East – 2018 Year Review

Change seems to have been the dominant theme over the past year. The heritage sector has seen its own shake-ups, including the recent genesis of the National Lottery Heritage Fund (from the former Heritage Lottery Fund), and uncertainties remain for those with responsibilities for historic buildings and sites.

H+R East Office director, David Watt, has seen growing demand in the past 12 months for detailed investigations to identify defects and provide recommendations for practical remedial solutions, environmental assessments and monitoring, condition surveys for purchasers of large or complex historic properties, planned maintenance inspections and scheduling of prioritised work as owners or agents seek to better understand their assets and associated liabilities, and consolidation of ancient monuments and standing ruins.

Projects of particular note include timber investigations at Beverley Minster and Oxburgh Hall, continued involvement at Blickling Hall, moisture profiling and specification for remedial re-decoration at Anglesey Abbey, survey and repair at Octavia Hill Birthplace House, environmental assessment and monitoring on the Holkham Estate and condition survey of headstocks and associated buildings at Hatfield colliery.

David continues to provide training, lectures and CPD events to academic and professional audiences, and as Honorary Research Fellow in the UCL Institution for Sustainable Heritage.