Industrial heritage – Page 12 – Industrial Heritage Networks

Carbon Literacy Training for Heritage Organisations

February 11, 2025February 10, 2025mikenevell

On the 24th February 2025, the Carbon Lieteracy Project will be holding an online Shareable Courses Launch Event. At the event they will be launching six ready-to-use Carbon Literacy courses that can be used to deliver internal Carbon Literacy training within archives, heritage organisations, libraries, theatres, public leisure/culture trusts, and across the cultural sector.

The online launch event is free, and will involve the course creators and people who have been delivering the courses. There will be presentations about the creators’ ambitions for the courses, how to access them, and how they can be used. One of the six new courses is for Heritage Organisations. This course is an affordable, flexible, and sector-specific training programme for heritage organisations based in the UK.

The Shareable Course for Heritage Organisations is built on the success of the Carbon Literacy for Museums Toolkit. Developed by Historic England and Historic Buildings and Places, the course aims to support the wider heritage sector, from organisations that manage heritage sites to those who provide heritage services. Book your place here.

Canal & River Trust Launch Emergency Appeal After Winter Storms Damage

February 7, 2025mikenevell

The Canal and River Trust, who cares for a 2,000-mile network of canals and navigable rivers in England and Wales, has launch an emergency appeal for funds to help the network recover from the ‘devastating and widespread’ damage inflicted by a series of winter storms in late 2024 and early 2025.

The Trust reports that Storm Bert’s high winds and torrential rain left boats adrift and flooded locks across the country in December 2024. Shortly after, at the beginning of January 2025, high winds and flooding risks returned as Storm Darragh hit the UK. This triggered a rare Red Warning from the Met Office, and felled over 400 trees along the network, blocking navigable waterways, damaging lock gates, and causing landslips. The charity estimates that it will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to repair the canals and rivers affected.

Storms and flooding not only destroy towpaths and damage historic locks. They can also pollute and damage the habitats of the wildlife in and around the canal network. CRT teams have been working around the clock to deal with the impacts of these storms but the charity needs further funds to deal with future storm events.

For more details on how to donate online, follow this link: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/support-us/our-campaigns/perfectstorm

*Landslip on the the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Saddleworth as a result of Storm Darragh, Janaury 2025. Image coutersy of Canal & River Trust.*

Moira Furnance Conservation to Go Ahead in Spring 2025

February 5, 2025mikenevell

North West Leicestershire District Coucnil has agreed to provide £160,000 of extra funding to repair the Moira Furnace museum buildings. Repairs are due to begin later in February and are expected to take around 22 weeks.

Moira Furnace is one of the best preserved iron blast furnaces in England. Built in 1806 the site is now a Scheduled Monument owned by the local council. Initial plans to repair the structure and museum pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic. In that time the cost of the repairs has risen from £3330,000 to £490,000. The short fall is being made up from council reserves and £65,000 from the UK Shared Prosperty Fund. More details here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3j71141v5o

The current site comprises a museum of iron making and social history, a vintage 100+-year-old narrowboat for trips along the canal, fishing along its banks, and woodlands for exploring. More details here: https://www.moirafurnace.org/

*Moira furnace. Image courtesy of Moira* *Furnace museum & country park.*

Avoncroft Craft Skills Workshops for 2025

January 21, 2025January 20, 2025mikenevell

Avoncroft Museum has published their 2025 craft workshops programme. These workshops include a number of subjects relevant to industrial heritage sites, including blacksmithing, traditional signwriting, and basket weaving.

The workshop programme runs from Febraury through to November. During the workshops you’ll get expert guidance, all the materials needed, and free museum entry. No experience is needed. Costs vary, and there is a discount for Members of Avoncroft Museum. Follow this link for more details:

Workshops & Courses

Heritage Trust Network & Locality Bring ‘Heritage Toolbox’ to West Yorkshire

January 20, 2025mikenevell

The Heritage Trust Network is launching a pilot programme of learning and skills development sessions for heritage organisations, including industrial heritage organisations and sites, in the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The programme has been commissioned by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority as a pilot to facilitate resilience and capacity building in heritage organisations, particularly grass-roots, community-led organisations.

The pilot programme will be delivered in partnership with Locality, the national membership network supporting local community organisations to be strong and successful (see their website here: https://locality.org.uk/). There will be an in-person discovery event for organisations/groups that are interested in participating on the 13^th February in Bradford, and an online discovery event on the 27^th February where they can find out all about the programme.

If you’d like to take part, or you know an organisation who might please book a place via Eventbrite or share details. Any queries can be sent to: admin@heritagetrustnetwork.org.uk  

Folloow the link belwo for more details.

Heritage Trust Network & Locality bring ‘Heritage Toolbox’ to West Yorkshire

Free Online Talks and Training Videos for Industrial Heritage Sites in Early 2025

January 16, 2025mikenevell

The early new year is often a time for charities and musuems to undertake staff training and maintenance in the ‘off season’. Online, several organisation offer free training and briefing videos relevant for industrial heritage sites. Some of the recent offerings listed below provide an opportunity for armchair training.

The East-West Workshops on Industrial Archaeology aim to exchange ideas and knowledge among Western and Eastern colleagues to build a more international and diverse industrial archaeology. The workshops are organised jointly by the Institute for Cultural Heritage and History of Science and Technology (USTB, China), and the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) together with its Young Members Board. Videos of all the workshops are available on the AIA’s YouTube Channel, including the latest event from November 2024 on ‘Weaving the Industrial Period’. Follow this link to view the workshops: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCILr2TkRAOIfk_NKchshwZQ

On Thursday 21st November 2024 the ‘Craft of the Miller’ network held an online conference on ‘Managing Health & Safety Risks in Your Mill’. Jon Cook gave an introduction to highlight a number of key risks in a working mill, including hygiene, flour dust, vacuum equipment, and fire risks. Jippe Kreuning explored how to work with a stone crane and how to operate it safely to lift a set of millstones. You can catchup with the recordings from the conference here: https://network.molens.nl/

Finally, Historic England have a range of heritage webinars to watch with topics from flooding, embodied carbon, and renewabler energy, to heritage building skills, roofs, and windows. The Historic Environment Webinars strand includes a session on the role and work of the Canal & River Trust form November 2024. Follow this link to view the webinars: https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/training-skills/training/webinars/recordings/#technicaltuesdays

Small Grants Available in 2025 for Industrial Heritage Museums & Sites

January 14, 2025mikenevell

The dealines for several grant streams suitable for Industrial Heritage museums and sites occur in early 2025. To catch up with what is available for industrial heritage sites and museums explore the following websites.

Foyle Foundation Small Grants The Small Grants Scheme is provided by the Foyle Foundation to support smaller, grass-roots, and local charities in the UK with projects that have the potential to make a significant difference to their work. Grants range from £2k to £10k and the closing date for applications is 31 January. Find outr mor eby followign this link: https://foylefoundation.org.uk/how-to-apply/small-grants-scheme-guidelines/

The Heritage Alliance, whilst not a funding body in itself, co-manages the Heritage Funding Directory  with the Architectural Heritage Fund. This free resource for the sector includes a directory listing funding sources for heritage projects across the UK (and internationally), and includes some helpful guidance on fundraising. It is regularly updated, so its worth visiting regularly.

Finally, the Association for Industrial Archaeology runs several annual grant and award schemes specifically for industrial archaeology and heritage, with closing dates at the end of January and the end of March. Follow this link for further details: https://industrial-archaeology.org/aia-awards/

Railway 200: Celebrating the Birth of the Modern Railway in 2025

January 9, 2025January 10, 2025mikenevell

2025 marks the bi-centenary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825 connecting places, people, communities, and ideas, and ultimately transforming the world. To celeberate the birth of the modern railway, three councils, Darlington, Durham, Stockton-on-Tees, and Tees Valley Combined Authority, have joined forces with a range of local, national, and international partners, to deliver a nine month festival of internationally significant projects throughout the bicentenary year.

The ‘Railway 200’ events are designed to showcase how the railway shaped and continues to shape national life, as well as inspiring a new generation of young pioneering talent to choose a career in rail. Events across the year will build to the main celebration on the 27th September, the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.

A Global ‘whistle-up’ on New Year’s Day 2025, with more than 50 hetritage railwys blowign the ihsiltew son their engiens at the same moment, signalled the start of rail’s 200th anniversary. From January to September a wide variety of activities and events are planned to celebrate rail’s remarkable past, its role today, and its importance to a sustainable future.

For more details on these events follow this link: https://railway200.co.uk/

Anderton Boat Lift Celebrates 150 Years of Use in 2025

January 7, 2025mikenevell

In 2025 the Anderton Boat Lift celebrates 150 years of use. Designated one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways, the boat lift was designed by engineer Edwin Clark to connect the Trent & Mersey Canal with the River Weaver Navigation fifty feet below and opened on 26 July 1875. Although it has been re-engineered several times, the lift has successfully carried boats between the two waterways for most of its 150 years, with only a couple of decades out of action in the 1980s and 1990s due to safety concerns caused by corrosion. At the turn of the Millenium, more than £7 million was raised to fund a major restoration and the boat lift began operating again on 26 March 2002.

The Canal and River Trust, who now run the Lift, will be transporting visitors back in time to 1875 by hosting a spectacular Victorian Fair over the anniversary weekend of July 25-27. During the rest of the summer season, as well as boat trips through the Lift, visitors will be able to enjoy other events, including Steam at the Lift (May 10/11), Pirates Weekend (June 21/22), Old Time Sailors Concert (July 4), and Steampunk Lift Off Weekender (September 27/28).

A generation on from the 2002 re-opening, the Lift needs a major upgrade to keep it operational. The Canal and River Trust are thus currently working to develop an ambitious ‘Engineering the Future’ project to revitalise the Anderton Boat Lift and Visitor Centre, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The whole structure requires blast cleaning, repairing and re-painting, the timber control cabin replacing, and IT operating system updating. This is expected to take 12 to 18 months, with a total estimated cost of £13.5 – £15 million.

For more details of the anniversary events and the proposed renovations follow this link: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/news/lift-off-for-a-special-150th-anniversary-year-at-anderton-boat-lift-in-2025

*The Anderton Boat Lift, connecting the Trent & Mersey Canal and the Weaver Navigation. Image copyright: Dr Michael Nevell*

Foyle Foundation Small Grants Deadline 31 January 2025

December 20, 2024December 19, 2024mikenevell

The Small Grants Scheme is provided by the Foyle Foundation to support smaller, grass-roots, and local charities in the UK with projects that have the potential to make a significant difference to their work. In the last three years recipients have included the Science Museum, the Mills Archive Trust, the Hull Maritime Foundation, and the Black Country Living Museum.

The Foyle Foundation was formed to implement the will of the late Christina Foyle. She was the daughter of William Foyle who, with his brother, founded the former family owned bookshop Foyles in Charing Cross Road, London. The Foyle Foundation will complete its grant giving programme in 2025, marking 25 years of giving to the fields of the Arts, Learning, Community Small Grants, State Schools Libraries and formerly Health. The Foundation awards funding in two main areas:

ARTS and LEARNING charities predominantly via the Main Grants Scheme

SMALL CHARITIES of all descriptions (with a turnover of less than £150K per annum) via the Small Grants Scheme (grants between £2K and £10K)

The deadline for the final round of grants is 31st January 2025. Guidelines and application form here can be found here: https://foylefoundation.org.uk/how-to-apply/small-grants-scheme-guidelines/

IHN Guidelines

Welcome to the IHNs website!

Your News and Your Stories

Category: Industrial heritage