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New research, funded by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) through its Culture and Heritage Capital Programme, has demonstrated that heritage has a positive effect on wellbeing, with the presence of nearby historic places having a direct benefit on local residents’ quality of life. In particular, there was a strong, positive relationship between the density of heritage near a person’s residence and their self-reported life satisfaction. This is the first study to attempt to quantify the wellbeing value of heritage in this way, and the observed effects were similar to those of green spaces. Interestingly, the link existed whether people participated in heritage activities or not, demonstrating that it is the very existence of heritage and its proximity that drives this benefit.
The research also showed that, even when socioeconomic characteristics, local prosperity, and overall health were accounted for, heritage still had a significant effect on wellbeing. Additionally, it was not just proximity to large, Grade I-listed heritage sites that seemed to have an effect. Living near Grade II-listed buildings – which represent 92% of places on the National Heritage List for England – also led to increases in life satisfaction, and in fact were responsible for driving most of these uplifts.
The research then attempted to estimate the financial impact of this boost in wellbeing, estimating that cultural heritage is worth an average of £515 per individual, with a collective ‘Wellbeing Adjusted Life Year’ value of £29 billion across England. These results show the direct impact heritage has not only on individual wellbeing but also on the economy, highlighting the importance of continued investment in this sector.
Commenting on the main findings of the report, Lord Neil Mendoza, Chairman of Historic England and Chair of the Culture and Capital Board at the DCMS, said: ‘For the first time, we have robust economic evidence that heritage makes a significant contribution to people’s quality of life. We all value the role that green spaces play in ensuring wellbeing; this groundbreaking new research shows us that the everyday local heritage found in towns and cities across England plays a comparable and valuable role.’
The full report, entitled ‘Heritage Capital and Well-being: examining the relationship between heritage density and life satisfaction’ is available here: https://historicengland.org.uk/research/results/reports/18-2024.
Text: Kathryn Krakowka / Image: Historic England Archive
