Ben Cowell, Historic Houses

A gilded cage: country houses as prisons Country houses have been slightly glibly described as ‘prisons’, usually due to the restrictive social conventions, which stifled the freedom of the occupants. However, country houses h…

A gilded cage: country houses as prisons: superb blog thecountryseat.org.uk/2025/12/21/a...

Thanks @thecountryseat.bsky.social !

Cover image of the report, text reads ‘Historic Environment Overview 2024-25, A report by the Historic Environment Overview’.

Today @histenvforum.bsky.social publishes the Historic Environment Overview 2024-25, celebrating the impact of England’s heritage sector in the last financial year. Produced with support from Historic England. Read the new report: historicengland.org.uk/research/her...
#Heritage #Resilience

Scenes from the amazing Copped Hall, near Epping in Essex. It suffered a catastrophic fire in 1917, but for the last 30 years volunteers have been bringing it back to life. It now has a new roof, new floors, and hosts countless community and cultural events. A true inspiration of what can be done.

Unfinished Business: The Gowers Report at 75 - Historic Houses

A landmark report on #heritage was published #OTD 75 years ago - 23 June 1950.

Sir Ernest Gowers investigated how significant houses should be protected for future generations. 75 years on, his (plain) words still ring true.

Read more about it here: www.historichouses.org/unfinished-b...

Digging Clavering Castle For the last three weeks, a team of archaeologists has been at work in the village of Clavering in Essex, uncovering new facts about the med...

A blog from me about... Digging Clavering Castle benspalimpsest.blogspot.com/2025/06/digg... @castlestudies.bsky.social

Imposing planning fees on listed buildings would be a huge mistake The planning application is free at present — scrapping this perk would discourage the preservation of some beautiful properties

Thoughts from @historic-houses.bsky.social on why "Imposing planning fees on listed buildings would be a huge mistake" - including a call for use of the listed building consent order mechanism for certain routine, reversible changes.
www.thetimes.com/article/f8f2...

Today @histenvforum.bsky.social launches the new Heritage Sector Resilience Plan 2025-35 (HSRP2) providing a clear roadmap for partnership working to deliver a robust & resilient heritage sector. Read the plan on HEF’s website: historicenvironmentforum.org.uk/hef-activiti...
#HeritageResiliencePlan

The enormous cost of repairs and maintenance borne by independent owners, rocketing insurance premiums, and delays in the planning system: just some of the topics I raised today at the DCMS select committee.

Catch the session here: www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...

Castle Howard: Vanbrugh's Palace Redisplayed Podcast Episode · Your Places or Mine · 05/06/2025 · 51m

Brilliant episode by John and Clive, showcasing Castle Howard’s recent transformation but also discussing how this could only be done by private owners. Comparisons are thereby drawn with Clandon etc. It makes for a fascinating discussion, well worth a listen.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/y...

Thanks Matthew - sorry to miss you, but it was good to see @kwilsonlee.bsky.social there representing AHF! A great warm-up event for the AHF birthday celebrations next year.

Dan Cruickshank talks about the heritage protest movement, in front of a picture of Barlaston Hall in Staffordshire.

Dan Cruickshank talks about how the 1975 Year of Architectural Heritage gave rise to pressure groups such as SAVE Britain's Heritage - still going strong.

A joy to see Dan Cruickshank (metaphorically) don his kipper tie and corduroy flares to take us back to the heady days of 1975.

Dan's own contribution to the Year of Architectural Heritage was to occupy threatened Georgian buildings in Spitalfields, as part of the burgeoning heritage movement.

Gen Z put off visiting historic houses by transport challenges and cost - Museums Association But young people value heritage sites as places to unplug from technology, according to report

Thanks to @museumsassociation.org for featuring our new @historic-houses.bsky.social report on Gen Z's relationship with heritage. It's a great read - well worth a look.

www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jour...

I love this bit. Extra tech doesn't always mean better

Thanks Lizzie - a fun thread of a fun day!

A wrap up of today’s excellent conference celebrating 50 years from 1975 European Year of Architectural Heritage with @historictownsvf.bsky.social @bencowell.bsky.social SAVE @archhfund.org.uk Europa Nostra Uk @heritagealliance.bsky.social & Kings Foundation threadreaderapp.com/thread/19305...

Gen Z sees historic places as a refuge from a hyper-connected world - Historic Houses

Superb new report from @historic-houses.bsky.social about how Gen Z connect with heritage - well worth a read.

www.historichouses.org/gen-z-sees-h...

Not a bad day to see this place

A treat to hear the great Ken Worpole speak last night about his new book, Brightening from the East. Landscape, memory, and nonconformity on the Essex coast.

Preserving English eccentricity: 20 years of the World Marmalade Awards The contest now draws in more than 3,200 entries from as far afield as the Czech Republic and South Korea

Preserving English eccentricity at Dalemain in Cumbria: celebrating 20 years of the World Marmalade Awards www.theguardian.com/food/2025/ap...

The Renaissance of Castle Howard - a true British country house revival

Baroness Twycross Baroness Twycross was appointed Baroness in Waiting (Government Whip) on 11 July 2024 and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 23 July 2024.

Many congratulations to Baroness Twycross for taking over the heritage brief at @dcmsgovuk.bsky.social . We look forward to working with you in this important role.

www.gov.uk/government/p...

“The whole point is that these places are independent. They are their own masters and can be run in whichever way they want and they can display things how they wish.”

I am quoted at the end of the article as saying what an amazing job the National Trust does.

The headline may slightly mislead!

Thanks Stephen. You are right, and that is exactly what the article says.

“Ben Cowell, director general of Historic Houses, said: “We don’t own any of these properties so we’ve got absolutely no remit to instruct owners on what to do, and nor do we want to.”

I just came across this while looking for something else (as you do) and my life is now complete.

Wentworth Woodhouse, Hampton Court, and I nearly said Blair Castle (but it’s Strawberry Hill?)

The country house and the neoliberal society Abstract. The English (or British) country house has enjoyed an under-appreciated social and economic revival in the last 25 years as a result of changes i

Well worth reading Peter Mandler on the Fall and Rise of the Stately Home, 25 years on academic.oup.com/tcbh/article...

It's #EnglishTourismWeek this week. Vote for the tourism Superstars who make such a difference to this fantastic industry!

The amazing Muncaster Castle is on the list, thanks to their very own Hannah Clapp. Vote Hannah! (by 23 March)

visitenglandawards.secure-platform.com/tourismsuper...

Good to see @heritagealliance.bsky.social #HeritageCreates report, highlighting the power of heritage in driving innovation & creativity. Inspiring case studies including from Wentworth Woodhouse and Chawton House. www.theheritagealliance.org.uk/our-work/pub...
#HeritageCreates

HEF members Historic Houses have launched a new report on VAT ahead of their submission to the CMS inquiry on Protecting Built Heritage. Read below ⬇️

Deadline today for applying to Attingham Trust's New Perspectives in Country House Studies course www.attinghamtrust.org/courses/new-...