wood to come loose. South Tyneside Council said the sails will be removed in October and its “immediate priority” was to “make the structure safe”. More details here: Whitburn Windmill sails to be removed due to structural concerns

The listed Spa Cliff Lift furnicular in Scarborough was closed in August due to safety fears. North Yorkshire Council, which own the site, said it has taken the difficult decision to close the lift with immediate effect. This followed an independent engineering assessment which identified a number of issues affecting the lift’s aging infrastructure. The council said it will continue to assess the findings and provide further updates in due course. Further details here: Cliff Lift