Although humans have been building impressive, gravity-defying architecture for thousands of years, we still have a limited capacity to quickly and effectively diagnose any developing faults in these structures – something that diminishes our ability to conserve them effectively. In…
Orford Castle in Suffolk has reopened to visitors after detailed conservation work – a project 13 years in the making – was completed in January. The castle was originally built for Henry II between 1165 and 1174, as a royal…
St Paul's Cathedral was London's tallest building for more than 200 years. How high is it?
Review by Neil Holbrook Many people have a favourite archaeological site, an evocative place that has a personal resonance with the past. The landscape setting is frequently inspirational, sometimes more so than the actual remains of the site itself. Roger…
Why not mark the start of the other calendric festivals and their associated deities with holidays?... Time to bring back bonfires, dancing at dawn, May Day frolics, and the dressing of rivers, springs, and wells.
Some of the latest stories from the world of archaeology and heritage from Ireland and the UK.
Historic England recently published its Heritage at Risk Register for 2022.
The project involved extensive remedial conservation work to secure the rare, 17th-century painted ceilings for future generations.
The Hardmans’ House, Liverpool
Previous structures nominated for inclusion have ranged from water towers and cranes to stately homes and churches.
Influential figures in the heritage world are concerned about the scale and height of new buildings proposed for the centre of Canterbury, where the primacy of the cathedral as a focal point of views and the intimacy of historic streets are under threat. Chris Catling reports on a manifesto for the city produced by SAVE Britain’s Heritage, warning against the mistakes of post-war development and recommending a new approach that has lessons for many of our towns and cities.
Woodchester Mansion is considered to be one of the UK’s most haunted buildings, and people pay large sums to spend the night in the freezing cold mansion with their ghost-detecting cameras and radar equipment.
A round-up of the latest archaeological news from around the UK.
This image shows Esgair Llewelyn in Powys, one of the oldest farmhouses in Wales. It was built as a cruck-framed upland hallhouse c.1500. It would have originally had an open fire in the middle of the hall floor, but the…
With its distinctive chequerboard exterior combining Caen stone and knapped flint, the Marlipins building in Shoreham-by-Sea has been an eye-catching landmark for centuries – in fact, dendrochronological analysis suggests that it is the earliest surviving secular building in Sussex. Its…
The event, Meet the Makers Behind London's Heritage, is being hosted by the Heritage of London Trust (HOLT), an independent charity which has spearheaded restoration projects in the city for over 40 years.
The British Sundial Society is compiling a register of all the Mass dials (also known as scratch dials) in the country. So far, 5,500 examples have been recorded and the society is keen to hear from anyone who can help…
You views on the latest issues in Current Archaeology.
There is a growing realisation that the solution to the climate emergency is to retrofit existing buildings, with all their embodied carbon and energy, rather than to build new ‘environmentally sustainable’ structures in place of old.
In response to the Black Lives Matter protests of June 2020, influential voices within the Anglican church called for the removal of every monument and stained-glass window commemorating people connected with slavery and empire. Ideologically motivated change on such a scale might seem unprecedented, but it has happened time and again throughout history, not least in the 16th and 17th centuries when wall paintings were obliterated and rood-lofts demolished. New discoveries remind us what we have lost, as Chris Catling reports.
This ‘society’ consists of an informal Facebook group with some 1,600 members. Anyone who shares the group’s passion for exploring places of worship and contributing photographs that inspire others to enjoy visiting such places can join. Perhaps more people would…
Lisbon's Núcleo Arqueológico da Rua dos Correeiros museum, London's Courtauld Gallery, and Boston's Museum of Fine Arts have all reopened.
A round-up of some of the latest archaeological stories in the UK.
No more waiting for photographs to be processed only to discover that half of them are under- or over-exposed or out of focus: we live in the age of selfies, and social media based on images taken with mobile phones that are many times more sophisticated than the cameras of the past, giving instant results. It is therefore easy to forget what a lengthy and difficult process it was to illustrate archaeological journals in the past. Chris Catling has been learning all about the ways in which archaeological illustration has evolved from an illuminating book produced to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Cambrian Archaeological Association.
The Friends organise a rota of more than 100 volunteer ‘watchers’ to keep the churches open. They put on lectures, tours, and special events, while encouraging others to make use of the buildings.
A round-up the latest news in the world of Art History, including the discovery of Roman frescoes in a former Cinema in Verona, and the Louvre's acquisition of an important watercolour work.
Church Recorders work in groups of 10-15 people, supported by a skilled photographer. They research and document the memorials, stonework, flooring, woodwork, metalwork, windows, textiles, paintings, organ, books, and historical records.
This work was deemed particularly important, as the building had been identified as one of the 16 most important synagogues at risk in Europe.
It was decided instead that nine new carvings commemorating trailblazing women throughout history would be installed.
News touching on the conservation of a 12th century church in Hertfordshire, the discovery of medieval structures at Berwick Infirmary, and the National Trust marking 125 years since the purchase of its first house.
Medieval property Alfriston Clergy House was the first to be purchased by the National Trust, and it cost just £10.
Historic England’s latest book is an architectural history of England’s Co-operative Movement.
Rising rent may force the Antiquaries to leave Burlington House, potentially endangering its extensive collection, which includes many historically significant objects.
If you aspire to owning a Lutyens house and have very deep pockets, the Trust’s property column will alert you to houses for sale.
Since 1980, the UK’s National Heritage Memorial Fund has been safeguarding significant heritage at risk of loss. New archaeological finds declared as Treasure, works of art being sold to overseas buyers, historic buildings, and even an island home for puffins all come under the NHMF’s remit, with the various items they support serving as a memorial to those who have died for the UK. As the government-funded NHMF celebrated its 40th anniversary, Lucia Marchini spoke to Vanessa Wells to learn more about its achievements over the decades.
Was it by coincidence that the formation of the Art Deco Society UK (ADSUK) in 2019 coincided with the publication of Art Deco Britain: buildings of the interwar years by Elain Harwood, Historic England’s 20th-century architecture specialist? Elain argues that…