Author: mikenevell

I am the Industrial Heritage Support Officer for England, based at the National Trust Ironbridge Gorge Museums.
Festival of Archaeology Event at Ironbridge: Bedlam Furnaces Tour

Festival of Archaeology Event at Ironbridge: Bedlam Furnaces Tour

mikenevell

The 2025 Festival of Archaeology runs from the 19th July to the 3rd August and this year’s theme is archaeology and wellbeing. Amongst the hundreds of events on offer are several industrial archaeology and heritage activities, including free tours of one of the most important sites within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site: the Bedlam Furnaces.

The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is offering the opportunity to go behind the fence to explore one of the oldest blast iron furnaces in the World Heritage Site: the 18th century Bedlam Furnaces. Three, one-hour, guided tours are available at 11am, 12.30pm & 2pm. Numbers are limited due to the nature of the site.

To book a tour of the furnaces follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/festival-of-archaeology-bedlam-furnaces-tours-tickets-1490905391159?aff=oddtdtcreator

You’ll find listings on Council for British Archaeology’s website for all the Festival events happening across the UK and online. There are also a range of resources that you can access all year round including lectures, trails and guides to crafting ideas for all ages. You can also find out about different aspects of archaeology in our catalogue of ‘A Day in Archaeology’ blogs and videos.

Follow this link to explore Festival of Archaeology Events near you: https://www.archaeologyuk.org/festival.html

The 18th century Bedlam Furnaces, at Ironbridge. Image copyright Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.

Historic England Publish Report on the Local Listing of Buildings

Historic England Publish Report on the Local Listing of Buildings

mikenevell

In 2019, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) announced a campaign to develop or revise local heritage lists across England. Historic England’s new overview advocates for local heritage listing as a proactive, locally-led, tool that can support place-shaping and community empowerment, helping to deliver high-quality, unique places to live and work. The new report is intended to support Historic England and Central Government in developing policy and guidance to support Local Planning Authorities (LPAs), and others, in the production and revision of local heritage lists.

Historic England defines a local heritage list as ‘a list or register of assets (primarily but not exclusively historic) which are of importance to a particular place and the community who live and work there. Buildings included on local heritage lists are classified in the planning system as ‘non designated heritage assets’ (NDHAs).’ The concept of such local heritage lists goes back to the 1930s, often as a bottom-up approach to recognising heritage through the local community. They have recieved greater prominence in the last decade as one of the ways in which NDHAs can be formally identified, so that their significance can be taken into account in planning applications affecting the asset, or its setting.

With thousands of surviving industrial buildings across England not formally protected through listed building legislation, local listing provides an effective way of recognising these buildings’ importance to their local communities.

Download the report here: https://historicengland.org.uk/research/results/reports/38-2025?local

Devizes Industrial Archaeology Conference October 2025 Booking Opens

Devizes Industrial Archaeology Conference October 2025 Booking Opens

mikenevell

The 2025 Devizes Industrial Archaeology Conference will be held on 25 October. The varied selection of topics runs from the building of the M4, the Devizes Wireless Station, and the Somerset & Dorest Railway, to Salisbury Station and Nonconformist chapels in the county.

The conference will be held in the Wiltshire Museum lecture hall. This limits the number of people who can be accommodate so early booking is recommended.

Full details and booking are on Wiltshire Museum’s website at – https://www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/?event=conference-industrial-archaeology-2025&event_date=2025-10-25.

How to Contribute to Grace’s Guide on British Industrial and Engineering History

How to Contribute to Grace’s Guide on British Industrial and Engineering History

mikenevell

Grace’s Guide Ltd is a charity (No.1154342) whose aim is to advance the education of the history of Industry and Engineering in the UK. Their website contains 169,231 pages and 247,697 images on early companies, their products, and the people who designed and built them. Much of this material is free to access.

The charity is keen to hear from potential contributors able to help with the building of this educational resource by adding something – big or small – to the information already online. You can suggest new information about anything they already have online, or suggest something that might need editing. To do this please email the Editor here: Editor@gracesguide.co.uk

Details about the website and the charity can be found here: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Contact_Us

London Industrial Heritage Network Meeting, 8 August

London Industrial Heritage Network Meeting, 8 August

mikenevell

Bookings are now open for the next in-person London Industrial Heritage Network meeting to be held at Merton Priory Chapter House, Wandle, on Thursday 8th August, 11am to 3pm.

Established in 2018, these regional meetings are designed to bring together those industrial heritage sites open to the public in each region, and local groups and individuals working or volunteering on industrial archaeology and heritage subjects and sites in the area. The format is a round-table discussion in the morning, with a tour of the site in the afternoon.

All IHN members are very welcome to attend. You can turn up on the day or follow this link to book a free place via Eventbrite:

Register on Eventbrite
East of England Industrial Heritage Network Meeting, 7 August

East of England Industrial Heritage Network Meeting, 7 August

mikenevell

Bookings are now open for the next in-person East of England Industrial Heritage Network meeting at the Royal Gunpowder Mill Mills, Waltham Abbey, on Thursday 7th August, 11am to 3pm.

Established in 2018, these regional meetings are designed to bring together those industrial heritage sites open to the public in each region, and local groups and individuals working or volunteering on industrial archaeology and heritage subjects and sites in the area. The format is a round-table discussion in the morning, with a tour of the site in the afternoon.

All IHN members are very welcome to attend. You can turn up on the day or follow this link to book a free place via Eventbrite:

Register on Eventbrite
Mills Archive Trust Launch ‘Caring for an Icon’ Crowd Funder

Mills Archive Trust Launch ‘Caring for an Icon’ Crowd Funder

mikenevell

The Mills Archive Trust need your help locating the records of past millers and millwrights, preserving them in their archive, and making them accessible to modern craftsmen. With this in mind they have launched a new crowd funding appeal – ‘Caring for an Icon’.

The Trust are looking to preserving these records in their archive and make them accessible to modern craftsmen, thereby helping to train the next generation. In order to do that they need to raise significant sums to safe guard the future of these archives.

Folow this link to donate ot the ‘Carings for an Icon’ appeal: https://new.millsarchive.org/caring-for-an-icon/

The Mills Archive Trust is the custodian of the history of mills and milling. They safeguard the stories, skills, and traditions that mills embody. This expertise allows the Trust to protect, interpret, and open access to this rich history. Mills shaped the foundations of the modern world, and the Trust ensure’s that their legacy continues to inspire.

A millwright at work. Image courtesy of Mills Archive Trust.
Birmingham Museums Looking to Appoint New Curator (Science & Industry)

Birmingham Museums Looking to Appoint New Curator (Science & Industry)

mikenevell

Birmingham Museums are looking for someone with a background in science and industry, either through museum practice or industry experience, and an interest in connecting science and industrial heritage to audiences, to join their Curatorial & Participation team later this year.

The new Curator of Science and Industry will work collaboratively internally, and through participatory practice, to better research, document, and support access to Birmingham’s scientific and industrial collections. They will also contribute to continuing gallery developments, across Birmingham Museums Trust’s sites, with a particular focus on Thinktank, supporting the development and delivery of new displays that will engage existing and new visitors.

The full time post will be based across all the Birmingham Museum sites, including the Thinktank. The closing date for applications is the 20th July. For further details on the post follow this link: https://careers.birminghammuseums.org.uk/job/333d2a38-5e41-4e84-b382-b119704d7d77

Wandle Industrial Museum July 2025 Talk

Wandle Industrial Museum July 2025 Talk

mikenevell

The Wandle Industrial Museum ‘s latest talk is by Wandle Industrial Museum volunteer and Trustee John Hawks. He will be speaking about the life, loves, and talent of Jane Morris, the often overlooked wife of William Morris.

This will be an in-peron, free, talk on 15th July 2025 at 10:30am at the West Barnes Library, Station Road, Motspur Park, New Malden. For more details about the society visit their website: www.wandle.org and on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and FlickR.

All welcomed. Booking is recommended but not essential. Follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom–london/west-barnes-library/

New Heritage Sector Resilience Plan Launched

New Heritage Sector Resilience Plan Launched

mikenevell

The Historic Environment Forum (HEF) has launched the new Heritage Sector Resilience Plan 2025-35 (“HSRP2”). This provides a clear roadmap for collaborative working to deliver a robust and resilient heritage sector, including industrial heritage.

HEF says that the new plan, funded by Historic England, is structured around four cornerstones that will significantly strengthen the resilience of the historic environment and heritage sector in England. These cornerstones are:

  • relevance
  • physical resilience
  • workforce & organisational resilience
  • and financial resilience.

You can find out more about the new plan for 2025-35 by following this link:

Heritage Sector Resilience Plan 2025-35

The Historic Environment Forum (HEF) is a collaborative initiative that brings together senior representatives from organisations working across the historic environment sector in England.