The industrial heritage in Britain – the first fifty years

Abstract

The situation regarding the industrial heritage in Britain is very complex and fluid as it has evolved over a period of fifty years and is still evolving. The industrial heritage has its origins in a “grass roots” movement, it was embraced by government agencies quite early, it led to specialised documentation and management processes and has had a prolific output of popular publications. It also witnessed the creation of numerous industrial museums, is hugely supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, is the subject of major regeneration schemes and is being taught in a few universities. As such it is typically British – practice has often preceded theory, popular enthusiasm has prompted academic study, ad hoc designation has been conducted in parallel with contextual evaluation while large sums of private and public money are employed in conserving and re-using the industrial heritage. Since 1973 Britain has also championed the subject internationally - in promoting industrial landscapes as World Heritage Sites and being instrumental in the creation of TICCIH (The International Committee for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage). Through European Union funded projects it is also very much involved in the study and regeneration of historic industrial sites in Europe. These thoughts and perspectives on the industrial heritage in Britain are very much from the standpoint of someone working in a quasi-government agency concerned with applied research and the management of the Industrial Archaeology resource and will address five groups of elements: • the origins of Industrial Archaeology, the development of popular interest in the industrial heritage; • British involvement in the international industrial heritage; • the identification and recording (documentation) of historic industrial sites, the dissemination of information about these sites; • the evaluation, protection, conservation, regeneration and management of historic industrial sites and landscapes; • the academic development of the subject and the intellectual debate on its future direction.