buildings archaeology – Industrial Heritage Networks

Two Industrial Buildings Have Their Listed Building Status Upgraded

August 6, 2026mikenevell

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, on the advice of Historic England, has approved an incease in protection for two industrial buildings: Low Mil, Bleasdale, North Yorkshire, and Redhills Durham Miners’ Hall, County Durham.

*Interior of Low Mill, showing some of the machinery. Image courtesy of Historic England.*

Low Mill, in Bleasdale, North Yorkshire, was listed at Grade II in 1990. Further research has now shown the mill is of more than special interest and deserves to be upgraded to II*, as it is a rare and remarkably complete example of grain watermill development in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The iconic miners’ hall, home to the ‘Pitman’s Parliament’, has been upgraded to a Grade II* listed building. It is believed to be the most outstanding example of trades union-inspired architecture in the country. Constructed between 1913 and 1915 with an Edwardian Baroque exterior, it was purpose-built as a place where the Durham Miners Association (DMA) could meet coal owners on their own terms.

Further details here:

Rare Watermill Gets Listing Upgrade | Historic Englands

Miners hall in County Durham listing upgraded to Grade II* | Historic England

*Interior of the miners’ hall, Durham. Image courtesy of Historic England.*

Ellis Mill, Lincoln, Added to Historic England’s Buildings at Risk Register

August 3, 2026mikenevell

The Grade II* listed Ellis Mill, in Lincoln, has been added to Historic England’s Buildings At Risk Register. The site is owned by Lincolnshire County Council. The brick-built tower windmill was erected in 1798 (although its not the first windmill on this site), and was restored in 1977-80. It contains mill machinery assembled from various local windmills.

The windmill is the last of several windmills that once stood on the hilltop north of the city of Lincoln, and is named after the last miller. It operated as recently as 2020 during the COVID pandemic. A survey carried out in 2021 noted more than £500,000 of repair work required, mainly to the roof and sails. According to the BBC, a public meeting held by The Ellis Mill Rescue Group on Thursday 30 July attracted around 150 people. The Ellis Mill Rescue Group submitted a business case for taking over the windmill to the council in March.

Rob Gibson, deputy leader of Lincolnshire County Council, is quoted as saying: “The council owns four windmills – each one is in a different condition with different management arrangements. We are looking at what the options are for each of these sites. We’ve been pleased to have been in talks with interested groups to give the mills a sustainable future and this work is almost completed. A windmill strategy will be proposed for further engagement in the coming months and we will then be in a position to take decisions on how we progress.” The council’s three other windmills are located in Alford, Heckington, and Burgh-le-Marsh.

More details here: Lincoln Windmill ‘at risk’ after years of neglect

Ellis’s Mill, Non Civil Parish – 1388647 | Historic England

*Ellis Windmill, Lincoln. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.*

‘Silver End 100’: Heritage Open Day Celebrates Industrial Company Housing in Essex, 13th September

July 29, 2026July 28, 2026mikenevell

During the 19th and early 20th century industrial companies provided housing and community facilities for their workforce, demonstrating both philanthropy and good business sense. Essex has a number of examples of this which will be celebrated on 13th September, as part of Heritage Open Days at Silver End village.

Silver End Heritage Society and the Essex Industrial Archaeology Group are running the celebration day with talks, walks, and displays exploring the company housing of Silver End village, built by the Crittall family who manufactured metal window frames. Details on the events and how to book the tours are below.

CBA Members Weekend 2026: Explore the Industrial East Midlands

July 28, 2026July 28, 2026mikenevell

The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and CBA East Midlands are jointly hosting a weekend of archaeology and heritage activity across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in the English East Midlands on 26th and 27th September.

On Saturday they will be visiting Cromford Mills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the first water-powered cotton spinning mill, and Cromford Village in Derbyshire. On Sunday, in Nottingham, members will explore the UK’s largest network of caves, their changing uses, and their industrial features. There will also be a visit to Brewhouse Yard to discover the stories of Nottingham’s social history and lace making. The weekend will finish at Nottingham Castle, a Stuart Restoration-era ducal mansion, and Mortimer’s Hole, a human-made cave beneath the castle.

The cost is £90pp for the weekend (with people sorting out their own accommodation and transport, though some car-sharing might be possible for anyone arriving by public transport), with tickets limited to 30.

Further details on how to book here: CBA Members Weekend 2026 Council for British Archaeology

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.*

Heritage Open Days 2026 Event Directory Now Live

June 1, 2026mikenevell

The Heritage Open Days 2026 event directory is now live, with over 1,600 free events across England from 11 to 20 September already listed. Each year, millions of people take part in the nationwide celebration of local heritage, community, and history. The festival is managed by the National Trust and supported by Postcode Lottery players, and delivered locally by thousands of organisations and volunteers.

This year’s festival theme, ‘Everyday Histories’, and there is still plenty of time to register an event, with the application deadline being 13 August. The 2026 festival will feature a wide range of places that normally charge for events outside of the festival, along with free sites offering something extra special and many venues that are not usually open to the public. Organisers are invited to explore the varied and often overlooked stories of ordinary working people and their daily lives. From factory floors, workhouses and high streets to kitchens, schools, and community centres, this theme shines a light on working-class voices, local superheroes and the part-of-the-furniture places that have quietly shaped England’s heritage.

Industrial Heritage sites have a long tradition of putting on engaging free events for Heritage Open Days. For further details follow the link here: Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary: Heritage Open Days celebrates England’s Everyday Histories

Updating the South West Archaeological Research Framework (SWARF) – Call to Take Part

May 18, 2026mikenevell

The Bureau for the Contemporary and Historic Consultancy (BUTCH) has been commissioned to support the update of the South West Archaeological Research Framework (SWARF). This is to make sure that it reflects all the research done in the last 18 years and that the priorities for future research are clear. This research framework includes a substantial post-medieval, industrial, and modern section, which will be of interest to the dozens of industrial heritage and archaeology sites, groups, and museums in the region.

The BUTCH team are looking for expressions of interest from experts in their field to fulfil two roles in this process. The roles are (1) Resource Assessment Chapter Team Lead; (2) Expert Panel Member. You may also wish to be involved in their commitment to engage the wider research community.

The online version of the current South West Archaeological Research Framework (SWARF), including the industrial section, can be found here: Post-Medieval, Industrial and Modern Periods – South West England Research Framework

If you are interested in taking part, please register your interest by completing the form, via the link below, by 7 June 2026 for roles 1 and 2. The form will remain open for those who wish to be updated on the project or who might be interested in being involved in future discussions. The link for the form is here: SWARF Involvement https://lnkd.in/e-gu3exM

*The front cover of the 2008 SWARF monograph.*

Two Industrial Sites on Victorian Society’s Ten Most Endangered Sites List for 2026

May 1, 2026mikenevell

The Victorian Society has published its annual list of the ten most endangered buildings in Britain, and this year’s list includes two protected industrial heritage sites. The list is drawn up each year by the Victorian Society, and is selected from nominations made by the public, in order to raise the profile of the buildings it believes are most in need of rescue.

*The former Strand Raiwlay Station, Barrow-in-Furness. Image courtesy of Thomas Ollivier & Victorian Society.*

The former Strand Railway Station in Barrow-in-Furness, a Grade II listed building designed by the architect EG Paley and built in 1863, is a significant survivor from the earliest phase of the town’s rapid industrial growth. Once at the heart of a transforming settlement, it now stands vacant and deteriorating, its future uncertain.

James Hughes, Director of the Victorian Society, said: “This building is closely tied to Barrow’s remarkable rise as an industrial powerhouse. Its history of adaptation shows exactly the kind of sustainable reuse we should be championing today. What is needed now is a clear commitment to securing its future before further deterioration takes hold.”

The 1911 Grade II* Tees Transporter Bridge, engineer G.C. Imbault, and construction by Sir William Arrol & Co Ltd is an iconic symbol of Teesside’s industrial heritage. It has been closed since 2019 due to serious structural concerns. Spanning the River Tees between Middlesbrough and Port Clarence, it is one of the most recognisable engineering landmarks in the UK.

Griff Rhys Jones, Victorian Society President, said: “You don’t need me to tell you that people love this bridge. It is a symbol. It is a monument. And more than that it is a link and a potential working part of Stockton and Middlesbrough. Got to be saved. Got to be operational again. If we can find money for new bridges, we can find money for this great survivor and all that it means.”

The full building list for 2026 can be found here: Endangered buildings – The Victorian Society

*The Tees Transporter Bridge. Image courtesy of CAV Aerial*.

Mills Now & Then – SPAB Call for Your Mill Histories

March 13, 2026mikenevell

To celebrate Mills in 2026 the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) is producing a compilation of individual mills’ histories. The SPAB Mills Section wants to create a new and comprehensive picture of mills of all types throughout the UK, Ireland, and Europe and are calling for submissions from owners, volunteers, millwrights, or anyone interested in the history of a mill or a linked group of mills, to write about how they evolved.

SPAB would like to understand a mill’s origins and how the structure and uses have changed over its lifetime. This can be a post mill, smock or tower mill, a watermill or tide mill, or an industrial mill. The mill can be located in the UK, Ireland or Europe. The entry can be about mills stil existing, derelict, or lost.

The chosen entrants will receive a copy of the published booklet, which will be available at SPAB Mills Section events. A digital version of selected submissions will also be available.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 1 May 2026. All entries to be submitted via email to: nmwsubmissions@spab.org.uk

Further details can be found by following this link: Mills Now & Then – Call for your histories | The SPAB

*Windmill in Lincoln. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.*

SAVE Britain’s ‘Heritage Buildings at Risk Register’ – Call for Entries

February 26, 2026February 25, 2026mikenevell

SAVE Britain’s Heritage has issued a call for nominations for historic buildings at risk which will be considered for their 2026 Buildings at Risk register. SAVE want to bring attention to historic buildings at risk across the UK.

They are interested in vacant or partially vacant historical buildings that are at risk from stalled projects, neglect or lack of action. Unlike some other risk registers, the building does not need to be listed to be eligible,l which means that many threatened industrial structures could be included. Their central aim is to raise awareness of these forgotten spaces and provide a platform to advocate for their retention and reuse.

To nominate a building:

Click on this link to the ‘Buildings at Risk’ register on their website
Check if your building is already on SAVE Britain’s Heritage Buuildings at Risk Register
If it’s not already on the Register, fill in a quick form with what you know including a (copyright-free) photograph and as much address information as you can.
You can also email your nomination to: amy.popham@savebritainsheritage.org

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