Category: Industrial heritage

The Canals and Waterways of Lancashire Day School, November 2024

The Canals and Waterways of Lancashire Day School, November 2024

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The Lancashire Local History Federation, with the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society, are running a day school on the 2nd November on theme ‘The canals and waterways of Lancashire’. This is to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the opening of the first section of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal from Parbold to Wigan.

Talks on the day will cover the historical importance of Lancashire’s industrial waterways, the construction of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, the Douglas Navigation, canal traffic and traders, and the Lancaster Canal. The Day School will be held at the Preston Masonic Hall in Preston, Lancashire, from 10am to 4pm.

The booking form is below, or you can email the Day School organiser here: elizoelaw@gmail.com

Conservation Work Begins on the Iron Bridge Tollhouse

Conservation Work Begins on the Iron Bridge Tollhouse

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As part of the Conserving the Historic Estate project, funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust will be undertaking conservation work on the Iron Bridge Tollhouse in August 2024. The Grade II listed tollhouse, first protected in 1974, lies at the southern end of the Iron Bridge and is built against its western side.

Travellers wishing to cross the bridge would pay a toll depending upon their mode of travel. Dating from the early 19th century, the three storey brick building is now entered from the bridge level, or the upper storey of the structure. The tollhouse contains an exhibition about the Iron Bridge and its history. IGMT will be redecorating the doors and windows, replacing roof tiles, and re-pointing brick work. However, the Tollhouse will remain open to the public as usual.

The money for the restoration work is part of the funding recieved by the Museum in March 2022 for the repair and maintenance of the historical buildings and monuments across the Museum’s sites. This funding is overseen by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) on behalf of Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Accountability for Museum Collections – Briefing for Trustees and Senior Managers

Accountability for Museum Collections – Briefing for Trustees and Senior Managers

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In response to recent scrutiny of the sector’s accountability for the collections in its care, the Collections Trust through Museum Development Midlands is offering a concise briefing, aimed at trustees and senior managers who want to review the policies and procedures in place at their own institutions. This online breifing will take place on 18th September.

This workshop is open to Trustees and Senior Management of all museums, including industrial heritage sites, regardless of Accreditation status. The UK museum sector has a well-established standard for collections management, Spectrum, which is embedded into the Museum Accreditation standard. This one-hour briefing will cover the core principles of three relevant Spectrum procedures: inventory; audit; damage and loss.

To book follow this link: https://www.mdmidlands.org.uk/events/accountability-for-collections-briefing-for-trustees-and-senior-managers

London Museum of Water & Steam Need Public’s Help to Raise Final Funds for Engine Project

London Museum of Water & Steam Need Public’s Help to Raise Final Funds for Engine Project

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The London Museum of Water and Steam are running an urgent appeal to raise the final funds for ‘The Great Engine House Project’ which ains to restore the Grade 1 listed Great Engine House. This is home to the gigantic Grand Junction 100 Inch and 90 Inch engines.

They have already been promised a funding grant for the entire project of £2.8 million, but they will need to raise a percentage of the grant by crowdfunding £50,000 by mid-August. So far, the London Musum of Water and Steam have raised over £17,000 through their crowdfunder, but are struggling to raise the target by the grant deadline.

To contibute to the fund raiser follow the link here.

Unless work is undertaken in the next two years to stop the decay of the Engine House, then these historically significant engines could be be lost, and central parts of the museum building will have to be closed. The project aims to return the 90 inch engine to steam, which will make the Museum more financially resilient by vastly enhancing the Museum’s visitor experience. 

The museum is housed in a Georgian water pumping station in Brentford, West London, and was built around a collection of stationary steam engines which pumped clean water into the homes of millions of Londoners between 1838 and 1944. For more details about the museum follow this link: https://waterandsteam.org.uk/

90 Inch engine levers. Image courtesy of London Museum of Steam & Water.

Historic England Publish New Guidance on Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy & Carbon Efficiency

Historic England Publish New Guidance on Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy & Carbon Efficiency

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Historic England has published new advice on balancing climate action with building adaptation. The new advice note ‘Adapting Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency’ is aimed primarily at local authorities, heritage consultants, and those involved in the planning process. It makes clear that historic properties can be retrofitted with energy-efficient measures such as heat pumps, solar panels, and insulation.

The guidance is intended to “provide clarity and support consistent decision-making” for proposals to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings, while conserving their significance. It reflects current planning policy and covers:   

  • Advice on what permissions, such as listed building consent, are needed for some of the common changes required to decarbonise and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings 
  • Advice to assist local planning authorities – and other parties involved in the planning process – in determining proposals to decarbonise and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings to enable positive climate action. Some typical building adaptations in response to climate change impacts are also included 
  • Signposting to other relevant information, advice, and guidance. 

Download the Adapting Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency advice note here.

Industrial Heritage Themed HE Research Magazine Published

Industrial Heritage Themed HE Research Magazine Published

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The latest online issue of Historic England’s Research Magazine contains a number of articles on industrial heritage. Shane Gould, Historic England’s Head of Industrial Heritage Strategy, introduces Issue 26 of Historic England Research Magazine, which explores aspects of industrial heritage, as well as Palaeolithic landscapes, and the relationship between intertidal heritage and biodiversity.

The industrial heritage and archaeology articles are by authors who have recently had titles published by Historic England and Liverpool University. These are papers on the Soho Manufactory, Mint and Foundry in the West Midlands by George Demidowicz; steam-powered water and sewage works by James Douet; the built environment in Lancashire’s historic textile areas by Geoff Timmins; and oasts kilns, hop kilns, and maltings by Amber Patrick. They showcase Historic England’s strong and continuing record in undertaking research, and preparing advice, guidance and publications on England’s industrial heritage.

To read this latest issue follow this link: https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/research/introduction-to-issue-26/ Earlier issues can also be downloaded from the HE website.

Sandfields Pumping Station Engine Appeal

Sandfields Pumping Station Engine Appeal

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The Lichfield Waterworks Trust has launched an online appeal to restore the magnificent Cornish Pumping Engine at Sandfields Pumping Station. The engine is currently seized solid after not moving for many decades. However, whilst the Lichfield Waterworks Trust have the expertice to to repair the engine they need money for materials and a means to move the engine.

Lichfield Waterworks Trust is a group of volunteers dedicated to preserving Sandfields Pumping Station with its fascinating history and unique Victorian Pumping Engine. The Trust aims to open access to the Sandfields Pumping Station for public use, including education, arts performance, and community development. At the heart of this public access will be the pumping engine. This engine is one of only four left in the entire country. Built by Jonah & George Davies in Tipton and installed in 1873, it worked for 50 years, pumping clean water to the Black Country during the Industrial Revolution to help eradicate Cholera. The engine was taken out of service in 1927 and has not moved for almost 100 years. 

You can help them restore the engine by donating through their Crowdfunder page by following this link:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/lichfield-waterworks-trust-1160876

Festival of Archaeology 2024 Starts 13th July

Festival of Archaeology 2024 Starts 13th July

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The 2024 Festival fo Archaeology, run by the Council for British Archaeology, will run from the 13th July to the 28th July across the UK. The Festival incorporates hundreds of in-person and virtual events delivered by community groups, heritage organisations, universities, commercial units across the UK. 

This year’s festival theme is archaeology and community, and since the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) will be celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2024 its the perfect opportunity to celebrate the grassroots groups, societies, and individuals that share a passion for archaeology across the UK. https://www.archaeologyuk.org/festival.html

Several industrial archaeology and heritage sites are taking part this year. These include the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust who are running a free open day at Coalbrookdale, sponsored by the Association for Industrial Archaoelogy, and the National Trust who have an open day at Force Crag Mine in Cumbria. Other free industrial events include an animation workshop at Nenthead mines in Cumbria and a variety of talks and walks.

To locate an industrial archaeology event close to you follow this link: https://www.archaeologyuk.org/festival/festival-event-listing.html

Industrial Heritage in England Survey Stage 1 Update

Industrial Heritage in England Survey Stage 1 Update

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The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and Heritage Innovation are undertaking a survey of the c.600 publicly accessible and protected industrial heritage sites in England. Funded by Historic England, the 2024 survey is gathering data on these sites which will be compared with similar reports undertaken in 2008 and 1998, and will inform Historic England’s draft Industrial Heritage Strategy and future strategy for the Industrial Heritage Support Officer (IHSO). Stage 1 of the Industrial Heritage Sites in England Survey 2024 the online survey, has been been completed. Stage 2, targetted interviews with selected sites, is now underway.

The survey is being undertaken by Heritage Innovation, who ran the online survey was in April and May. Some of the initial findings gathered by Heritage Innovation show that:

  • 48.3% of Industrial Heritage sites were owned by a preservation trust or society.
  • 83.6% of preservation trusts or societies had charitable status.
  • 44.8% of sites were accredited museums.
  • 52.6% of sites had found it ‘quite difficult’ to secure public sector funding in the last three years.
  • 73.7% of sites said they found it ‘fairly difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to attract new volunteers.
  • 72.4% of sites had original plant and machinery in situ.

Stage 2 of the survey, which is running across July, is a series of up to 12 interviews of those running industrial heritage sites across England, from entitely volunteer run sites, to the largest industrial heriage trusts. The results of the project will be published later in the year, including a free online seminar in the autumn.

Graph courtesy fo Heritage Innovation

Royal Gunpowder Mills To Celeberate Engineer John Smeaton On Open Days, 9 & 14 July

Royal Gunpowder Mills To Celeberate Engineer John Smeaton On Open Days, 9 & 14 July

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2024 marks the 300th Anniversary of the birth of the noted engineer and father of civil engineering, John Smeaton (1724-1792). The Royal Gunpowder Mills (RGM), Waltham Abbey, Essex, are commemorating him with special talks and Smeaton-inspired children’s activity on select open days in July.

John Smeaton worked at the gunpowder mills site and the Trust’s volunteers have been working through their archives to research RGM’s connections with Smeaton. Discover how his designs of mills, canals, and more changed the gunpowder mills, the River Lea, and the world!

Follow this link for further details:

https://www.royalgunpowdermills.com/johnsmeaton