The Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco and its International Institute Life Beyond Tourism are pleased  to invite you to the 2019 International Symposium “HERITAGE as a BUILDER of PEACE”, to be held during the 21st General Assembly of the Foundation’s Life Beyond Tourism Movement,  in Florence (Italy), on 1, 2, 3 March 2019.

The call for abstract can be found here.

Abstract submissions are due 30th November, 2018, which can be sent here: secretarygeneral@fondazione-delbianco.org

Notification of the abstracts accepted will be posted here by 20th December, 2018.

The Building Stone Atlas of Sussex by Roger Cordiner and Tony Brook is now available, (an order form is attached). This Atlas is the result of 20 years work surveying and researching the building stones of 316 medieval churches as well as many other ancient buildings in Sussex and the surrounding area. It will be of value to Building Conservationists, Geologists, Geographers, Historians, Archaeologists, Planners, and Builders, as well as those with an interest in the traditional built environment of Sussex and surrounding areas.

The Atlas has had outstanding reviews, a selection of which are shown below:

‘A well-researched and well-written account presented in a highly accessible format of use to both professionals and general interest readers.’

Geoffrey Mead – Sussex Industrial Archaeology Society.

‘What a pleasure it is to read this landmark book, and browse its well-designed full colour maps and photographs.’

Rodney Castleden –  (Sussex Past and Present)

‘Roger and Anthony Brook have produced this excellent study of what is now a vanished local industry.’

Chris Darmon – Down to Earth Magazine.

‘…view this masterful, beautifully produced volume and you will be absolutely delighted. This is no simple Atlas, it describes and pictures in wonderful detail, over 50 rock types found in the (Medieval) buildings of Sussex.

…a beautiful, useful book of such quality, buy it, admire it, make the most of it, and treasure it.’

John F. Potter – (Geoscientist).

The Atlas is available directly from Roger Cordiner or from:

Kim’s Bookshop (Arundel and Chichester)

Wheelers Bookshop (Midhurst)

The Bookshop (East Grinstead)

Barbican House Bookshop (Lewes)

Hastings History House (Hastings).

There is still time to register for the 7th European Congress on the Use, Management and Conservation of Buildings of Historical Value.  The event takes place on the 14-15 November, 2018, at the Hofburg Vienna.

See here for the programme and more information.

In 2016, HES committed to a review and replacement of the Historic Environment Scotland Policy Statement (HESPS). This was an interim document which was put in place when Historic Environment Scotland (HES) was formed.

The draft replacement policy has the working title of Historic Environment Policy (HEP). HEP is for everyone who cares about decisions that affect the historic environment. This includes those who make the decisions, as well as anyone else affected by or interested in them. This draft policy is a product of these conversations and principles. Whilst HEP will be a short, strategic document, it will be underpinned by policy guidance.

To review the policy see here.

Haven’t heard of us? We’re a fledgling organisation that has been formed to support the work of archivists who are employed in the private collections of estates and country houses throughout Scotland. Working with these collections poses unique challenges, and many of the archivists in this sector are volunteers, who often work alone.

Read more from Broadsheet, magazine of the Scottish Council on Archives here.

Wales as a nation has emerged from a shared cultural inheritance over thousands of years. However, at the end of the twentieth century our nation came of age with the devolution settlement and once again it now has law-making powers. It was fitting that one of the first pieces of legislation that was passed by the National Assembly for Wales was for the better protection of the historic environment. As a consequence of the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016, many observers, both inside and outside Wales, have hailed us for now having the most progressive legislation for the protection and management of the historic environment anywhere in the United Kingdom. This is important. The historic environment is the physical manifestation of Wales’ cultural heritage; a precious inheritance that we must care for and pass on to our children to love, cherish and enjoy.

Read more on this report here by Lord Elis-Thomas AM, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport.

The Public Value of Historic Houses

The majority of the historic houses open to the public in the UK are maintained by independent owners, rather than by charities or government. Our 1,650 independent member houses, castles and gardens currently welcome over 26 million visits every year, generate £1 billion for the UK economy and engage hundreds of thousands of annual education visitors. They support over 33,700 FTE jobs and are home to a wide range of rural SMEs and start-ups, ranging from film production companies and travel agencies to small manufacturers. These irreplaceable historic houses and castles are the public’s most-valued part of the UK’s unique historic environment, according to Historic England surveys.

See here for more information on the Historic Houses Campaign Briefing 2018.

After 10 years of European funding, 375 students and 65 countries, applications for the Advanced Masters in Structural Analysis of Monuments and Historical Constructions are opened up to January 20, 2019. This is the leading international course on conservation of heritage structures, winner of the 2017 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage “Europa Nostra”, and a unique opportunity to meet people from all over the world.

This Master Course, which is running its 12th Edition, is organized by a Consortium of leading European Universities/Research Institutions in the field, composed by University of Minho (coordinating institution, Portugal), the Technical University of Catalonia (Spain), the Czech Technical University in Prague (Czech Republic), the University of Padua (Italy) and the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Czech Republic).

The course combines the most recent advances in research and development with practical applications.

A significant number of scholarships, ranging from 4,000 to 13,000 Euro, are available to students of any nationality.

Please find full details on the MSc programme, as well as electronic application procedure, on the website.

WAF is pleased to announce that following the success of the WAF Berlin Tour Programme, we have created a bespoke Amsterdam tour offering for WAF 2018. Amsterdam has a unique architectural landscape, allowing us to tap into the its magnificent architectural heritage, first-class contemporary buildings and the vibrant architectural scene across the Netherlands. This year, WAF presents the best art spaces and most intriguing building projects, exciting protagonists and iconic locations.

Tour places are inclusive in the Premium Plus Delegate Pass and accommodation package. Why not make the most of your visit to Amsterdam and include one of our unique tours in your trip by booking your pass now. Click here to book.

Once your pass is booked, our Customer Care team will be in contact to confirm which tour you would like to attend. Tours will be available to book onto on a first come first served basis and spaces are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

See here for more information.