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Department for Culture, Media and SportArchitecture and Historic Environment Division

The Historic Environment:A Force for Our Future

Cover picture:Restoration work on stone statues,Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire,(courtesy The National Trust)

The Historic Environment: A Force for Our Future

ContentsForeword 4The Historic Environment – A New Vision 7Providing Leadership 11Realising Educational Potential 17Including and Involving People 25Protecting and Sustaining 33Optimising Economic Potential 45Summary of Action Points 53

The Historic Environment: A Force for Our Future 3

4 The Historic Environment: A Force for Our Future

Foreword

England’s historic environment is one of ourgreatest national resources. From prehistoricmonuments to great country houses, from medievalchurches to the towns of the Industrial Revolution,it is a uniquely rich and precious inheritance.

But it is about more than bricks and mortar. Itembraces the landscape as a whole, both urban andrural, and the marine archaeology sites around ourshores. It shows us how our own forebears lived. Itembodies the history of all the communities whohave made their home in this country. It is part ofthe wider public realm in which we can allparticipate.

This historic environment is something from whichwe can learn, something from which our economybenefits and something which can bringcommunities together in a shared sense ofbelonging. With sensitivity and imagination, it canbe a stimulus to creative new architecture anddesign, a force for regeneration and a powerfulcontributor to people’s quality of life.

But this environment is fragile. Successivegovernments have developed policies to protect it.Buildings are listed and archaeological sitesscheduled. Substantial public funding is available forrepair and refurbishment. A complex web ofrelationships has been established between themany national and local bodies which care for thetreasures of the past and make them accessible tomillions of people from home and abroad.

At the start of a new century it seems timely tolook at existing policies and structures and to assesshow well they are working and how they can be

improved. The publication of this Statementconcludes the most wide-ranging review of policyin this area for several decades. The first stage wasled by English Heritage, working with anunprecedented range of partner organisations fromwithin the sector and more widely, and culminatedin the Power of Place report in December 2000.That report has been of immense value, both insetting an agenda for action across the whole sectorand in shaping the Government’s own vision, andwe pay tribute to all who were involved in itspreparation. We welcome too the action that isalready in hand within the sector to take forward itsrecommendations.

We are publishing this Statement at a time whenthe public’s enthusiasm for the past is increasinglyevident, not least in the strong media focus onarchaeology and history. New, more creativeapproaches are being used to present historic sitesand buildings to visitors and to engage a wideraudience. Our heritage continues to be a massivedraw for tourists. As such it makes a majorcontribution to the economy and underpins hugenumbers of jobs, importantly in rural and deprivedcommunities as well as in traditional economiccentres. There is, however, much more to be done.Indeed this sector can be regarded as something ofa sleeping giant both in cultural and economicterms. We need to find new ways of reaching andempowering excluded individuals and communities.We need to develop new policies to realise economicand educational potential through modernisedstructures and improved service delivery.

Achieving these objectives involves the use of manydifferent policy instruments and the Statement

By the Rt Hon. Tessa Jowell MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sportand the Rt Hon. Stephen Byers MP, Secretary of State for Transport,Local Government and the Regions.


looks in detail at all of them: funding; legislation;policy guidance; delivery mechanisms;reprioritisation; and partnership working. It makesproposals to enable organisations to work bettertogether and statutory regimes to operate moreeffectively. It looks at ways of enhancing the historicenvironment’s contribution to education, bothwithin the school curriculum and through lifelonglearning, and of replenishing essential conservationskills. It responds to people’s desire to broaden thedefinition of what should be valued and championsthe role of historic assets in the development andregeneration processes and as a focus forcommunity cohesion.

This document is far from being the end of thestory. On the contrary, it is only the beginning of amajor drive to unlock the full potential of ourhistoric assets. The Government is currentlycarrying out fundamental reviews of both theHeritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage,which, once concluded, will shape the developmentof these two critically important bodies, puttingthem in strong positions to deliver this challengingagenda. We are publishing a Green Paper on theplanning system, proposing measures to make thesystem more efficient, effective, customer-orientatedand transparent. That will make local governmentbetter placed to deliver proactive help indevelopments affecting the historic environment.

This statement encompasses the full range of theGovernment’s interest in the historic environment.Although the lead responsibility rests with theDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport and theDepartment for Transport, Local Government andthe Regions, other parts of Government have a

major interest in the subject and have taken part inthe preparation of this document. Not least amongthese is the Department for Environment, Food andRural Affairs, whose involvement reflects theimportance of the historic environment for ruralareas and vice versa. Indeed, the White Paper OurCountryside: The Future. A Fair Deal for RuralEngland, published in November 2000, included anumber of measures and initiatives of direct benefitto the historic environment. And while theStatement applies only to England, we are verymuch aware that many of the issues it addressesaffect the whole of the United Kingdom and we aretherefore keeping in touch with colleagues inNorthern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Our vision is ambitious. We have set out an agendawhich can over time deliver more attractive townsand cities; a prosperous and sustainable countryside;world-class tourist attractions; new jobs; andlearning, vibrant and self-confident communities.This is what we believe the historic environmentcan contribute to contemporary life. This is why wemust continue to protect and sustain it, both for ourown benefit and that of future generations.

Stephen ByersTessa Jowell

A NEW VISION


The Historic Environment – A New Vision

1 The past is all around us. We live our lives,whether consciously or not, against a richbackdrop formed by historic buildings, landscapesand other physical survivals of our past. But thehistoric environment is more than just a matter ofmaterial remains. It is central to how we seeourselves and to our identity as individuals,communities and as a nation. It is a physicalrecord of what our country is, how it came to be,its successes and failures. It is a collectivememory, containing an infinity of stories, someancient, some recent: stories written in stone,brick, wood, glass, steel; stories inscribed in thefield patterns, hedgerows, designed landscapesand other features of the countryside. England’shistory is a gradual accumulation of movementand arrivals, new stories attaching themselves toold. Urban and rural landscapes reflect thislayering of experience and develop their owndistinct characteristics.

2 Building materials and styles can define andbind regions, localities and communities just aspotently as ethnic background, dialect or sportingloyalties. Historic landscapes or iconic buildingscan become a focus of community identity andpride and proclaim that identity and pride to thewider world. The Royal Liver Building inLiverpool, Leeds Town Hall, Lincoln Cathedral,Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Backs atCambridge, the dry-stone walls of the Dales, toname but a few, are all seen by residents andvisitors alike as encapsulating the very essence ofplace. At a more local level a historic church orpark can help define a neighbourhood and create asense of local cohesion. Once lost, these definingfeatures cannot be replaced.

3 Internationally, the imprint of history on ourenvironment is a powerful aspect of our image as anation. And the value of this rich legacy as amagnet for tourists is massive in economic terms.

Main picture:Clevedon Pier, North Somerset.

Newcastle Quayside regeneration.

4 The importance we attach to our past showsitself in many different ways. The popularity oftelevision programmes such as Channel 4’s TimeTeam and the BBC’s History 2000 season is oneindicator. The number of visits made to historicproperties is another. In 1999-2000 EnglishHeritage welcomed nearly 12 million visitors toits sites. No other heritage organisation inEngland can match the National Trust’smembership of 2.7 million. Each year more andmore people take advantage of Heritage OpenDays to see for themselves, free of charge, a vastrange of buildings around the country that arenormally closed to the public or charge anadmission fee. In 1999 more than a million visitswere made to the 2,400 participating properties.

5 The diversity of ways in which peopleexperience or relate to our historic environment isone of its strengths. For some it is a medium forlearning about the past; for others a visitorexperience; for many it provides employment; forstill more it provides a home or place of work; foreveryone it is a contributor to overall quality oflife. This diversity is reflected in the complexityof interests involved: individuals; communities;visitors; owners; the voluntary sector; business;central and local government.

6 The interplay between these different interestscreates a dynamism which has produced someexciting developments in recent years. Consider,for example, the massive strides taken to increasepeople’s access to the historic environment, bothphysically and by way of electronic media. Tenyears ago the concept of using a website, such asEnglish Heritage’s, to help with a school projecton Hadrian’s Wall would have been unimaginable.And the needs of people with disabilities areincreasingly catered for at many sites across thecountry. Linked with this increased emphasis onaccessibility, great strides have been made inrealising the educational potential of historic sites,particularly for school-age children, and indeveloping a more inclusive approach to theirpresentation and interpretation. Substantialprogress has also been made in recognising andharnessing the contribution that historicbuildings can make to economic and communityregeneration. English Heritage’s HeritageEconomic Regeneration Scheme and the HeritageLottery Fund’s Townscape Heritage Initiativehave both acted as important catalysts forcommunity-led renewal and as a spur to widerinvestment, both public and private.

7 Another important development has been thegradual widening of the definition of what peopleregard as their heritage and the way in which thenational organisations have responded to this. TheNational Trust’s purchase of Paul McCartney‘schildhood home in Liverpool was perhaps themost high-profile signal of this responsiveness,but the investment in urban parks and gardensand the preservation of back-to-back housing inBirmingham and Manchester are also significant.

The Historic Environment – A New Vision


8 Up until now, Government policy towards thehistoric environment has been expressed mainlythrough formal planning guidance and theprovision of funds to bodies such as EnglishHeritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.Initiatives relating to the countryside have alsoplayed a significant role. Such functions arecrucially important and will continue to occupy acentral place in the delivery of policy. But there isa need now for Government both to articulate amore complete vision for the sector and to looksystematically at the means of translating thevision into reality. That is what this Statement is about.

9 The Government looks to a future in which:■ public interest in the historic environment is

matched by firm leadership, effectivepartnerships, and the development of a soundknowledge base from which to developpolicies;

■ the full potential of the historic environmentas a learning resource is realised;

■ the historic environment is accessible toeverybody and is seen as something withwhich the whole of society can identify andengage;

■ the historic environment is protected andsustained for the benefit of our own and futuregenerations;

■ the historic environment’s importance as aneconomic asset is skilfully harnessed.

10 This is a bold vision but an achievable one.The historic environment has much to contributeto the Government’s wider agenda of creating andmaintaining a sustainable environment alongsideeconomic stability. Improving the quality of life inboth urban and rural areas, by allowing people tofeel a greater sense of ownership of andengagement with the places in which they live,work and play, is an important theme of theGovernment’s 2002 Spending Review. Thehistoric environment forms part of the wider localenvironment of streets and public spaces whichthe Government is committed to improving.

11 The following chapters set out a detailedprogramme of action in support of theGovernment’s vision. It is a programme whichthe Government itself will lead, but itsimplementation will depend on the partnershipand support of a great many others, bothindividuals and organisations. It will requirecommitment, unity of purpose and receptivenessto new ideas and ways of working. It will involvemaking good use of all the available tools:legislation; funding; policy guidance;restructuring; and partnership working.

12 Power of Place demonstrated that the sectorcould work together to excellent effect. We neednow to build on that momentum and harness thecommitment and expertise which have alreadybeen displayed. In this way we can quickly setabout delivering the programme for change setout in this Statement and fulfil the vision of ahistoric environment standing at the very heart ofour national life.


PROVIDING LEADERSHIP


Providing Leadership

1.1 The review of historic environment policies ledby English Heritage and culminating in the Powerof Place report was overseen by a steering groupcomprising more than twenty organisations. Theseorganisations reflected the breadth and diversity ofinterest in historic environment policy and rangedfrom the National Trust to the Black EnvironmentNetwork, from the British Property Federation toGroundwork UK. One of the key issues raised inPower of Place was the need for firm leadership.Just as the range of interests involved with thehistoric environment is diverse, so is the need forleadership. This chapter explores the role ofleadership and the importance of partnership.Power of Place also emphasised that effectivepolicy-making must always be underpinned bygood quality evidence and this chapter thereforelooks at ways in which the evidence base can beexpanded and refined.

Government leadership1.2 The issue of leadership begins with centralGovernment itself. The historic environment is ofsignificance across the whole field of Governmentpolicy, spanning economic development, educationand training and rural affairs. The Department forCulture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has the role ofoverall champion for the historic environment,while sharing with the Department for Transport,Local Government and the Regions (DTLR)responsibility for a number of key areas of policy, in particular the regulatory framework. TheDepartment for Environment, Food and RuralAffairs (DEFRA) has a key policy role in respect of rural areas and in providing financial incentivesand advice. None the less this is a Statement for thewhole of Government. Given the span of issues andDepartments which have an impact on the historicenvironment or vice versa, the Governmentacknowledges the need to develop a cross-Whitehall approach to promote awareness of thehistoric environment through all relevantDepartments and maximise its contribution to theGovernment’s programme as a whole.

The task: to respond to public interest in the historic environment with firmleadership, effective partnerships and a sound knowledge base from which todevelop policies.

Main picture:Hadrian’s Wall, Cawfields.(courtesy Hadrian’s Wall Tourism Partnership)

Divers from the Hampshire and Wight Trust for MaritimeArchaeology excavating the Alum Bay Wreck off the Isle of Wight(courtesy Jonathan Adams)

To this end:■ The historic environment will be included

as part of the remit of Green Ministers.The role of Green Ministers is to consider theimpact of Government policies on sustainabledevelopment and to improve the performanceof Government Departments in contributingto sustainable development. Drawing specificattention to the relevance of the historicenvironment will help ensure that it is takeninto account in wider decision-making andthereby constitute an element of theGovernment’s support for sustainabledevelopment. Green Ministers will also beresponsible for ensuring that historicenvironment policies are taken into account indecisions concerning the use and developmentof the Government’s own properties;

■ DCMS, as lead sponsor Department, willinvolve DTLR and DEFRA in discussionsabout the strategic direction of EnglishHeritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.This will include, where appropriate, agreeingfunding priorities;

■ DCMS will work with the devolvedadministrations to ensure that, whereappropriate, the United Kingdom’sinterests in international fora are properlyrepresented.

Local government leadership1.3 The part played by local authorities in thestewardship of the historic environment is offundamental importance. Like Government, theirrole can be complex, and covers many differentfunctions: custodian, regulator, grant-giver,rescuer of last resort. The Government looks tolocal authorities to adopt a positive approachto the management of the historicenvironment within their area and themonitoring of its condition. It urgesauthorities to appoint champions for thehistoric environment within their managementstructures.

1.4 All local authorities stand to benefit from theskills of properly qualified conservation staff. TheGovernment therefore supports the workcurrently being done by English Heritage and theInstitute of Historic Building Conservation toassess current levels of conservation staff withinlocal authorities. Elected members should alsohave the best possible training to enable them tomake high-quality decisions on local historicenvironment issues. The issue of training isincluded within the guidance for councillorspublished as part of the Modernising Planninginitiative and will be further considered in thePlanning Green Paper. The Government urgesall local authorities to ensure that electedmembers have access to training in respect ofthe historic environment wherever it is needed.



English Heritage 1.5 In 1998 the Government merged EnglishHeritage with the Royal Commission on theHistorical Monuments of England and gaveEnglish Heritage the status of lead body for thesector. The intention was to create an organisationwhich would assume a leadership role as advocatefor the sector, in implementing and interpretingGovernment policy and in developing strategicinitiatives to benefit the whole sector. It was in thiscapacity that English Heritage was commissionedby the Government to lead the process whichresulted in Power of Place.

1.6 As part of its regular series of quinquennialreviews, the Government is once againexamining the role and functions of EnglishHeritage to assess its fitness for purpose. This presents an excellent opportunity to considerthe extent to which English Heritage hasdeveloped its leadership role and how it mightfurther develop its capacity in this respect. It alsooffers an opportunity to consider afresh howservice delivery (to local authorities, owners anddevelopers and other interests) might beimproved. The Government and English Heritageregard the quinquennial review as the occasion torefocus the organisation in a way which willenable it to deliver the vision set out by theGovernment in this Statement, besides takingforward the agenda for the sector alreadyformulated by Power of Place. The first stage ofthe review will be completed by the spring of2002 and will inform the Government’s 2002Spending Review.

Working in partnership1.7 The process which produced Power of Placedemonstrated, if demonstration was necessary, thatthe historic environment sector has immensereserves of energy and commitment. It alsoconfirmed that the sector is diverse and spans ahuge range of interest groups, not all of whomwould regard themselves as being primarily in theheritage business. It brought home more than everthe importance of the historic environment sectordeveloping close partnerships with other interests:for example, the natural environment sector, thetourism industry and those involved incontemporary architecture. Just as the Governmentneeds to bring together the various Departmentalinterests in the historic environment, so the sectorneeds both to strengthen its internal relationshipsand be prepared to work outside its traditionalboundaries.

1.8 English Heritage and its partners on thecross-sectoral Power of Place Steering Group areconsidering how best to build on the partnershipworking established during that process andharness the energies of the sector as a whole. The Government has commissioned EnglishHeritage, in consultation with partnerorganisations, to formulate a five-year strategy for the development of effectiveworking relationships both within the historic environment sector and with otherrelevant interests.


1.9 This strategy will need to cover partnershipworking at both national and regional level. Atregional level the Government will want to seeEnglish Heritage building on the work of theRegional Cultural Consortia and reflecting themove to greater regionalisation more generally.

Expanding the knowledge base1.10 For all organisations concerned with thehistoric environment, a solid evidence base forpolicy-making is an essential. For grant-givers suchas English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund,good quality research is vital to inform the directionof resources. For the Government and localauthorities as legislators and regulators, evidence iscrucial to the process both of framing policy and ofevaluating its impact.



Stonehenge World Heritage SiteThe Department for Culture, Media and Sport, theDepartment for Transport, Local Government andthe Regions, English Heritage, the National Trust,English Nature, the Highways Agency, WiltshireCounty Council and Salisbury District Council areall partners in an ambitious project to restore thedignity and isolation of Stonehenge, our greatestprehistoric monument, and enable people to enjoyand appreciate it fully.

When completed, the scheme will reuniteStonehenge and its surrounding monuments in theirnatural chalk downland landscape setting andprovide radically improved visitor access to theWorld Heritage Site. To help visitors appreciate andinterpret the monument and its setting, a newworld-class visitor centre will be established outsidethe boundaries of the Site. This strongly led andcoordinated approach will help ensure thatStonehenge is preserved and managed in a waybefitting its international importance.

Mapping the seabedThe Hampshire and Wight Trust for MaritimeArchaeology is involved in a number of projects whichinvolve the mapping of underwater historical andarchaeological material dating from different periods.

One scheme is a survey of the rich archaeology thathas accumulated in Langstone Harbour over thecenturies, including worked flints from theMesolithic Age, flints and pottery from the BronzeAge, and a fully submerged circle of timbers fromAD 740-780. The aim is to collect together a widerange of data covering as many aspects of theHarbour’s history as possible. Central to thisrecording process is the development of aGeographic Information System as a means ofholding, manipulating and displaying this diversedata in a way that will be accessible through a set ofmaps. This will enable records of the nature of theartefacts and their location to be combined withhistorical and environmental context information,thereby creating a rich multi-media research andinterpretation tool. It will also allow the data to beeasily accessible on the Internet.

1.11 One of recommendations in Power of Placewas that the Government should commission regular state of the historic

environment reports to monitor the condition ofour historic assets (whether or not formallydesignated), to assess the pressures facing themand to analyse their contribution to contemporarylife in cultural, economic and social terms. Suchreports would provide yardsticks with which tomeasure the achievements, not only of the sectoritself but also of local government, business andlocal communities, in looking after the historicenvironment and enhancing its contribution tocontemporary life. Achievements of localgovernment might also contribute to thedevelopment of a Best Value indicator and alsothe scope for the historic environment featuringin the Beacon Councils scheme. The Governmentsupports the recommendation and has askedEnglish Heritage to produce a pilot HistoricEnvironment Report during 2002.

1.12 Research relating to the historic environmentis undertaken by a wide range of organisations,both within the sector itself and elsewhere (forinstance, in academic institutions). Whileacknowledging that a great deal of high-qualitywork has already been done or is currently inprogress, the Government believes that acoordinated approach to research is essential if itsfull benefit is to be realised. The Government hascommissioned English Heritage, working withpartner organisations, to frame a coordinatedapproach to research across the sector, withthe aim of ensuring that needs are clearlyidentified, priorities established andduplication avoided.

1.13 The Sites and Monuments Recordsmaintained by local authorities are acknowledgedas an extremely valuable resource, with manypotential uses. On one level they are essential tothe effective operation of the planning system, butthey also have the potential to be a powerfuleducational tool, both for the professional andacademic users and for the wider public. TheGovernment welcomes the recommendation inPower of Place that the service offered by theseRecords should be enhanced, that their scopeshould be more comprehensive, and that access tothe information held should be facilitated throughuse of the electronic media.

1.14 Sites and Monuments Records expanded andimproved in this way could embrace historicbuildings (both those statutorily listed and thoseof local interest), conservation areas, historicbattlefields, and historic parks and gardens. In thisway they would become comprehensive HistoricEnvironment Record Centres. These would besignificant developments and careful thoughtmust be given to the technology involved inmaking electronic access to the expanded datawidely available, given variations in the way theRecords are currently operated. There are anumber of models that might be adopted toprovide a new system. The Government willproduce a consultation paper covering a rangeof options in the summer of 2002.


REALISING EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL


Realising Educational Potential

2.1 The historic environment has immense valueas an educational resource, both as a learningexperience in its own right and as a tool for otherdisciplines. Whether at school, in further andhigher education or in later life, the fabric of thepast constitutes a vast reservoir of knowledge andlearning opportunities. This is as true of theoldest archaeological remains as it is of buildingsof the last fifty years. The history of buildings andplaces is also the history of the age in which theyoriginated and of the eras in which theyflourished. They can tell us about the individualsand the institutions that created them andoccupied them and about the societies and thelocal communities they served. Nor is theeducational significance of the historicenvironment confined to the teaching of history.It is also relevant to subject areas as diverse aseconomics, geography, aesthetics, science,

technology and design. Buildings and places canalso play a role in developing a sense of activecitizenship; by learning about their ownenvironment and how they can participate in itsevolution, people feel a greater sense of belongingand engagement.

2.2 On another level, preserving the fabric of thepast requires knowledge and expertise. Half theannual turnover of the construction industryrelates to repairs and maintenance. Training intraditional craft skills is essential to ensure thatexisting buildings are satisfactorily maintained.This is a mainstream economic activity and weneed to address the current severe lack of skillsby developing an integrated approach toconservation training to ensure that the necessaryskills are fostered and passed on from generationto generation.

The task: to realise the full potential of the historic environment as a learningresource.

Main picture:Children examining an historicartefact during school trip.

Excavations at Rivenhall Church,Essex(courtesy Essex County Council)

Cathedral Camp restoration,Coventry Cathedral.(courtesy Cathedral Camp)

Lifelong learning2.3 The increasing public interest in localheritage, archaeology and genealogydemonstrates a keen appetite among all age-groups to learn about the past. The BBC’sHistory 2000 project made innovative linksbetween television programmes and otherresources, such as those available throughlibraries, museums and historic properties. Theproject encouraged many people to follow up theirinterests with site visits and further reading, andvividly demonstrated the role of the historicenvironment in promoting knowledge of andenthusiasm for the past. The Government willwork with English Heritage and the Learningand Skills Council to frame an action plan toincrease opportunities for those who wish todevelop their interests further, for examplethrough further and higher education orvocational courses.

2.4 The highly successful annual Heritage OpenDays give the public an opportunity to experiencesome of England’s hidden architectural treasures.Other events such National Archaeology Days,Architecture Week and Museums and GalleriesMonth have helped promote wider publicawareness of these different aspects of ourcultural life. The Government will explore withEnglish Heritage how best to develop theexisting initiatives and whether this approachmight now be extended to the historicenvironment as a whole in the form of anannual Historic Environment Week.



Heritage Open DaysHeritage Open Days are an immensely popularannual event. England’s contribution to the Councilof Europe’s European Heritage Days initiative,Heritage Open Days, began in 1993 with 10,000people taking advantage of free access to fortyparticipating properties.

The event has now grown beyond all recognition. In2000 nearly one million people took part, visiting3,035 properties in England, more than ever before.Popular locations include Westenhanger Castle,Hythe, a partly ruinous fortified house, dating fromthe fourteenth century; North Lees Hall, Hathersage,believed to be the inspiration for Thornfield Hall inJane Eyre; Queen Street Mill in Burnley, a steam-powered weaving shed with a coal-fired Lancashireboiler; Redbournbury Watermill, St Albans, a fullyrestored eighteenth century working watermill,producing stone ground organic flour; and the Sun Inn,Ipswich, a fifteenth century merchant’s house.

School-age children2.5 English Heritage has a leading role inpromoting the historic environment as a resource for use within the school curriculum.

It has produced a wealth of educational materialrelating not only to its own properties but also tothe historic environment more generally. It runscourses particularly directed at trainee and newlyqualified teachers. And, as a member of theQualifications and Curriculum Authority, EnglishHeritage advises on material for the historycurriculum, as well as on the citizenshipcomponent of the National Curriculum.

2.6 Every child should have the opportunity tovisit the widest possible range of historic sites.Over half a million children, students and teachersenjoy free admission annually to English Heritagesites on curriculum-based school trips. TheNational Trust works closely with schools andwelcomes over 600,000 children to its propertiesevery year. Valuable educational schemes are alsooperated by the Royal Parks Agency, HistoricRoyal Palaces and the Historic Houses Association.


Whitehaven Citizenship Project Whitehaven was a prosperous Georgian town but itseconomy declined during the later part of thetwentieth century. The restoration and regenerationof the town centre, harbour and castle during the1990s was led by the Whitehaven DevelopmentCompany. Using the regeneration project, EnglishHeritage has devised a study-programme for thecitizenship curriculum, aimed at Key Stages 3 and 4.

The study programme takes a number of significantfeatures in the town and suggests fieldwork, the useof museums, historic buildings and archives. Atemplate has been laid down which could betransferred easily to other towns or cities. Theprogramme provides many opportunities to developskills and requires pupils to be engaged in thehistorical process: working independently, posingquestions, devising theories and explanations (andtesting them), analysing and evaluating sources,organising their material, and communicating it in avariety of forms. The local authority was the keypartner in the study and has been highly supportive.The programme demonstrates that understandingthe history of a place and its regeneration can becentral to the teaching of citizenship.

2.7 The Government is committed to providinguniversal free access to our national museums andgalleries and, following the measures announced inthe 2001 Budget, free entry became a reality foreveryone from 1 December 2001. Having deliveredon free access for children at the main nationalgalleries and museums, the Government will at anearly opportunity consider, in consultation withrelevant outside interests, how this principlemight be extended to the historic environmentsector. Possible options include free entry for allchildren to properties in the care of EnglishHeritage and other bodies funded by centralGovernment; or, alternatively, a voucher scheme forschools to allow free access to any historic property,whether in public, charitable or private ownership.

2.8 Visits to historic sites and buildings can reallyhelp history and other subjects come alive foryoung people, sparking their creativity andimagination. However, research into similaractivities in the arts has shown that a poorlyorganised day trip can be counterproductive andput children off for life. A more effective approachis to build sustained relationships between schoolsand local historic sites, so that young people getthe chance to work with conservationists,archaeologists and other heritage professionals onlonger term projects. Innovative programmes suchas the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Young Rootsscheme engage young people in heritage activitiesappropriate to their interests and age group.

2.9 The Government’s new Creative Partnershipsprogramme, due to be launched in April 2002,will help broker and support schools projectsright across the cultural, creative and heritagefields. The £40 million scheme will initiallytarget schools in sixteen of the mostdisadvantaged areas in England. The historicenvironment sector and its many professionalshave a huge amount to offer young people and to the Creative Partnerships programme, and the Government would very much encouragehistoric environment organisations to get involved.



Gawthorpe HallThe previous owner of Gawthorpe Hall in Lancashire,now owned by the National Trust, brought togethera vast collection of Indian silks, which was used asinspiration for local mill workers making their ownsilk pieces. Building on this past, the National Trust islooking to broaden the appeal of Gawthorpe Hall bybringing the silk collection out of the basement andfeaturing it in an exhibition. Asian children from anearby school have visited the property and aredeveloping new interpretation of the labels in Urdu.

2.10 There is a wide choice of published materialwhich can assist both teachers and parents indeveloping children’s interest in the historicenvironment. The Department for Education andSkills and the Qualifications and CurriculumAuthority have produced a range of leaflets toassist parents in supporting their children onspecific history topics. The Department’s LearningJourney parents’ guides to the NationalCurriculum emphasise how parents can supporttheir children’s history education through studyof the local heritage. The Commission forArchitecture & the Built Environment (CABE)has published Our Street: Learning to See, whichencourages primary school pupils to appreciatetheir local surroundings. It has also producedFrom One Street to Another for the Council ofEurope, showing the direct relevance of buildingsto people’s lives. The Government will workwith CABE to ensure the widest possiblecirculation for these publications.

2.11 Other cultural bodies have produced materialfor the National Curriculum which could beadapted for the historic environment. Inparticular, the British Film Institute’s MovingImages in the Classroom shows how secondaryschool teachers can use the moving image as aresource in studying a wide range of curriculumsubjects. The Government has asked EnglishHeritage to consider producing a comparabledocument for the historic environment.

E-learning and Culture Online 2.12 Learning through the use of electronicmedia can help bring history to life. Thoughnever a substitute for the experience of seeing ahistoric site at first hand, this approach caninvolve the provision of e-learning or self-managedlearning opportunities for a wide range of people,including socially excluded or disadvantagedgroups. The National Grid for Learning bringstogether websites which support education andlifelong learning. Virtual access to manyindividual historic properties is available throughtheir websites and the 24 Hour Museum portal.

2.13 The Government is establishing a new body,with the working title Culture Online, to widenaccess to all cultural sectors through the use ofdigital technology. It will complement theNational Grid for Learning with information on,among other things, using the historicenvironment to enhance the National Curriculum.English Heritage will work closely withCulture Online in unlocking the potential of e-learning.

Widening the perspective2.14 In recognition of the impact of DavidAnderson’s report, A Common Wealth, whichplaced education firmly at the heart of themuseum sector, a similar report has beencommissioned to assess the provision of learningopportunities within the historic environmentsector, including the role of informationtechnology. The work is funded by the AttinghamTrust and the results are expected in the autumnof 2002. The Government fully supports thisproject as a potential catalyst for the furtherdevelopment of historic environment education.


2.15 In the meantime, to build on the initiativesand activities described in this document, EnglishHeritage will work closely with its partners todevelop further the place of education withinthe historic environment sector. TheGovernment will propose targets for increasedactivity in this area for inclusion in EnglishHeritage’s Funding Agreement for 2002-03.For example, the Government will ask EnglishHeritage to build on its current work to increaseawareness among teachers of the relevance of thehistoric environment as a resource for the widestpossible range of subjects. It will also look toEnglish Heritage to develop a strategy towardslifelong learning (including the targeting ofgroups such as older learners, families anddisadvantaged young people) and to promote thehistoric environment in vocational training for theleisure and tourism sector. English Heritage is akey member of the Sponsored Bodies EducationNetwork, which has been established by theDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport todevelop a strategic approach by its sponsoredbodies towards educational issues.

Training in Craft Skills2.16 The Craft Skills Forum, led by UK SKILLS,comprises organisations with an interest in craftskills relating to the historic environment, such asstained glass conservation, stone-carving,thatching and dry-stone-walling. It seeks widerrecognition of the importance of specialisttraditional craft skills in sustaining the historicenvironment and in securing those skills for thefuture. One of its main priorities is to promoteawareness of career development opportunities inschools, colleges and universities.

2.17 The Building Skills Action Group, inpartnership with English Heritage, theConstruction Industry Training Board and otherinterests, aims to promote practical training intraditional construction skills, such as brick-laying, plastering and carpentry. Business andmanagement skills are also important in makingtechnical skills marketable. As the sectoral leadbody English Heritage will coordinate thework of these two groups and others workingin the area to ensure a coherent approach tomeeting skills requirements.

2.18 Several new education initiatives that offergood opportunities for developing training incraft skills. For example, new vocational GCSEsto be launched in 2002 will be supported by aprogramme of college and work placements,heralding a shift towards vocational courses andexpanded opportunities for work-related learning.These, along with the Government’s ModernApprenticeships scheme for those aged 16 andover, will help young people learn craft skills. TheLearning and Skills Council is responsible foraddressing the education and training needs ofthose over 16. The Government is exploringwith the Learning and Skills Council howsome planned Centres of VocationalExcellence could specialise in skills relevant tothe historic environment.



2.19 To help address the skills gap in a widerange of areas, including conservation craft skills,the Heritage Lottery Fund actively encouragesapplicants for grants to include training elementswithin their applications, especially for specialistcraft skills, and to provide apprenticeships andwork placements which may not readily becovered by the Learning and Skills Council.Within the framework of the England RuralDevelopment Programme, operated by theDepartment for Environment, Food and RuralAffairs, support is available under the RuralEnterprise Scheme and Vocational TrainingScheme for projects which develop ruralconservation and craft skills such as thatching,dry-stone-walling, hedge-laying and traditionalbuilding restoration. The Government willencourage other grant-givers to give training a similar priority.

Site management and interpretation skills2.20 In order to survive, visitor attractions mustsatisfy the needs and expectations of theircustomers. Customer care and interpretation skillsare very important, and staff with a role to play inensuring customer satisfaction must be supportedin their development. Close attention must begiven to the continued professional developmentof those running and managing historicattractions and this must include the fostering ofskills in management, business management,marketing and fundraising.

2.21 Many universities now provide courses onaspects of heritage or leisure management. TheGovernment has asked English Heritage towork with one or two major providers todevelop courses which will match the skillsrequired within the sector.


Windsor Castle restorationIn 1992 a large fire broke out in Windsor Castle,destroying nine of the principal state apartmentsand 100 other rooms. A major restoration projectlasting five years was completed in November1997.The project was the largest rebuilding projectundertaken in the past century. Teams of skilledcarpenters, plasters, upholsterers, stonemasons andseamstresses were employed, using skills some ofwhich had been thought lost. Wood carversrecreated giltwood carvings in the drawing rooms.Plasterers used fragments of plaster salvaged fromthe fire to recreate the traditional ceiling and walldesigns. Rather then replicating the state rooms asthey were before the fire, the opportunity was takento return the rooms to their original appearance. InSt George’s Hall the panelled roof was rebuilt with abrand new oak ceiling using traditional methods.

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