ABSTRACT The National Heritage List for England represents a remarkable case where a state, normally relied upon for healthcare, policing, defence and infrastructure, turned its hand to architectural history. ‘Listed’ buildings in England are legally protected from demolition or alteration without permission. The list itself is valuable for the study of architecture and often constitutes the only writing about buildings. It is also an important milestone in the history of heritage management. This paper argues that the most important event in the history of the list, after its origin, was the ‘accelerated resurvey’ between 1982 and 1989. This was the first and last time listing was approached as an exhaustive and systematic process; the list doubled in size during the short period of the resurvey. This paper is the second on the subject, the first being by Martin Robertson and others who were directly involved in the project shortly after it was completed, over 30 years ago. This paper presents a critical reassessment of the resurvey process, from an author not involved in the project. The paper pays particular focus on the practicalities of the resurvey (how it was done) and the criteria of the resurvey (how buildings were selected).
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