Welcome to the Industrial Heritage Networks and Support website. This site is maintained and updated by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust who run the project and the networks. We aim to support industrial heritage in England through networking, information exchange, guidance, and training. Please explore the website and please contribute! For more information you can … Read more Welcome to the IHNs website!
The Midlands Mills Group is hosting a free online talk on 9 December 2025 by Millwright Paul Sellwood. He will be discussing his work as a millwright. Paul and his firm have been involved in many wind and water mill projects over the years, most recently in the Midlands, putting up the sails on Chesterton Windmill.
The Midland Mills Group invites anyone interested to join the event. The link and other relevant details are:
If you were unable to join Historic England’s October 2025 industrial heritage webinar looking at the impact and legacy of our Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) Heritage Action Zone, the recording is now available.
The free webinar explored the successes and challenges of the different strands of work undertaken, including designation, repair, re-use and community engagement, as well as looking at the project’s legacy, and the long-term future of the line. To watch the seminar follow this link: https://vimeo.com/1131317485/29e6719e55?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci.
UK Heritage Pulse is running the second of two free online seminars on ‘AI in the Heritage Sector’ on Friday 7th November at 2pm. The first session explored the principles, opportunities, and risks of using artificial intelligence. If you weren’t able to attend, you can now watch the recording here.
The follow-up webinar on the 7th November will take a deeper look at practical applications of AI, sharing real-world examples and tips for the sector. To book your place follow this link: 🔗 Book your place here
You can also read Heritage Pulse’s recent report on the operational use of AI within the heritage sector here.
Heritage Pulse is a collaborative data and insight project for the UK’s heritage sector informing strategy, recovery, and reinvention. You can register for regular updates, or take part in their research, via this link: https://heritagepulse.insights-alliance.com/
Historic England, with support from CIfA, are running a workshop on ‘How to write a carbon reduction plan’. Several dates are available with limited places on 30 October 2025, but further workshop places available on 17 and 26 November.
The workshop has been designed to support organisations, such as industrial heritage sites and museums, to build on their carbon footprint report by writing a basic plan for carbon reduction whilst also engaging with staff, volunteers, and visitors.
The Canal & River Trust (CRT) is appealing for people interested in the history of canals to volunteer to map and record the heritage of Yorkshire’s 250-year-old canals, as part of a national survey. The heritage survey will chart how the canal system has changed over the past 30 years, by updating and augmenting a survey of canals completed in the early 1990s by British Waterways and Historic England (then English Heritage).
Over the course of several weeks earlier this year, CRT ran a pilot of the heritage survey on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Teams of volunteers used an app developed specifically to survey a range of heritage assets situated along the canal between Leeds and Liverpool. This work included looking at locks and lock cottages, bridges, aqueducts, tunnels, wharfs, warehouses, and stables. The project is now being rolled out across the 2,000-mile network of canals that span England and Wales, with the Yorkshire survey the latest area to be studied.
Carrying out the volunteer-led survey of the CRT’s network of canals, and the historic setting around them, is expected to take four years. The project is supported by funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
The Industrial Heritage Support project is running a free online seminar on 22 May 2025 focussing on climate change and Net Zero. The seminar is designed to give an overview of Net Zero adaptation strategies on industrial heritage sites in England. This is a follow-up seminar from an event on climate change and industrial heritage sites run in 2023.
The seminar will include a short presentation from Historic England covering their latest research and advice on reaching Net Zero in the Heritage sector. This will be followed by three industrial heritage site case studies from Cromford Mills, the National Mining Museum in Wakefield, and the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust discussing practical and future steps as these sites to achieve Net Zero. The seminar will finish with a discussion and questions.
The seminar is free and will run from 10:30am to 12 noon. To book via Eventbrite click here
King Edward Mine Museum (KEM), a volunteer-led charity within the UNESCO Mining World Heritage Area of Cornwall, is looking for more tour guides when it re-opens for the new season on 20 April.
The site saw a significant rise in visitor numbers last year, many of whom travelled from overseas to explore the mine complex. The museum, which is dedicated to sharing the history of mining on the Great Flat Lode, and is Grade II* listed, lies in the village of Troon, near Camborne.
The mine tells the stories of Cornish miners and maintains a collection of historic mining equipment, including an operational Cornish tin mill, and a Holman winding engine. Originally worked under the name of Old Tye it was opened in 1844 together with Great Condurrow about 300m to the north, finally closing in 1921. However, the surface buildings continued in use for the teaching of mining, ore dressing, and surveying skills until 1974. In 1987 a volunteer group was formed with the aim of conserving the site as an educational resource for the future and the local community.
Due to the high demand for their latest webinar on the myths and misconceptions around heat pumps, Historic England is running an additional session on the 8th April 2025.
In this free webinar, Dan McNaughton and Sehrish Wakil, Senior Building Services Engineers at Historic England, will share practical advice and case studies to help participants plan and implement a successful heat pump installation project. The session will be followed by a Q&A. Book your free place here.
The next round of online Industrial Heritage Network (IHN) meetings is taking place this Spring. The IHN networks are a chance to meet those working, volunteering, or researching in the industrial heritage sector.
Four lunchtime IHN meetings will be held in late March, and will run from 12noon to 1pm, and there will be an IHSO update followed by news and updates from members. The first round of 2025 IHN meetings will take place on the following dates and will include the following groups:
21 March – East of England
25 March – South East
26 March -North East
31 March – London
Zoom links for the meetings will be sent to each region nearer the dates. If you would like to join any of these Industrial Heritage Networks as a member please email the IHSO here: mike.nevell@mikenevell
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:
Industrial Heritage Networks 