Category: Industrial heritage

Industrial Heritage Sites Benefit from New Conservation Grants

Industrial Heritage Sites Benefit from New Conservation Grants

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Industrial Heritage sites in England are amongst 37 heritage sites set to receive £15 million in funding as a part of the Government’s ‘Heritage At Risk’ fund. The funding will go towards repair works and the conservation of heritage buildings at risk, and is a part of the Government’s £270 million ‘Arts Everywhere Fund’. The fund has prioritised projects that will restore heritage sites serving disadvantaged communities and which demonstrate strong local benefits, from job creation to cultural events.

The industrial sites receiving funding are:

  • Woodhorn Colliery Shaft Heads, Ashington, Northumberland – £997,265 
  • National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port – £250,000
  • Treadgolds, Portsea, Portsmouth – £485,200
  • The Folk Pin Factory (Grade II), Gloucester Civic Trust – £142,871

Follow this link for further details: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/37-local-heritage-sites-to-benefit-from-15-million-boost-to-breathe-new-life-into-communities-across-england

National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port, is owned and run by the Canal & River Trust. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.

Museums Trip Guide Launched by the Art Fund

Museums Trip Guide Launched by the Art Fund

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Art Fund – the national charity that connects museums, people and art – has created a Museum Trips Guide featuring 20 UK museums that offer inspiring learning experiences for all key stages. The case studies provide useful of examples of how to make the most of school trips. 

The guide, which aims to encourage teachers to consider museums as relevant destinations for school trips in the 2025-6 academic year ahead, and to help them plan trips with ease, includes museum overviews & highlights, resources, curriculum links, costs and booking information. Amongst the case studies featured in the guide are four industrial heritage sites: the Museum of English Rural Life in Reading, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the National Railway Museum in York, and the Science Museum in London.

To download a copy follow this link: https://www.artfund.org/professional/news-and-insights/museum-trips-guide-20-museums-to-enrich-your-curriculum?utm_content=stakeholders&utm_medium=email&utm_source=southwestmuseums.org.uk&utm_campaign=tap+museum+trips+guide+25

National Trust Secures £2.75m for Castlefield Viaduct Expansion

National Trust Secures £2.75m for Castlefield Viaduct Expansion

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The National Trust has announced major funding to double the length of its Manchester’s Castlefield Viaduct “sky park” from 150m to 350m. The £2.75m needed will come from National Highways (£2.4m), Manchester City Council (£100k), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (£100k), and Railway Heritage Trust (£150k).

Opened in 2022 the extended ‘sky park’ will add improved accessibility via a new western entrance with lift access, making it a through-route for the first time. The expanded park will also feature WaterAid’s gold medal-winning garden from the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It s expected to open in summer 2026. The viaduct is open Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 5pm, with no booking needed.

The Castlefield viaduct was built in the late 1870s by the Cheshire Lines Committee railway to service the former Central Station and was opened in 1880. Further details on the project here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cheshire-greater-manchester/castlefield-viaduct

Designs for the planned extension at the Castlefield viaduct. Image courtesy of National Trust.

AIA Annual Conference, Bradford, 5th to 10th September 2025

AIA Annual Conference, Bradford, 5th to 10th September 2025

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AIA have realeased details of its annual conference which this year will be based in the historic Midland Hotel, Bradford, part of the rich railway heritage in the centre of this year’s host of the UK City of Culture. The conference returns to a more traditional format, of weekend talks and the AGM, followed by 3 days of tours, although the AIA are offering the oppportunity to book individual weekend days and online weekend access.

As usual, the weekend programme will include a number of lectures on the region’s industrial heritage and presentations by AIA’s award winners. On the Sunday morning, following a short AGM, the annual prestige lecture will be given by Dr Michael Bailey, marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, on the subject of the Archaeology of Early Locomotives.

From Sunday afternoon to the morning of Wednesday 10 September there will be a varied programme of visits to important industrial sites in the area, including the Saltaire World Heritage Site. Delegates can opt to attend for just the weekend sessions or the whole five days, and online participation in the weekend programme is also possible.

There are free places available through the Patrick Nott bursary, which allows the AIA to offer some free places at Conference, including accommodation and tours.  

Visit the AIA website for full conference details and a conference booking form 

 Salt’s Mill, Saltaire, one of the destinations on offer at AIA’s annual conference (image courtesy saltaire-inspired-uk)
Festival of Archaeology Event at Ironbridge: Bedlam Furnaces Tour

Festival of Archaeology Event at Ironbridge: Bedlam Furnaces Tour

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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

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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

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

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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

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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

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

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

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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