Annual Review 1 February 2018 – 31 January 2019 Company details and officers Contents Bath Preservation Trust Limited Chairman’s Report 4

Registered Office No.1 Royal Crescent, Bath, BA1 2LR Chief Executive’s Report 6 Charity Registered No 203048 Obituaries 2018-2019 7 Company Registered No 294789 Tel No: +44 (0)1225 338727 Architecture and Planning Committee 8 www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk The Environs of Bath Sub Committee 23 Patron His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales KG Vice-Presidents Adam Fergusson Bath Preservation Trust Museums – Overview 24 The Rt Hon. The Lord Patten of Barnes CH PC BPT Curatorial Overview 26 Trustees No.1 Royal Crescent 28 Chairman Thomas Sheppard Diane Aderyn OBE Museum of Bath Architecture 32 Julie Finch Beckford’s Tower and Museum 35 Peta Hall Bruce Haines Herschel Museum of Astronomy 38 Robert Hellard Colin Johnston Learning and Engagement at the Trust’s Museums 40 Rachel Johnston Tom Marshall Marketing and Social Media 42 Simon Morray-Jones Membership and Trust Tours 43 Professor Robert Tavernor Victoria Thornton OBE World Heritage Site Enhancement Fund 45 Mark Wilson Jones Overview of the Trust’s Finances 47 Chief Executive Caroline Kay Legal Advisors Stone King LLP, Bath Summary Financial Information for the Year Ended 31 January 2019 49 Bankers CAF Bank Ltd, Kent Lloyds, Bath Auditors Bishop Fleming LLP, Bristol Financial Advisors Quilter Cheviot, Bristol Legal Status Company Limited by guarantee governed by the provisions in its Articles of Association Bath Preservation Trust is also sole trustee of the Beckford Tower Trust and the Herschel House Trust

Cover image: Peter Brown’s painting of Bath Cricket Club. The club’s car park was the subject of a controversial student accommodation planning application which unfortunately was approved by B&NES Planning Committee (see p 9). Image by kind permission of Peter Brown

2 3 Chairman’s Report: A legacy for the future This new initiative is only possible because of two Americans, Carl and Jeannette Mays, who were regular visitors to Bath from their home in the United States. Carl and Jeannette developed The Bath Preservation Trust was established in 1934 to a strong love for the city and also a lasting friendship with Trust members Paul and Gillian Sladen. campaign against short-sighted plans for the car which When Carl, himself a conservation architect, died last year his will left a substantial sum to the threatened the unique Georgian city of Bath. In part it was the Bath Preservation Trust. In making his will Carl was guided and supported by Paul and Gillian as Trust’s response to the proposed demolition of part of the he wanted his legacy to further his personal lifelong interest in conservation architecture and to upper town in 1934 and its subsequent opposition to the support students whose commitment to that discipline he saw as crucial to assuring the demolition of many more listed buildings that allows Bath to maintenance of our architectural heritage. He chose the Bath Preservation Trust because he was be the only whole city in the UK afforded World Heritage a great supporter of our work and wanted to help us do more. I am sure that our future interns Status. We now live in more complicated times and frequently will be grateful to Carl and Jeannette Mays and we will be using their names for the fund they we need to anticipate issues as well as react to them. As part have left us. of this year’s work the staff and trustees have taken time from We understand that it may often be difficult to find the cash to provide meaningful support our day-to-day business to think and plan for the future. The during one’s lifetime but Carl has shown us what an extraordinary difference a legacy can make task for the Trustees has been to imagine the challenges and in planning for the future. It may well be that, until now, you had not thought of how you could issues for our city in 2029 and how the Trust will be ready to help us by leaving us a legacy in your will. You could make a real difference to something you respond. I hope I will be able to share some of our thoughts care about as a Member of the Trust. If you would like to speak to any of us about what you and ideas at our AGM in July. might like to do please do contact us. The Trust’s charitable objects are to encourage and support As you can see from this report the Trust has also had a full and busy year and I am grateful to the conservation, evolution and enhancement of Bath and its environs within a framework all our staff and volunteers who have made so much possible. appropriate to both its historic setting and its sustainable future and to provide educational resources that focus on the architectural and historic importance of the City. Thomas Sheppard We are already well used to finding engaging ways to explain the importance and relevance of the city’s heritage by using the four museums and also by working with local schools through our education programme. As in 1934, it is important that individuals care about what may be happening to our city and that the Council is well advised by engaged and experienced planning Buckingham Palace Garden Party professionals. One of the challenges for the future is the financial pressures on all Local Authorities as their central funding is cut; B&NES have a planning and historic environment team On 22 May 2018 and in perfect weather, five longest serving representatives (Caroline that is stronger than some cities, but they are not immune from these cash pressures.It is Kay, Joanna Robinson, Ann Godrey, Pip Campbell and Amy Frost – not pictured) of Bath important to our built heritage that architecture and planning students are encouraged to Preservation Trust went to the Prince of Wales’ 70th Birthday Garden Party at Buckingham consider a career in conservation and heritage but the financial pressures may make it harder for Palace. HRH Prince Charles is Patron of over 420 charities, the oldest patronage being them to get that first job. The Trust already takes interns into our campaigning work but we now Bath Preservation Trust, which he has been Patron of since 1973. The Duke and Duchess see we might have a wider role in helping newly qualified heritage students. of Sussex accompanied HRH Prince Charles, only a few days after their wedding so there The Trustees have in 2018 been given a marvellous opportunity to formalise our annual was a real sense of celebration for everyone. internship programme to give high quality students that first step on the employment ladder. We are very lucky in Bath because both of our city’s universities have excellent degree courses, as of course do a number of other institutions, so we will have no difficulty in finding talented candidates. We are intending to create a paid internship role to work with our planning and conservation team. This role will give that valuable and necessary first job and also practical work experience which facilitates entry into the sector on a more permanent basis. We also want to establish our own annual conference in Bath for conservation architecture and planning professionals and students who have “passed through BPT” which will speak about their experience in the wider sector. We should be able to start this initiative reasonably soon, since we already have interns who have worked with us and are now an interesting ‘diaspora’ of planning consultants, local authority planning officers and a senior officer of SPAB – amongst others. We would like to link this alumni group of our interns to us and to each other to provide them with support and to build their networks. This is a very important project to help make sure there are properly trained planners and heritage architects who understand the importance of our country’s built heritage.

4 5 Chief Executive’s Report Obituaries 2018–2019

2018 was a confident and consolidating year for the Trust. Peter Carey 1951-2018 Although our focus is external – the protection and The world of architectural conservation is built upon the dedication of passionate people and it preservation of the built environment and surrounding was with great sadness this summer that we lost one of its most enthusiastic devotees, Peter countryside of Bath – we do also have four listed buildings in Carey. Elected as a Lethaby Scholar by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in our care and we do also have to look after these. Our Trustees 1977, Peter held the SPAB principles close as he sought to find new and respectful solutions to were able to commit to a level of investment in our buildings adapting and restoring historic buildings. In the mid-1980s he began working with the and also in our income-generating infrastructure. The decision architectural practice of Donald Insall and in 1987 moved to Bath. Peter’s work assisting David to take one of our let properties, the Lower Schoolhouse, back Brain & Partners in the city brought him into contact with Bath Preservation Trust, and a tenure in hand was done to facilitate engagement with the public in sitting on the BPT Architectural Committee. Peter’s knowledge and interest in the redundant our campaigning work by providing a more accessible drop-in spas of Bath drove him to join forces with Sir Nicholas Grimshaw and navigate the Thermae Bath service and to draw that work closer to the Museum of Bath Spa project. Architecture. We also invested in one of our other let Anyone lucky enough to enjoy a Peter Carey tour of the Cross Bath could not fail to appreciate properties (a flat in 19 New King Street above the Herschel the impact that a sensitive eye and imaginative hand can have in bringing an old building Museum) in order to keep up with market standards and allow brilliantly back to life. Always keen to encourage young architects to engage with the city, Peter us to raise more funds for our charitable purpose. We were would regularly bring work placement or newly hired young professionals to the Museum of also looking forward to the submission of a major lottery bid Bath Architecture. An ability to communicate and share his joy in his subject made him a for Beckford’s Tower. In the museums a new integrated museums staffing and operational favourite with students and he frequently gave his time to conduct and support walks, talks and structure bedded in under the leadership of Claire Dixon, BPT Museums Director. As a events for BPT. His excited reaction on seeing the newly purchased John Wood drawing consequence we were able to invest in our training offer for volunteers, our till systems and our instruments (and mischievous request to take them home to use) moved seamlessly into an collections care. erudite analysis of the links between Euclid, Adelard and John Wood – an enduring memory of Meanwhile funding attracted from the Heritage Lottery Fund and local sponsors allowed us to the depth of Peter’s knowledge and his endless excitement for architecture. put on once again an integrated exhibitions offer, this time with the national theme of Women’s Suffrage, with an associated wide-ranging programme of activities and events including a ‘first’ for the Trust of presenting a specially commissioned piece of theatre and to display the poignant tree plaques commemorating suffragettes who recuperated at Batheaston’s Eagle House after imprisonment. The year also continued with the positive partnerships with other Bath Museums, with the two universities in the City, with a wide coalition of partners in the ‘Bathscape’ Project (a Heritage Lottery Fund supported landscape partnership scheme) and with specific single interest action groups. It’s not all good news, however. We have seen some problematic planning decisions taken by the Council, and we initiated judicial review proceedings on one of these – a proposal for student housing over the car park at Bath Cricket Club which went completely against officer advice and which was contrary to local planning policy and involved overdevelopment of the site. Although our legal advice suggested we had a case, the financial risk of proceeding was too great. We have also seen many shop closures in the city centre which detrimentally affects both the economy and the historic environment – it is perhaps time for a new vision for what a previously shop-driven city centre economy should look like. Some of the major sites in Bath now have permission, notably the Quays (North and South) which will see substantial new office space coming to the city centre in the next few years. Other sites, notably Bath Rugby’s proposals for the Rec but not forgetting Bath FC’s plans for Twerton Park, are gaining momentum and may reach some sort of resolution in 2019. We also note the death of Arnold Wilson, former BPT Trustee and former Chair of the Holburne Caroline Kay Museum who died in March 2018. Arnold, who moved to move to Bath in the 1960s, was a distinguished curator and concluded his career as Director of the Bristol City Art Gallery. He was closely involved with the Beckford Tower Committee at BPT for many years.

6 7 Architecture and Planning Committee • The emerging plans for the Stadium for Bath: We have attended various stakeholder feedback sessions with the project team at Bath Rugby. At each stage we have offered Tom Marshall, Chair constructive challenge and advice on the plans and designs and we have also looked to Joanna Robinson, Senior Conservation Officer formalise our decision-making processes to account for those of our Trustees and Advisers Sacha Hunter, Conservation Officer who may be perceived to be conflicted by virtue of being a season ticket holder. Our position is that conflicted Trustees and Advisers may take part in discussions but will not be part of any Highlights 2018 decision-making in relation to our position or responses. In the case of Thomas Sheppard, our Chairman, who has an historical business connection with Bath Rugby, he will not take part in • Moving to our new offices at the discussions or decisions. An overview of the current situation in relation to plans and designs Schoolhouse, next to the Museum of Bath can be found in the Planning Application section of this report. Architecture on the Vineyards, has been one of the highlights of 2018. The move was • An evening with Emma Bridgewater: A joint event with CPRE Avonside, of whom Emma necessitated partly by the fact that No.1 is the Chairman. The event, held at St Michael’s Without in April, was well attended, and took Royal Crescent offices were bursting at the the form of a Q&A discussion between Emma and BPT’s Caroline Kay, touching on threats to seams, and it made good sense from an landscapes locally and nationally, housebuilding and other Green Belt issues. accessibility and specialism point of view for both the conservation and membership • A major disappointment to the Trust this year has been the approval of the Bath Cricket Club functions of the Trust to move to the ground car park student accommodation scheme and our subsequent financial inability to be able floor offices. As one of our aims is to be to bring the decision to Judicial Review. In our view the decision, by B&NES’ Development accessible to provide conservation/ Management Committee councillors by a majority of one, to allow this large scheme which heritage/planning advice and support to our will harm both the conservation area and the World Heritage Site (WHS) and was contrary members, and the public, we hope that to recommendations from several B&NES planning officers, was poor and irrational. With people will feel welcome to call into the donations from some of our supporters, we were able to bring forward the first phase of a office Mon-Thurs business hours. We are legal Judicial Review. However, sadly, we had to pull out of the process due to the high level very grateful to Herman Miller International of financial risk to our charitable funds should the decision go against us. This has prompted for their sponsorship-in-kind of excellent us to set up a rolling CrowdJustice donation platform to set up a ring-fenced ‘fighting fund’ office chairs. to be able to quickly and confidently challenge poor planning decisions going forward. Please do consider donating at www.crowdjustice.com/case/fightingfund/ or click the link • The launch of a new look BPT website, designed to be visually appealing, easy to navigate on our website. and with an advanced search function so that the full and diverse range of our work can be found quickly. The website contains lots of information, guidance and advice on Bath-related • Making Changes: Our guidance for owners of listed buildings, was shortlisted as a Finalist planning, heritage and conservation, and is, we hope, a useful resource for the people of Bath. for an RTPI SW award in the Excellence in the Planning Delivery Process category and also a Finalist in RTPI National Awards. For a copy of the guidance please do contact us or you can access a copy online on our website.

• We were grateful for the help of volunteer Georgie Smith in 2018 as she was able to design and set for publication our new guidance on Signs, Adverts, Banners and Awnings in Bath, which is now available on our website. We often benefit from the support of volunteers in our work and we extend our thanks to all our volunteers in 2018.

• As always we wish to say a big thank you to our expert Architecture & Planning committee members who attend monthly meetings and input much into our work; their time and commitment is truly appreciated.

8 9 Campaigning activities and projects Clean Air Zone 2018 was the year for plenty of local debate about a possible Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and the Trust The Recreation Ground – Views and Vistas was keen to offer our views on the consultation to charge certain polluting cars and other In June 2018 we completed a major internal working document that assesses the value of key vehicles. Whilst we have long supported a form of charging to reduce pollution and preferably views across and towards the site – A View of the Rec, An analysis of key views and congestion, not least because of the effects pollution has on the historic environment, there criteria for assessing the impact of development of Bath Recreation Ground on the were risks with the proposals. In particular we were worried about the limited extent of the zone setting of Bath’s Heritage Landscape. This piece of work was undertaken solely to help created a threat of more ‘rat running’, and although not strictly our remit the impact of charging inform BPT’s own assessment of the impact of any development proposals and has been shared on the less well-off. Our main message however was that we felt that CAZ should be part of a with Historic England, B&NES Council, Bath Recreation Ltd and the Stadium for Bath team. ‘package of measures’ and not a stand-alone punitive charge. If people are forced to leave their cars at home there must be viable alternatives; effective, widespread, cheap public transport and Responding to the B&NES Core Strategy Issues and Options safe cycling and walking routes. In November 2018 the Trust responded in detail to the Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation which considers options relating to the establishment of new strategic policies and Local List SPD amendment of existing policies for the region. We were pleased to see proposed new policy We were very pleased to learn that B&NES has produced a draft Supplementary Planning options relating to housing and restrictions on purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), Document (SPD) on Buildings of Local Importance. This means that a proper ‘Local List’ of but we were also astonished to see that B&NES’s current proposed ’Vision’ for the future of the non-designated but special local buildings will be produced and these buildings will benefit from region does not include a reference to heritage, which is of key economic, social and cultural some heritage protection under the NPPF. The Trust consulted on the draft SPD, providing value to its current and future success. We were also concerned that there is no proposed vision feedback on the text. Our primary concern was the proposal that councillors would have the for retail within the city, which is in decline, and that the proposed policy relating to holiday final decision on whether a building was included on the Local List; in our view a small multi- accommodation was too weak and lacked clarity. See our website for the full response. We disciplinary committee that includes a heritage/planning professional should make such anticipate that a draft Local Plan will come forward this year with an Examination in Public decisions to ensure that expertise supports decision making. following that. Granville Road NPPF revisions Readers may remember that the Trust has been concerned about the impact of new Revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework were consulted upon and subsequently development on the Lansdown/Charlcombe ridge. Where once there was a rural ridgeline with published in 2018. BPT responded to the consultation; our headline points related to the merely a glimpse of the single storey MOD buildings, there is now a series of large, brightly strengthening of protection of the Green Belt, continued densification of cities via the rendered houses introducing an urban edge to one of Bath’s most visible green hillsides. We development of brownfield sites, and a call for assessment of viability to be conducted in a fair have been working with the owner of the farmland below Granville Road on a tree and hedge and transparent way. The final version did contain some beneficial elements, including the planting proposal to soften the impact of these new buildings. Saplings have been donated by strengthening of World Heritage Site status and of practices related to heritage protection but the Woodland Trust and More Trees for B&NES, and funding for protective fencing awarded by the overarching tenet is a general push for development, which in a city like Bath is concerning if the World Heritage Enhancement Fund. BPT has consulted local residents on planting plans and environmental considerations are not given adequate weight. the potential impact on views. We hope to plant in the autumn of 2019.

Planning reform Transport conferences The Trust responded to a planning reform consultation issued by the Government in late 2018. BPT has attended two lively and interesting transport conferences in Bath in 2018. In June a The paper looked at relaxing Change of Use rules for retail units to make some changes of use (non-political) event organised by Bath’s MP, Wera Hobhouse, focused on examining Bath’s Permitted Development. In addition the reforms looked to gauge feedback on the proposal to critical issues relating to transport with a special focus on pollution. Caroline Kay presented the allow some form of roof addition/extensions (i.e. upward ‘space’) to be Permitted Development, BPT view of what could constitute ‘quick wins’ to reduce traffic and pollution, including in order to bring forward additional housing. The Trust’s response expressed strong concerns suggestions such as expanding Park & Ride hours and services to catch more shift and late regarding both issues; the answer to the crisis currently faced by the high street is not via night workers. relaxing planning obligations or side-lining the planning system (which exists to manage change In November the Bath Transport Alliance, of which BPT is a member, organised a well- appropriately) as this could have further adverse effects on the vitality, amenity and character of attended event looking to harness aspirations for transport and traffic in Bath into a vision which high streets and accelerate harmful change and loss. Similarly whilst we support urban will shape future plan making and actions. BPT will continue to focus and input into these issues intensification we do not believe that upwards extensions can be put under a Permitted going forward. Development umbrella due to the need to examine the planning considerations case by case.

10 11 50 years of Bath conservation area Major Planning Applications and Developments Bath has one city wide conservation area which covers 1,486 hectares and is home to about 50,000 people. The conservation area includes the city’s unique and much celebrated heritage, Stadium for Bath on the Rec but it also encompasses less well known areas which have a range of different characteristics. In BPT has accepted the principle of Bath Rugby having a stadium on the Rec and has not involved 2018 we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the designation of Bath’s conservation area in 1968, itself in the legal disputes. We have been actively engaged as a key stakeholder in the development following the introduction of the Civic Amenities Act in 1967. It was one of the first six to be of proposals by Bath Rugby for a Stadium for Bath being designed by Grimshaw Architects. We designated in the country. The conservation area was enlarged in 1973, extended again in 1975, have attended meetings to review many iterations of the design over the year. Our feedback has 1985 and most recently in 2002. These extensions responded to changing conservation views focused on concerns over heritage impacts as a result of the height of the stands and the about what was considered to be architecturally and historically important as well as ongoing associated visual impacts on key views out, over and across the World Heritage Site. changes in planning controls. The conservation area today is recognised but despite its longevity We pressed for a reduction in height, while accepting that there would be loss of some of the there has never been a complete character appraisal of the whole area, though this is now in currently panoramic view of the hills to Bathwick. We have also called for a visual break with the train, with various local groups, including ourselves, working on appraisals of sub-areas. end of Johnstone Street that opens out this corner and allows for views through towards Bathwick slopes and St Mary Bathwick. National and Local consultations responses We have expressed concerns about: the absolute height and massing of the current concept design; the apparent extent of loss of views to Bathwick; the principle that to avoid flood events • Local Plan Issues and Options 1 consultation – Jan 2018 the pitch needs raising by the extent proposed; viewpoints to Prior Park from Laura Place; and • Historic England consultation on revisions to Conservation Principles – Feb 2018 elements of the architectural treatment, especially the ‘Rec facing’ elevation, the North West • B&NES Clean Air Zone Options consultation – April 2018 corner and some of the materials. • Bath University Masterplan – April 2018 We have encouraged the production of Verified Views from a number of key locations. Images • Office to residential Article 4 Directions – April 2018 that can be relied upon and are free of any intended or unintended bias that show the sequences • NPPF revisions consultation – May 2018 of views, and help clarify what constitutes public benefit to mitigate any harm in support of any • Local List SPD consultation – June 2018 planning application. • Planning for homes on the right places – November 2018 • Clean Air Zone consultation – November 2018 • B&NES Local Plan Issues & Options 2– December 2018 Representations made to B&NES Council meetings 2018-19

Sulis Down – June 2018 Cricket Club – March 2018 Enforcement action

One of our many roles is to act as a ‘watchdog’ for unauthorised works or additions to the public realm and buildings and we report all cases we see ourselves or hear about from our members or members of the public. In 2018 we reported over 25 planning breaches to the B&NES Enforcement team, including unauthorised signage, a new lean-to smokers’ structure on Beau Nash’s house next to the Theatre Royal, and in one case wholesale removal of walls within a listed building! We are always happy to receive details of possible breaches and to report them on your behalf so please do be our ‘eyes and ears’ (send details to [email protected]). The process of reporting breaches is anonymous so you are also encouraged to report issues where possible, email details to [email protected].

12 13 Update on Mulberry Park Phase 2 plus Phases 3 & 4 Allen Building The new community at Mulberry Park on Bradford Road in Combe Down is now well under Plans for a boutique hotel on the site of the Bath College Allen building were met with concern construction, with Phase 1 being nearly complete (closest to Bradford Road), Phase 3 by many local people who questioned whether another upmarket hotel was really needed in imminently to be constructed, and Phase 4 in planning. Phase 2 of the scheme has been delayed Bath. Such considerations are outside our remit but our primary concern regarding this scheme in planning on the basis that the proposed scheme has a number of issues which have yet to be was the height of the building occupying a key site on James St West, and the design which resolved, despite some revisions. The Trust has been vocal throughout 2018 about our concern could be described as ‘anywhere’ architecture. The design team returned to the drawing board that the height of these Phase 2 buildings (overlooking the city and designed to be ‘landmarks’) and submitted a revised scheme which addressed our concerns and was permitted. is excessive. They will overtop the wooded ridge of the city skyline, thereby urbanising the ridge and harming one of the special criteria for which Bath is a World Heritage Site (the city sitting in Bath Quays North its bowl landscape setting). This view is shared by UNESCO, Historic England and other Outline planning permission has been granted for the Bath Quays North site, which looks to stakeholders and, it appears, the B&NES case officer who is negotiating amendments to the regenerate the Avon Street car park area with a mixed use scheme which includes residential, scheme. commercial and office space, along with car parking, in a new city ‘quarter’. BPT has been closely involved in stakeholder sessions throughout the last two years, and we were able to comment Chivers House favourably on the outline application in 2018, though we did express some concerns regarding A scheme for 9 and 7 storey student heights as always. As we go to press we understand a development team has been selected accommodation blocks on the site of a from a shortlist, and a reserved matters application for detailed design should come forward in warehouse by Windsor Bridge was submitted due course. early in 2018. The Trust objected strongly on the basis of overdevelopment, with the Sulis Down buildings sitting high and tight on the site, and Concerns regarding overdevelopment of land on the Sulis Plateau has been a long-held issue for because in our view there is ample provision the Trust, and we have continued to call for a detailed masterplan for the whole site. This was not for purpose built student accommodation submitted as part of the application for Phase 1 for 173 houses (2017-18) despite being a (PBSA) in Bath, with a shortage in housing. requirement of planning policy, and for that reason the Trust has maintained an objection to the The application was withdrawn and scheme, despite various revisions which have gone some way to improving parts of the site (as resubmitted as a scheme for housing at 7 and detailed in last year’s annual review). We have always found the Ben Pentreath design approach 6 storeys. We have continued to object on the for the site acceptable. The scheme was delegated to permit by B&NES in 2018 although we basis of heights, overdevelopment of the site understand negotiations regarding technical planning matters (S106 etc.) mean that the and the shortfall of affordable housing within permission has not been signed off yet. It seems that our concern regarding overdevelopment of the scheme. Officer recommendation to refuse the land may well be justified in that the landowner has made an application, as part of the Core was overturned by the Development Strategy sites review, substantially to increase the number of dwellings over a larger part of the Management Committee and the scheme was land, some of which was explicitly not to be developed in the site specific policy B3a. We will approved in March 2019. make representations regarding this at the Examination in Public in due course.

Cricket Club Sydney Gardens This scheme for PBSA (136 units) on the site of the Cricket Club car park created much concern. The Trust was pleased to be able to have an We have been and remain, strongly opposed to this scheme, which proposes a very bulky input into plans for the refurbishment and building which will dominate this green space in the city centre and the streetscape, and thereby revitalisation of Sydney Gardens, particularly impact detrimentally on both the character of the conservation area, views into and over the city, in relation to the listed and heritage structures and the special qualities of the WHS. Councillors ignored the recommendation by their own in the gardens, including the Edwardian loos officers to refuse the scheme, and proceeded to approve on the basis of considerations that which are in a derelict state. We were able to were arguably not material in planning terms. We have told the story of our unsuccessful attempt support the planning application and have to bring the decision to Judicial Review in our introduction to this section, but needless to say we congratulated the project team on winning feel that such decisions will cumulatively and incrementally harm the city and could eventually their Round 2 HLF funding of £2.4m. jeopardise our World Heritage status.

14 15 Conker Crossing Looking forward to 2019 A proposed new pedestrian canal crossing at Bathampton gave the Trust’s advisers much to debate when the application was submitted in late 2018. The scheme, the product of the local Three major development schemes will no community concerns regarding the safety of the narrow listed road bridge, proposed a doubt dominate in 2019; the Stadium for contemporary engineered structure that is lightweight and sinuous, curving over the canal and Bath, Twerton Football Club and Bath looking to provide a connection for those on foot, bikes and pushchairs between the playing Quays North schemes, and we will continue fields on the village side, and the primary school on the other. Our interesting internal debate to engage very closely and as collaboratively centred on the appropriateness of a modern structure on the historic canal, and the associated as we can to ensure the outcomes are impact on the listed stone bridge nearby. We were however supportive of what the community compatible with the qualities of Outstanding was trying to achieve and the lightweight engineered look of the bridge which, being Universal Value of our special city. We will contemporary, does not ‘compete’ with the old bridge, and we submitted a supportive comment. publish details of our stakeholder involvement, comments and responses regularly so please Locksbrook Road do check our website. Yet more student accommodation has been proposed for a site opposite Bath Spa’s new Design Faculty in the listed former Herman Miller Factory on Locksbrook Road, albeit in an overall mixed Following the consultations on Issues and Options in 2018, the draft Local Plan 2016-36 will use scheme which includes light industrial and a gym. We were pleased to see the designs for be published for consultation in 2019, and an Examination in Public will take place. BPT will the scheme, which look to create an interesting industrial aesthetic building in what is an industrial obviously be closely involved with this process to influence the outcome of policy options, in area, with a bold use of contemporary materials. We did however regret the student use (PBSA) particular relating to current critical issues in Bath such as the proliferation of student element and that this, located at the rear of the building, was at least one storey too high and accommodation schemes, a continued lack of a broad housing mix to supply local need, the would dominate over the local domestic scale townscape and the listed building opposite. retail/high street crisis and the holiday accommodation sector.

The Joint West of England Spatial Plan is now in Examination Stage, and the four Councils are now drafting a key issues report, which will go to an Examination in Public in 2019. BPT will continue to engage with this plan as it moves forward to ensure that issues relating to and impacting on Bath and its heritage are properly considered and resolved.

Issues relating to transport and air quality will no doubt continue to dominate local debate, including the finalisation of the Clean Air Zone, and we will carry on delivering our key messages, encouraging behavioural change away from the car, and campaigning for improved, cheaper public transport services and better safer cycling and walking infrastructure. We will contribute to the Joint Local Transport Plan 4 due in March 2019, and will once again be advocating a move away from the possible plan to create an A36/A46 link road as a solution to the east of Bath’s traffic problems in favour of de-trunking the A36, encouraging the A350 to be the North-South Strategic route and encouraging the use of the A420 to direct through traffic away from Bath.

We’ve recently run three Ask an Architect sessions with RIBA SW at the Museum of Bath Architecture, giving local people the opportunity to book home project/design advice sessions with local qualified architects and there are more sessions coming up monthly in 2019.

16 17 2018 Planning Applications overview and Environs Listed Building Applications

The tables and pie charts below give a picture of our planning application work over 2018, giving a detailed breakdown of our responses to a range of applications. Over the past two years we OBJECT have been able to include details of how our responses have had ‘impact’ or ‘influence’ over either the outcome, or the finer detail, of applications. This means that we have been positively Consent with impact 3 referenced by the case officer in their planning decision or where the case officer has negotiated Consent without impact 12 changes to the planning application in line with our recommendations. The use of this impact measurement means we have useful year on year key performance indicators as to the extent of Refuse with impact 3 our influence within the planning process. 44% Refuse without impact 1 Headlines: Withdrawn with impact 4 • In 2018 we responded to 226 planning applications which was a decrease on 2017 when Withdrawn without impact 1 we responded to 331. In 2016 we responded to 253 applications. The decrease is largely Pending with impact 1 due to changes in the amount of applications received by B&NES and we have also noticed an increase in the quality of applications; poor quality documentation is often a reason for Pending without impact 0 commenting. • We had an overall influence in 51% of applications which is a decrease on 2017 when we had 58% influence, and an increase on 2016, when we had 50% impact. SUPPORT • We responded to 80 listed building consent applications, and had an impact on 61% of the applications we responded to. Consent with impact 3 • We responded to 91 planning applications and had an influence of 52% of the applications we Consent without impact 0 responded to. impact • We responded to 38 advertising and signing applications and had an impact on 54% of Refuse with impact 0 applications we responded to. 75% Refuse without impact 0 • These indications of ‘influence’ are broadly similar to 2017. Withdrawn with impact 0 We continue to scrutinise and respond to planning applications every week, and to use our Withdrawn without impact 1 planning and heritage expertise to influence and lobby for the outcomes of planning decision- Pending with impact 0 making to be positive and enriching to Bath’s historic environments and its future success as a thriving, high quality city. We have a positive and collaborative working relationship with B&NES’ Pending without impact 0 planning authority, and meet regularly with both senior planners and case officers to discuss applications, issues and key themes in planning and development in Bath. COMMENT Average percentage of ‘influence’ in planning applications Consent with impact 25 Consent without impact 15 impact Refuse with impact 1 LBA Responses 80 Refuse without impact 1 FUL Responses 91 65% Withdrawn with impact 6 AR Responses 38 51% Withdrawn without impact 1 Other app responses 17 Pending with impact 1 Total 226 Pending without impact 1

18 19 Full Planning Applications Advertising Regulation Applications

OBJECT OBJECT Consent with impact 4 Consent with impact 4 Consent without impact 10 Consent without impact 12 impact Refuse with impact 6 impact Refuse with impact 5 59% Refuse without impact 1 48% Refuse without impact 0 Withdrawn with impact 7 Withdrawn with impact 3 Withdrawn without impact 1 Withdrawn without impact 1 Pending with impact 2 Pending with impact 0 Pending without impact 1 Pending without impact 0

SUPPORT SUPPORT Consent with impact 0 Consent with impact 0 Consent without impact 1 Consent without impact 0 Refuse with impact 0 Refuse with impact 0 Refuse without impact 0 Refuse without impact 0 Withdrawn with impact 0 Withdrawn with impact 0 Withdrawn without impact 0 Withdrawn without impact 0 Pending with impact 0 Pending with impact 0 Pending without impact 0 Pending without impact 0

COMMENT COMMENT Consent with impact 13 Consent with impact 4 Consent without impact 24 Consent without impact 5 impact Refuse with impact 8 impact Refuse with impact 0 45% Refuse without impact 2 62% Refuse without impact 0 Withdrawn with impact 4 Withdrawn with impact 2 Withdrawn without impact 5 Withdrawn without impact 0 Pending with impact 1 Pending with impact 2 Pending without impact 1 Pending without impact 0

20 21 Other Applications The Environs of Bath Sub Committee

Robert Hellard, Chair OBJECT The Environs of Bath group is made up of representatives from the 14 parishes that sit close to Consent with impact 1 the edge of the city of Bath. We meet every two months to discuss local parish planning issues Consent without impact 0 and the wider impact of development on the setting of the World Heritage Site. These meetings are very beneficial as they provide a forum for information exchange and discussion and to flag impact Refuse with impact 1 up local and national policy changes and other issues of concern. 100% Refuse without impact 0 A key issue for parishes east of the city has been the proposed Clean Air Zone (CAZ). The parishes were understandably worried about the effects of the CAZ on their smaller road Withdrawn with impact 1 systems, particularly in relation to ‘rat-running’. Of particular concern was the possibility of Withdrawn without impact 0 over-use of the toll bridge between Bathampton and Batheaston with drivers looking to avoid the London Road en-route to the A36. As we go to press details are yet to emerge of the final Pending with impact 2 CAZ plans, but we will continue to support our parish members in highlighting their issues of Pending without impact 0 concern in our own responses to the initiative. Other east of Bath planning issues have included the submission of a planning application for a large and visually intrusive railway yard on an attractive open site in the Bathampton valley. After SUPPORT some planning wrangles related to whether the scheme required permission (being national transport infrastructure subject to its own planning framework) and many objections from local Consent with impact 0 people and ourselves, we understand that whilst there is to be a depot yard it is smaller and Consent without impact 0 much less visible than the original version, and other parts of the site that were being used temporarily have been cleared, tidied up and re-landscaped. Refuse with impact 0 The environmental, transport and landscape impacts of the Sulis Down development, Refuse without impact 0 approved in 2018 but yet to be formally signed off, are still an issue of huge concern for the villages of South Stoke and Combe Hay, particularly in relation to ‘site creep’ leading to Withdrawn with impact 0 urbanisation of the entire plateau and these villages. These fears have recently been found to be Withdrawn without impact 0 valid in that the landowner is now applying as part of the West of England Joint Spatial Plan and B&NES Core Strategy review for a revision of the policy B3a to increase the amount of dwellings Pending with impact 0 from 350 to 900 and the provision of an access road from South Stoke Lane; both of which were Pending without impact 0 specifically precluded when the land was released from the Green Belt in 2014. We supported Charlcombe parish in two planning matters relating to harmful development, one was the proposed installation of a telephone mast in sloping open countryside within the COMMENT Green Belt and AONB, and the other the significant overdevelopment of an unprepossessing but highly visible house on the upper Charlcombe slopes. Both schemes were refused. Consent with impact 5 At our regular meetings we have discussed many diverse planning issues including heritage, Consent without impact 3 public realm, Green Belt, highways, and even the proposed Bristol airport expansion. We impact continue to become involved and provide advice on any issues where we can support the Refuse with impact 0 parishes that sit within the setting of the World Heritage Site. We extend our thanks to the 67% Refuse without impact 0 members of the group for their continued engagement and collaboration with the Trust. Withdrawn with impact 0 Withdrawn without impact 0 Pending with impact 3 Pending without impact 1

22 23 Bath Preservation Trust Museums – Overview Jill Hunter, Facilities Manager

Claire Dixon, Director of Museums & Deputy Chief Executive 2018 was a busy year for the facilities team. At No. 1 Royal Crescent all the dormer windows were repainted as part of a rolling programme of painting for the outside of the building so that 2018 was an exciting year for BPT museums, as we collaborated on a shared exhibition and impact on visitors is minimized. programme across all four museums for the first time. The introduction of a new joint ticket also Water ingress in the vault caused problems with various utilities so we had a large amount of saw our visitors experiencing more of our museums as part of their visit. pointing done to the pavement at the foot of the stairs to the main entrance. When we took the decision to explore the theme of 100 years of Women’s Suffrage, we Where possible we call upon volunteers to help with painting, decorating and maintenance couldn’t have anticipated the level of national attention this would draw. The strength of and in 2018 volunteers painted the back stairs, the outside toilet and the visitors’ toilet behind planning ahead and linking with national, regional and other relevant anniversaries and events, the front desk. They also touched up the paintwork in the servants’ hall, the basement corridor, proved to be significant and our museums really benefitted from that additional interest and the housekeeper’s room, the lobby of 1A and the woodwork in the gentleman’s retreat and the coverage. This culminated in a feature article in the Museums Journal and a shortlisted parlour. nomination for the highly prestigious Museums and Heritage Awards, for the Wonder Women In 2018 we took over the ground floor office at the School House adjacent to the Museum of of Space exhibition and programme at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy. Bath Architecture for use by our Conservation and Planning Department. Little work had been We also trialled some brand new creative activity including commissioning a film at No. 1 done to the office for many years so the work involved complete redecoration (in muted shades Royal Crescent and launching the first ever selling exhibition in partnership with Clive of grey), a new kitchenette, new flooring and lighting throughout, new telecomms and furniture. Arrowsmith, as well as the launch of our Architectural Photography Competition, both at the We uncovered shutters that had probably been painted up since the late 1940’s and restored Museum of Bath Architecture. them to their former glory. The progress of the build was somewhat hindered by a partial It has also been an important year for Beckford’s Tower and I am very pleased to have collapse of the lathe and plaster ceiling but was aided by the very generous donation of six office submitted our National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, for £2.6m of our £2.9m project that focuses chairs and six conference chairs by Herman Miller. on conservation and development of the Tower and Landscape. The team have worked hard to Also in 2018 the top residential flat at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy became vacant gain significant support for this project from local schools, community groups, specialist advisors and we were able to do a complete renovation of the flat which had not been updated for over and Bath partners, all of which have strengthened our project bid. 30 years. We put in a new kitchen and bathroom, new heaters, flooring and completely Another project completed in the last year was the installation of new tills and whilst I was redecorated throughout. disappointed that our visitor numbers did not reach target at No.1 or Beckford’s Tower last year, Security at the Herschel Museum was also drastically improved with the installation of new the Museum of Bath Architecture saw an increase of 18% and at the Herschel Museum of CCTV cameras and window locks on all the windows. Astronomy the increase was 22%, both of which benefitted from the new equipment. This has One of our maintenance volunteers repainted the toilet and the outside railings of the also enabled us to record our visitor data more consistently and accurately, add online tickets Herschel Museum in 2018 and during the 2018/9 closed period volunteers repainted the stairs sales to our website and train staff and volunteers more easily to work across all sites, as they use to the basement and the basement corridor, the administrator’s office, the exhibition gallery and the same till systems. the windows in the drawing room. New desks and a chair courtesy of Bath freecycle were Finally, I would like to thank the staff, volunteers and specialist groups of advisors for their installed in the Administrator’s Office which has also benefitted from new lighting. ongoing support over the last year. In particular, the Volunteer Forum has really grown and At Beckford’s Tower new storage heaters were installed in the Fonthill Room greatly improving developed and is contributing in a very positive and constructive way, to our forward plans and the quality of the Tower experience for both visitors and volunteers. volunteer activity. We recruited over 30 new volunteers last year and this continues to be a In July, 2018 a group of National Trust staff priority for museum teams so if you know of anyone who might be interested, please do get in and volunteers from Prior Park Gardens joined touch with us. We are also well placed to continue a collaborative approach to programming and a group of BPT volunteers for a clean-up day with plans set for the next few years we are looking forward to making the most of potential at Southcot Burial Ground. On the basis that research, loan and collaboration opportunities. I hope you will all continue to support the many hands make light work, in a relatively museums and come along to our exhibitions and events, as 2019 will be another exciting year short time we were able to do a lot of ivy with lots happening across all of our museums. removal from the walls, prune the roses and also do some minor tree pruning as well as clear a lot of bindweed. We are very grateful for all the help received and the expertise of the National Trust and our volunteers. We hope to repeat this successful collaboration.

24 25 BPT Curatorial Overview

Dr Amy Frost, Senior Curator

Collections care lies at the heart of our four museums, and in 2018 we saw several projects undertaken as part of this essential work. Building upon the staffing changes of the previous year the curatorial team embarked upon the process of updating vital documentation, undertaking new inventories of the museums and drawing up a programme for further work that will be needed as we move towards reapplying for Accreditation, the UK national standard for Museums. A significant project completed in 2018 was the conservation of one of our most important The Four Bath Worthies under objects at the Museum of Bath Architecture, The Four Bath Worthies oil painting. Funded conservation. through the generosity of the Woodmansterne Conservation Scheme, the picture was relined, cleaned, previously unseen damage addressed and a new varnish applied. The conservation of this picture had been an ambition of ours for several years, so its successful completion was a key achievement. The year also saw a change in our ability to look after the collections at the Museum of Bath Architecture and borrow in the future, through the purchase and installation of two new display cases and the upgrading of several core aspects of the museum. Funded through the South West Museums Development Ready to Borrow grant scheme, the project’s aim was to upgrade the museum to Government Indemnity Standard; a level of security and environmental standards that will allow us to borrow from National and National Partner Museums in the future. We were able to replace two display cases and it has illustrated the difference that the highest standard of museums case can make to how we look after and display the objects in our care. The museums also benefitted from a series of new acquisitions through purchase and gifts during 2018. At the beginning of the year a generous donation fundraised by staff member, Israa Getgood at No.1 Royal Crescent enabled us to purchase a Qianlong period bourdaloue dating from the 1740s for the ladies bedroom. The gift of a watercolour of Castlerea House, once home to No.1 resident Henry Sandford from a descendant of his will also help us to tell Sandford’s story. At Beckford’s Tower an eagle eyed eBay purchase for £60 secured a letter dated 21 May 1847 concerning the settlement of Beckford’s estate after his death. With the help of a grant from the Friends of National Libraries and a private donation we were able to purchase a rare volume of Faulkner’s Letters to Lord Brougham once owned by Beckford and containing a rare sketch by him for a piece of furniture at the Tower. The Herschel Museum was gifted by Museum of Bath Architecture before and after installation of new display cases. Geoffrey Biggs a wonderful collection of commemorative stamps compiled to mark the European Space Agency’s first deep space mission to Comet Halley in 1986. In addition, MoBA was gifted a lovely small David Cox watercolour sketch of the city. The year ended with two significant new acquisitions for No.1 Royal Crescent, made possible thanks to a bequest from the family of Michael Briggs, former BPT Chairman. A mahogany wall mirror dating from around 1760 and an unusual pair of telescopic mahogany candlesticks were acquired for the entrance hall at the William Beckford sketch for furniture at house, and form part of a small redisplay of that space undertaken during January 2019. Beckford’s Tower drawn inside his copy of Faulkner’s Letter to Lord Brougham, dated 26 September 1837.

26 27 No. 1 Royal Crescent Volunteers at No. 1 Royal Crescent

Lizzie Johansson-Hartley, Museum Manager Charlotte Tyler, Museum Administrator We would also like to thank our volunteers for their support over the past year. They have 2018 was a great year for No. 1 Royal Crescent and we tested some new ideas in the exhibition supported the museum as room guides and shop assistants as well as helping with costumed gallery as well as launching some new events and activities. interpretation, events and conservation in action. We also ran two successful volunteer open Support from the Heritage Lottery Fund enabled us to commission a film and, for the first time, days with over 30 new people joining the team at No. 1 and over 60 joining BPT in total. Our create a performance space in the exhibition gallery, with live showings of the play as well as a new programme of training lectures and social events was also very successful and well recorded film that could be shown to visitors. Our celebration of 100 years of Women’s Suffrage attended, including a fabulous Summer Cream Tea and fun Christmas party. explored the role of the Georgian blue stockings, the importance of Bath suffragette Mary Blathwayt as well as the crucial role played by many women within Bath Preservation Trust to preserve the city of Bath.

Our exhibition celebrating 100 years of Women’s Suffrage Our costumed interpreters The Volunteers’ Christmas party at No. 1 Royal Crescent

Alongside the exhibition we held lectures and family activities linked to this special anniversary The Shop at No. 1 Royal Crescent theme. We also introduced monthly museum lates, opening the museum on Friday evenings throughout the season, extending this over the Christmas period when our craft and choral Mari-Liis Konts, Retail Manager evenings proved to be very popular. We also continued with our much loved events including The No.1 shop had a challenging year in 2018. Visitor the Jane Austen Festival, Party in the City, special costumed interpretation days and numbers initially led to a decrease in turnover but the Conservation in Action sessions, all of which bring the house to life in a different way for visitors, December opening meant we came in on target with a always proving popular. turnover of £86,890.63. Time spent with a Visual Sadly we were hit very hard by the snow in early March and Merchandising consultant alongside a new range of museum closures led to a drop in our visitor numbers that we did Suffragette themed souvenirs led to some positive sales not manage to catch up on. We still had a very successful and busy results. Peak periods were April, May and Christmas, Easter and Summer, with the new Christmas and New Year opening with a quieter Summer and Autumn than usual. In seeing some of our busiest days of the year. We would like to thank between Christmas and New Year we were incredibly in particular, those volunteers who were helping in the museum busy and I would like to thank all of our volunteers for over that festive period. supporting us and helping to raise income to support Suffragette themed our museum work. merchandise in the shop.

28 29 No.1 Royal Crescent visitor numbers No.1 Royal Crescent retail income 2017 2017 2018 2018 10,000 £16,000 9,000 £14,000 8,000

7,000 £12,000 6,000

5,000 £10,000

4,000 £8,000 3,000

2,000 £6,000 1,000

0 £4,000 Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan

£2,000

No.1 Royal Crescent admissions income £0 Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan 2017 2018 £90,000

£80,000

£70,000

£60,000

£50,000

£40,000

£30,000

£20,000

£10,000

£0 Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan

30 31 Museum of Bath Architecture magazine, The American magazine, Black & White photographer, Royal Photographic Society Journal and a feature in the NYC based Hyperallergic arts journal. The exhibition leaves us a Tim Beale, Museum Administrator legacy in the form of a collection of framed images that are all available to purchase on a commission basis with Clive Arrowsmith. 2018 was a year of exhibitions for the museum with not one but three outstanding shows. The These exhibitions at MoBA have opened us up to new and diverse audiences, allowed us to year opened with the architectural photography exhibition Architecture under the Lens which engage with community organisations and widen our offer of workshops and events. As part of featured the work of eight local photographers from a variety of backgrounds from commercial the Peter Gabriel Reflections exhibition we were able to work with St Mungo’s on a photoshoot interiors to skilled amateurs. The exhibition proved to be popular and a great way of showing with Clive Arrowsmith where their peer mentors had the opportunity of having their portraits architecture in a more accessible medium. This exhibition was the inspiration for the taken. The peer mentors are volunteers who have all been through the mental health system and Architectural Photographer of the Year competition which we launched later in the year. The now help those going through similar situations. competition attracted entries from around the world with winning photos creating the exhibition 2018 proved to be another busy year for events with a series of talks and walks based on the for 2019. Building Memory exhibition. We had the pleasure of a walking talk by Bath University’s Dr Tony Building Memory: the architecture of death & burial in Bath was our exhibition that formed Waters looking at the burial grounds around Widcombe. part of the Suffrage 100 theme across the BPT museums. The exhibition explored how the way One of the best attended events this year were the Lego challenges. Run during school in which death was celebrated during the Victorian period in grand fashion and then how this holidays, they were a winner with children and adults with one couple visiting from the Windsor shifted after WWI and the sheer loss of life changed the public perception of death. It featured Lego Club specifically to take part. memorial plaques from the Women’s Suffrage garden of remembrance at Eagle House, Batheaston. Our concert series continued to be well received especially the folk music events with some Each plaque had been positioned by a tree planted to remember the actions of a Suffragette or very skilled musicians playing including the likes of The Bookshop Band, Tweed Street and commemorate their death. It was exceptionally moving to see them in the exhibition. Jennifer Crook. We also played host to the Bath Folk Festival for the second year running with Midyear, Bath Preservation Trust was approached by the PA of Clive Arrowsmith, the four nights of talented folk musicians. internationally acclaimed photographer. They were keen to exhibit a series of photographs Clive A huge thank you goes out to our volunteer team who have worked so hard this year, took of the singer Peter Gabriel in Bath in 1978. Many of the images featured iconic Bath including through December and January when the museum would normally be closed. We buildings and skyline such as the Abbey, Roman Baths and Solsbury Hill. Peter Gabriel have had to say goodbye to some of our MA student volunteers who have completed their Reflections opened in December and ran through to the end of January. The exhibition was well courses and returned home but have welcomed new volunteers to the team including Matt, a received with over 1300 visitors and generating £12k income over the two month period. The fourth year Architecture student and James, who is taking a year out from teaching to complete exhibition not only attracted plenty of local publicity and featured in all of the Bath publications his MA in Heritage Management. but also gained national and international press coverage. We featured in MOJO music

Clockwise from far left: Peter Gabriel Reflections © Clive Arrowsmith Arrowsmith Private View © Tim Beale Bookshop Band Building Memory exhibition Locksbrook Cemetery WW1 memorial 2018 Folk Fest

32 33 Museum of Bath Architecture visitor numbers 2017 Beckford’s Tower and Museum 2018 Courtney Fleming, Museum Administrator 1,400 1,200 2018 was an exciting and productive year at Beckford’s Tower, with a major focus for both staff 1,000 and volunteers being the museum’s NLHF bid. A series of open public consultations were held at various sites in town including Kingswood School’s Sports Pavilion, the Museum of Bath 800 Architecture and the Tower itself. Members of the public and community groups were asked to 600 share their thoughts about the future of Beckford’s Tower, and what aspects of the museum and landscape inspired them most. Visitors to the museum were also offered leaflets announcing our 400 plans, and were invited to contact the Tower’s Administrator with any thoughts or suggestions. 200 Our exhibition The Beckford Women explored the women in William Beckford’s life and how their presence shaped and influenced him from his childhood through to the final years of his 0 Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan life. The exhibition was reviewed by the British Society of Eighteenth-Century Studies, who praised its “ambitious efforts to prioritise and advance the often-hidden histories of eighteenth- century women.” The Beckford Scandal booklet went to print in early 2018, and several boxes of free copies Museum of Bath Architecture admissions income which were available at the Tower were quickly picked up by visitors. The booklet remains 2017 available to download in PDF format from our website, and a laminated copy will remain at the 2018 Tower for guests to enjoy alongside the Beckfords and the Slave Trade booklet. £4,000 Beckford’s Tower hosted two film crews in 2018, the first being the production company for £3,500 the BBC’s ‘Civilisations Stories’ programme. The Tower featured heavily in an episode which £3,000 explored the remains of the slave trade in the South West of England. The host, Bristol’s Poet Laureate Miles Chambers, visited the Tower to speak with Dr. Amy Frost about the Beckford £2,500 family’s involvement in and profit from the slave trade. Chambers, who is himself descended £2,000 from Jamaican slaves, finished the episode with a moving poem inspired by the places, objects, £1,500 and personalities he encountered throughout his visits and interviews. The episode was received £1,000 very well, and the Tower guides reported many visitors who were inspired to visit the Tower after seeing the episode. We are thankful to the BBC and to Miles Chambers for involving Beckford’s £500 Tower in this project, and for the platform and exposure it gave us to continue sharing this £0 important part of the Tower’s story with the public. Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan A second film crew, made up of film students from Bath Spa University, visited the Tower to interview Dr. Amy Frost and Courtney Fleming about Beckford’s life, and why his story and the museum are both important and relevant today. Beckford’s childhood and later isolation were explored, and the short film can be found on YouTube. The project also involved capturing drone footage and photography, and the students provided all of these valuable files to the Tower.

Cemetery tour Tower Guides at Fonthill

34 35 The events programme continued to grow in 2018 with two brand new evening cemetery Beckford’s Tower & Museum visitor numbers 2017 tours which were held in October. These tours took members of the public around Lansdown 2018 Cemetery to learn about the history of the landscape, and to visit notable burials – including 600 those associated with William Beckford. The tours were very successful and will be repeated in 2019. Inspired by the museum’s exhibition, the Beckford Book Group chose texts which were 500 written by women and/or showcased strong female characters. A favourite was the play ‘Arcadia’ by Tom Stoppard, and just weeks after the book group meeting, the play was put on at 400 The Rondo Theatre. A group of members arranged to meet up and see it performed, and it was 300 enjoyed by all. The Beckford Birthday Lecture celebrated the release of the book ‘Fonthill Recovered’ (which Dr. Amy Frost contributed to), by having the book’s Editor, Caroline Dakers, 200 and historian Neil Burton give a joint lecture about the history of the Fonthill Estate. Weddings at Beckford’s Tower continued in 2018 with three ceremonies taking place, including 100 a beautifully timed sunset vow renewal ceremony in the Belvedere. With a view to increasing 0 our offer as a wedding venue, valuable partnerships were made during 2018 with No 15 Great Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Pulteney Street, who will offer private dining options for couples and their guests, and the Beckford Bottle Shop, who are now the official wine suppliers for Beckford’s Tower weddings. A weddings leaflet is due to be released in early 2019 to be distributed at regional wedding fairs, as well as being displayed on our website to provide potential couples with an outline of the Beckford’s Tower & Museum admissions income unique offers of Beckford’s Tower as a wedding venue. 2017 Our volunteer base grew in 2018, with four new guides joining the Beckford’s Tower team. 2018 We are delighted to now have three volunteer guides from the housing development across the £2,500 road at Ensleigh, as well as a second student from Bath Spa University’s MA in Gothic Literature programme. £2,000

Beckford Exhibition £1,500

In 2018 we explored the vital role that women played in £1,000 the life of William Beckford to coincide with the Suffrage 100 theme across the museums. The Beckford £500 Women exhibition revealed the lives, loves and loss of the fascinating women who influenced and were 0 Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan influenced by Beckford. His Mother’s religious piety, the tender motherly affection of Lady Catherine Hamilton and the impact of his own daughters were all investigated. The key character we choose to highlight was, however, Beckford’s half-sister, Elizabeth Hervey. She was the author of six novels published 1788 – 1814 and thanks to Chawton House library, we borrowed and displayed first editions of all but one of her works in the exhibition. ‘Although on a modest scale, The Beckford Women can happily be listed alongside other, larger-scale exhibitions … in its ambitious efforts to prioritise and advance the often-hidden histories of eighteenth- century women.’ Review by Madeleine Pelling for BSECS. Beckford Women exhibition detail

36 37 Herschel Museum of Astronomy Herschel Museum visitor numbers 2017 2018 Exhibition – Isabel Wall, Assistant Curator 1,800 Our 2018 exhibition, Wonder Women of Space, explored how Caroline Herschel’s life and work 1,600 is an inspiration to women working in astronomy today. The exhibition featured four women at 1,400 various points in their careers in astrophysics, astronomy and space engineering, each of whom 1,200 chose their favourite object from the museum’s collection. It was supported by a programme of 1,000 popular events and outreach to local schools. The exhibition, talks and events were enjoyed by 800 the public with very positive feedback and also generated wide media interest. We are very 600 excited that Wonder Women of Space has won the award for Best Project with a limited budget 400 achieving the biggest impact at the Museums & Heritage Awards 2019. 200 0 Events – Joe Middleton, Museum Administrator Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan

The events programme the Herschel Museum arranged in 2018 was an exciting and varied one due to collaborative efforts with the William Herschel Society and Bath Astronomers, allowing the museum to put on a number of joint lectures/talks linked to the Wonder Women of Space Herschel Museum admissions income exhibition and observing sessions hosted at the museum throughout the year, all which proved 2017 to be popular with the public. 2018 Participants who helped inform the exhibition such as Luke Lucas from the European Space £9,000 Agency and Prof Carole Mundell of the University of Bath, were able to give talks about their £8,000 careers and work included visits to local schools which encouraged interest in contemporary astronomy, science and the exhibition to new audiences. £7,000 The astronomy telescope sessions which took place at the museum £6,000 in 2018 included the day of the summer solstice and the evening of a £5,000 partial lunar eclipse. Visitors of all ages were able to enjoy the experience to view the sky looking through modern telescopes and a £4,000 Herschel replica telescope from the very house a planet was £3,000 discovered! The sessions also involved informative talks by the astronomers. One observing session outside of the museum was held £2,000 as part of World Heritage Day in front of the Royal Crescent, where a £1,000 few thousand people attended for all the events held on that day, and Astronomy telescope £0 successfully generated interest in the museum, the WHS and Bath Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Astronomers. sessions on the summer Another event linked to the exhibition included a concert called solstice and the evening of a partial lunar eclipse. Wonder Women of Science performed by the Electric Voice Theatre held at BPT partner, the Museum of Bath Architecture. The museum hosted artist Lois Cordelia who painted the ‘HerschOwl’ for the B&NES wide Minerva Owl trail which ran throughout Bath with Owl sculptures in public spaces during the summer period. The owl was sponsored by Mogers Drewett. Finally I would like to say thank you to all the Herschel Museum volunteers, William Herschel Society and Bath Astronomers for their generous help and support over the year. It has made a substantial difference in what we could achieve and 2018 has proved to be the busiest year in the museum’s history. The ‘HerschOwl’

38 39 Learning and Engagement Higher Education BPT has continued to offer placements for Bath Spa students in areas relevant to their at the Trust’s Museums professional development including social media, education and archiving. James Petrucco, an MA Heritage Management student, devised activities to engage students from Abbot Alphege Polly Andrews, Learning and Engagement Officer Academy, the neighbouring primary school to Beckford’s Tower. Exploring how the Tower was constructed, he was supported by the Learning & Engagement team to extend both his Schools professional skills and the students’ understanding of this remarkable building A new Starseekers project at the Herschel Museum, funded by the Ernest Cook Foundation, has enabled BPT to offer exciting workshops to schools. In partnership with local Bath Astronomers, Community Engagement the Herschel Society and the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, primary and secondary Our involvement with other Bath museums through the Pathways to Wellbeing project has schools have explored how telescopes work, used virtual reality headsets to go on a spacewalk continued for a third year. A wide range of mental health support workshops have taken place, and made ‘stomp rockets’. including for people with dementia and their carers. The IMAGE group worked with artist Philippa Forsey at MoBA to hand-paint silk banners with motifs inspired by the building and its To mark 100 years since some women achieved the right to vote, our Suffrage 100 collection. The banners are now used at public events at the museum such as concerts, as they Intergenerational project brought together members of Age UK (Bath & North East Somerset), help create a bright and welcoming atmosphere. St. Andrew’s Primary School and Bath Soroptomists.

Over 6 weeks, a class of children aged 9 and 10 years met with older residents of Bath to explore the Bath Suffragettes’ story. They created their own rosettes and banners, designed a memorial garden and planted pots with themed flowers to mark the anniversary. The project culminated with a procession along the Royal Crescent.

A student from St Mark’s Banners made by St Andrew’s A family dressed up as the A class from Abbot Alphege Academy Silk banners by the IMAGE mental Secondary School looks Primary school to Herschels at World visiting Beckford’s Tower. health support art group at MoBA. through a telescope. commemorate the Suffragettes. Heritage Day.

Families Amongst a varied year of activities, highlights included, at MoBA, an invitation to families to tackle design and engineering challenges using Lego ™ and other construction materials. Professor Carole Mundell, Professor of Extragalactic Astronomy and Head of Astrophysics at the University of Bath gave a talk to families about her career in order to encourage young people to get involved with Science. At World Heritage Day, held outside No.1 Royal Crescent in April, local experts from Bath and Wiltshire Astronomers gave members of the public guidance on using solar telescopes. The Learning & Engagement team also gave children the chance to dress up as and learn about William and Caroline Herschel and their great scientific achievements.

40 41 Marketing and Social Media Membership and Trust Tours

Janey Abbott, Marketing and Communications Officer Jan Hull, Membership Engagement Officer

Our four museums showcase different aspects of Bath’s Georgian life, from architecture, Numbers have again remained constant through this year and members have been taking personalities and social history to cultural changes through the Age of Enlightenment. This link advantage of the many benefits membership provides, including seeking advice from our can strengthen the success of our marketing and communications, especially when we share one specialist conservation staff, often in person, at their new office in the Schoolhouse next to the theme for the four exhibitions each year. Our shared theme in 2018 was Women’s Suffrage, of Museum of Bath Architecture. Members also received the Spring and Autumn editions of our which you’ve read much already in this publication. It worked well for the Trust; marketing and newsletter, Bath Matters, and many took part in our tours and walks. PR made easier by the national mood of celebration. Of our wide and varied marketing campaigns, particularly successful in 2018 were the prime Trust Tours 2018 position adverts on buses and in the railway station, as well as the yellow AA Signs and our Peta Hall arranged more excellent tours for members for the Summer 2018 and thank you so new-look website. Widespread distribution of our new joint leaflets and posters alongside the much to all our members who have supported the tours for another season. Thanks to Joy Burt reprint of the Bath Museums Map also helped enhance our ongoing promotion of the four for her wonderful leading of the tours and to Jane Ferguson and Jan Hull for handling the museums. bookings. 2018 also saw a very healthy increase in the number of followers engaging with our social media outputs, especially Facebook and Twitter. This was in great part due to the new stories we Barford Park 9 May 2018 crafted and shared about our collections and the personalities connected to our museums – both A group of 35 members were lucky enough to visit the family home of Donald and Bee Rice, historical and living today. We are indebted to two new volunteers who are giving their time to tucked away in the Somerset countryside at Spaxton. We divided into two groups – one research, photograph and post these stories: Vanessa White at No. 1 Royal Crescent and Rowan exploring the gardens and woodland walks, and the other looking round the house with Donald Dodemont at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy who have both boosted the profiles and explaining the works they had done to make the house a cosy family home for their four young diverse identities of the respective museums. I would like to thank them for their ongoing children. We all had tea in the kitchen looking out on to a large pond, while the children arrived support. home from school. A very special visit to a family intent on restoring this early to mid-eighteenth If anyone would like to contribute to the social media efforts of Beckford’s Tower or the century Baroque country house and park. Museum of Bath Architecture then please do contact [email protected] Stockton House 24 May 2018 This was a return visit to Stockton, where we came in 2015 to see this Jacobean/Elizabethan manor house near Wylye, undergoing a major restoration by owner Nick Jenkins. This time 40 of us came back to see the finished home and were welcomed by Nick and his mother Carol. We again took Dr Andrew Foyle with us, who had advised Nick on the history of the house and we split into two groups to explore the house and garden. The house has been tastefully and sympathetically transformed and the brand new pool house by the restored pool in the garden was a real revelation. We all enjoyed tea in the house at the end of our visit, by which time the rain was pouring down, just as it did in 2015 !

Stowe House and Stowe Park 12 June 2018 The day began with a visit to Stowe’s Capability Brown landscaped gardens and Palladian bridge. After a lunch in the café the group had a wonderful tour visiting Stowe House to see its many treasures, and hear about the history of the house, the family and their interests, their visitors and their spending habits. Anna McEvoy, House Custodian of Stowe House Preservation Trust, gave a real insight into the work they have achieved BPT members at Stowe

42 43 restoring Stowe and the group were very interested in their practical approach to conservation World Heritage Site Enhancement Fund and continual need to accommodate the needs of the school. The group was grateful for the pupils whose study time in the Library we interrupted – they Ainslie Ensom, Administrator were very patient with us, especially with exams looming! The afternoon concluded with tea and cakes in the splendour of the Marble Saloon. In 2018, often with volunteer help, the WHEF again completed projects to enhance the fabric of the World Heritage Site; the Fund also produced leaflets aiding knowledge and understanding of Westonbirt House and Gardens 28 June 2018 the WHS, and supported schemes for conserving historic ironwork. On a roasting hot day in Bath it was bliss to go out to the countryside and visit a huge cool building! Printing and distribution of WHS City Trail Leaflets £2,309 We toured Westonbirt House in two groups led by experts from the Holford Trust – while the 25,000 copies were distributed in and around Bath. girls studied nearby in the school wing of the house. We caught glimpses of them as they changed classes and went for tea. We enjoyed a cream tea together before going outside to look Materials and Techniques for Repairs to Traditionally Forged Ironwork £3,000 around the immaculate grounds and church. A splendid Victorian building, which is in need of This was a contribution towards the publication of a technical handbook produced by the funds to keep it in good shape. National Heritage Ironwork Group. The handbook details conservation procedures for the repair of historic ironwork, useful guidance for practitioners, and also for house owners, conservation Crichel House and Park officers, architects and builders. 11 September 2018 By kind permission of American owner Interpretation Panel for Shakespeare Monument in Royal Victoria Park £1,000 Richard Chilton Jr, who currently lives in the The Bath Shakespeare Society organised the construction of a free standing information panel USA, a large group of us travelled to Moor bearing the monument’s inscription, which is now illegible, at an overall cost of £2,192 Crichel, after a brief stop in Shaftesbury. We were greeted by the Estate Manager, Head Restoration of the Fingerpost at the top of Brassknocker Hill £1,704 Gardener and Butler. One group saw the The fingerpost was dilapidated and rusting; conservation and re-painting have restored the stunning walled gardens while Nick Stone, sign’s legibility and safe-guarded its future. Estate Manager, showed the others around Crichel House the magnificent ground floor rooms of the Support for the BathIRON Festival June 14th to 17th £7,500 house. Tea was served on the balcony as we looked out over 1200 acres of park and a 30 acre Organised by the National Heritage Ironwork Group, the Festival included workshops, guided lake. It was a real treat to see a fabulous house that is not open to the public. walks, seminars and forging demonstrations which included public participation. The Fund sponsored a bandstand railing panel in Parade Gardens, room hire for lectures, and leaflets. Walks We had three walks during the summer months and each evening walk, lasting one hour and a City Trail leaflet describing Admiral Lord Nelson’s association with Bath £602 half, was duplicated over a two week period. All walks were organised by Andrew Butterworth Initiated and supported by the Nelson Society at an overall cost of £1,505, 5,000 copies of the with Jan Hull and covered diverse subjects. Caroline Kay led walks on the growth of student leaflet were designed, printed and distributed. housing in Bath, David Stubbs led a walk exploring Combe Down and discussing the impact of the MOD at Foxhill and the new Mulberry Park development, and Andrew Butterworth and Victoria Barwell led walks called ‘Tying the Knot’ which focused on historic people who were married in Bath. We were very grateful to all the walk leaders.

Interpretation Panel for Shakespeare Restoration of the Fingerpost Monument in Royal Victoria Park at the top of Brassknocker Hill

44 45 Restoration of Hedgemead Park Fountain £3,193 Overview of the Trust’s Finances for the Year The fountain has been cleaned and painted, and the surmounting eagle repaired and re-gilded; the completion of this long running project was supported by the Friends of Hedgemead Park Diane Aderyn, Chair, Finance Committee and the Council’s Parks Department. As the figures below and on the next few pages show, BPT has enjoyed a year which on the face Conservation of ten historic painted street signs £12,510 of it looks financially perfectly healthy. However, this conceals a number of hard truths. First of This set included the fiftieth in the Fund’s rolling programme of signs, in Pierrepont Street. all, income from both commercial trading (primarily retail) and our investments was down, Others in this tranche of the programme were in New Bond Street Place, Cheap Street, Broad reflective of global trends quite beyond our control; and secondly the beneficial bottom line was Street, Green Street, Upper Borough Walls, Park Street, Park Place and Somerset Place. significantly assisted by a single most generous legacy which is reflected in this year’s accounts but will be spent over a number of years and is not there to meet deficits. Meanwhile, there Gravel Walk Telephone box £1,160 remain upward pressures on all of our costs and we must consider that we may be approaching The Grade II Listed K6 box has been repaired and re-painted, and provided with new a potential ceiling of the growth we can expect from either ticket pricing or (less certainly) interpretation panels. visitor numbers. We are continuously keeping an eye on the future sustainability of our operation and looking Goodridge Octagonal Mortuary Chapel in Smallcombe Cemetery £5,000 for opportunities for further income growth or operational efficiencies, whether through Repair, drainage improvements, the restoration of the bellcot and bell were part of an overall donations and legacies or commercial income sources. We must be conscious in this however scheme of £15,000 which was also funded by Bath and NE Somerset Council, and the Friends of that we expect a great deal of our staff already: BPT is sometimes unable to set pay at the desired St Mary’s Churchyards. levels to recruit and retain staff. While that is to some extent a feature of the cultural and charitable sector, it is increasingly difficult for people to start and grow their careers in Bath For information and to suggest new projects, please contact the Fund Administrator, because of the external cost of living and this may begin to impact on our capacity to recruit. Ainslie Ensom [email protected] We have relatively little in the way of free reserves, once the maintenance of our buildings and a prudent ‘rainy day’ fund is taken into account, which in turn limits our capacity for imaginative investment in growth. It could also be argued that we try to do too much on too little, and the strategic review currently being undertaken by Trustees is an opportunity to look at this further. The next 12 months will be no less busy if we are successful in receiving the grant for the Beckford project – another necessary investment in our infrastructure – and will also continue the focus on sustainability and commercial growth. We will be talking more overtly about legacies to our members and will be as ever ensuring that we run a tight ship. I should like to thank all our staff and especially the finance staff who hold the fort so ably from day to day.

New interpretation panel in the Detailed Financial and Operational review Gravel Walk telephone box Total museums income was up by 5.0% this year, at £677,657 for the year (prior year £645,270). Membership income showed a decrease of 8.1% on the prior year to reach £26,596 for the year. Donations, legacies and grants received during 2018 were £263,738 of which £154,366 were unrestricted. The restricted grants included £23,773 for display cases at MoBA, an additional The newly re-gilded eagle Brian Barclay of Cliveden £6,765 towards the Royal Crescent exhibition and £4,510 for the Judicial Review. returning to the fountain in Conservation restoring a Income from investments for the year was £88,443, comprising £69,010 of rental income and Hedgemead Park painted street sign £19,433 of investment income and bank interest. (Prior year £72,659 and £20,418 respectively). Total income from other trading activities was £97,554 (prior year £105,671). The majority of this related to sales in the shop at No 1 Royal Crescent. Unrestricted expenditure on general activities increased by £52,873 this year to £932,725. The largest element of this increase was attributable to salary costs (up £22,035 to £499,596) which continue to be impacted by the annual increase in the National Living Wage. Premises costs are the second highest category of the Trust’s expenditure, amounting to £146,841.

46 47 Investments did not perform well this year, with a loss of £40,775 compared to gains in the The Bath Preservation Trust Limited prior year of £47,416. As a result of the above, the total funds increased by £15,531, comprising a reduction in and its Subsidiaries Restricted Funds by £55,585 and an increase in Unrestricted Funds of £71,116. Summary Financial Information for the Year Ended 31 January 2019

Legal and Administrative Details

The Bath Preservation Trust Limited is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity; it is governed by the provisions contained in its memorandum and articles. As at 31st January 2019, The Bath Preservation Trust has three subsidiaries, whose results are all consolidated within the accounts of the Trust:

No.1 Royal Crescent (Bath) Ltd Non-charitable trading subsidiary The Beckford Tower Trust Unincorporated charitable trust The Herschel House Trust Unincorporated charitable trust Approval of accounts

The summary financial information set out on pages 50 to 57 has been extracted from the accounts in order to provide a picture of the income arising from and expenditure on the The Bath Preservation Trust’s various activities during the year to 31 January 2019, and its assets, liabilities and fund balances at that date. This information is taken from the full financial statements for the year to 31 January 2019 which were approved by the Trustees on 20 May 2019 and which will be submitted to the Charity Commission and the Registrar of Companies. In order to gain a full understanding of the financial affairs of the charity and its subsidiaries, the full audited financial statements, Trustees’ Annual Report and Auditors’ Report should be consulted; copies can be obtained from the Trust.

Signed on behalf of the Trustees by:

W H T Sheppard Chairman – The Bath Preservation Trust Ltd

48 49 Income and Expenditure Assets, Liabilities and Funds

Unrestricted funds

Bath Preservation Bath Preservation * see note Trust (incl No. 1 RCBeckford Tower Herschel House Total Unrestricted Restricted & * see note Trust (incl No. 1 RC Beckford Tower Herschel House Totals at 31 January Totals at 31 January (Bath) Ltd) (£) Trust (£) Trust (£) Funds (£) Endowment fundsTotal (£) 2019 (£) Total 2018 (£) (Bath) Ltd) (£) Trust (£) Trust (£) 2019 2018

Unrestricted Funds: Fixed Assets Income & endowments before investment incom: Tangible fixed assets: Museums – admissions 597,203 8,505 49,581 655,289 – 655,289 626,865 1 Freehold land and buildings 774,969 – – 774,969 774,969 Museums – shop sales 88,206 716 6,574 95,496 – 95,496 104,713 2 Museum exhibits 46,433 391,831 44,634 482,898 474,917 Museums – wedding income – 2,058 – 2,058 – 2,058 958 3 Other tangible fixed assets 79,884 253 16,419 96,556 102,787 ‘Friends’ membership schemes 26,596 – – 26,596 – 26,596 28,942 4 Investments 439,898 161,036 96,735 697,669 835,943 Other income 20,519 350 1,499 22,368 – 22,368 18,405 Grants, donations and legacies 152,680 1,365 321 154,366 – 154,366 21,628 1,341,184 553,120 157,788 2,052,092 2,188,616 Total income & endowments before investment income 885,204 12,994 57,975 956,173 – 956,173 801,511 Current Assets Expenditure on operations: Shop stock for resale 17,812 806 2,618 21,236 29,780 Shop purchases 51,916 16 3,558 55,490 – 55,490 50,571 Debtors 21,311 1,388 1,386 24,085 48,746 Other cost of generating funds 3,767 – – 3,767 – 3,767 21,992 Bank balances 363,884 164,909 26,381 555,174 383,336 Rental property and investment management costs 13,054 2,100 – 15,154 – 15,154 23,985 403,007 167,103 30,385 600,495 461,862 Salaries 438,735 11,450 49,411 499,596 – 499,596 477,561 Premises costs (inc. depreciation) 108,074 15,752 23,015 146,841 – 146,841 111,451 Creditors: falling due within one year (74,277) (4,683) (4,096) (83,056) (96,479) Costs of Museum opening 72,390 3,478 4,079 79,947 – 79,947 76,085 Membership costs 14,982 – – 14,982 – 14,982 15,282 Net current assets 328,730 162,420 26,289 517,439 365,383 Administration and other costs 91,236 4,149 4,832 100,217 – 100,217 89,383 Total assets less current liabilities 1,669,914 715,540 184,077 2,569,531 2,553,999 Governance – audit & bank charges 8,281 969 1,438 10,688 – 10,688 8,064 Wedding costs – 1,043 – 1,043 – 1,043 478 Unrestricted funds 6 Trust contribution to WHSEF 5,000 – – 5,000 5,000 – _ Designated: invested in property 542,978 – – 542,978 542,978 Designated: future maintenance 200,742 186,811 100,089 487,642 551,980 Total expenditure 807,435 38,957 86,333 932,725 5,000 927,725 874,852 Designated: Carl and Jeanette May fund 116,535 – – 116,535 – Net expenditure for the year Designated: loss of income 166,936 25,600 39,916 232,452 226,576 before investments 77,769 (25,963) (28,358) 23,448 5,000 28,448 (73,341) Designated: operating costs 24,500 – – 24,500 24,500 Undesignated: free reserves 152,430 – – 152,430 139,387 Investment income

Rental income 39,046 13,636 16,328 69,010 – 69,010 72,659 5 Total unrestricted funds 1,204,121 212,411 140,005 1,556,537 1,485,421 Dividends and interest 9,430 4,475 5,528 19,433 – 19,433 20,418 Capital – Permanent Endowment Fund 231,991 59,135 – 291,126 291,126 Net income / (expenditure) for the year after investments 126,245 (7,852) (6,502) 111,891 5,000 116,891 19,736 6 Restricted funds 233,802 443,994 44,072 721,868 777,452

Restricted Funds 1,669,914 715,540 184,077 2,569,531 2,553,999 6 Income – – – – 104,372 104,372 103,224 6 Expenditure – – – – (164,957) (164,957) (167,528)

Net income / (expenditure) 126,245 (7,852) (6,502) 111,891 (55,585) 56,306 (44,568)

4 Investment gains / (losses) (19,531) (6,692) (14,552) (40,775) – (40,775) 47,416

Total movement in funds 106,714 (14,544) (21,054) 71,116 (55,585) 15,531 2,848

Fund balances brought forward 1,097,407 226,955 161,059 1,485,421 1,068,579 2,554,000 2,551,152

Fund balances carried forward 1,204,121 212,411 140,005 1,556,537 1,012,994 2,569,531 2,554,000

50 51 Notes 3. Other Tangible Fixed Assets During this financial year the Museum of Bath Architecture bought new display cases at a cost 1. Freehold Land and Buildings of £28,786. There were no movements in the freehold land and buildings during the year (prior year: nil). No 1 Royal Crescent is included at a valuation that is over five years old; The Countess of 4. Investments

Huntingdon’s Chapel is included at cost. In the opinion of the Trustees the open market value of the properties is in excess of these figures but they do not intend to obtain professional valuations as they believe that the costs of such an exercise would outweigh the benefits. No 1 Royal Crescent is used purely for Trust and Museum activities; The Countess of Bath Preservation Huntingdon’s Chapel is used partly for Trust and Museum activities, and the remainder is rented Trust (incl No. 1 RC Beckford Tower Herschel House Totals at 31 January Totals to 31 January (Bath) Ltd) (£) Trust (£) Trust (£) 2019 2018 out as office space to tenants.

The freehold land and buildings known as Beckford’s Tower, Lansdown, Bath were gifted to Valuation: at beginning of the year 434,963 270,248 130,732 835,943 790,358 The Beckford Tower Trust in 1972 and 19 New King Street was gifted to The Herschel House Funds deposited in the year – – – – – Trust in 1987; no value was placed on either gift, and there have been no subsequent formal Cash withdrawn during the year 29,385 (100,420) (19,445) (90,480) – valuations, so no cost or value for Beckford’s Tower or 19 New King Street is included in the Investment management fees (4,919) (2,100) – (7,019) (1,830) financial statements. Surplus / (deficit) arising on revaluation (19,531) (6,692) (14,552) (40,775) 47,415

The Bath Preservation Trust also owns: Valuation: at end of the year 439,898 161,036 96,735 697,669 835,943 • The freehold of Lyncombe Hill Burial Ground, Widcombe, Bath, for which it paid £3,000 in 1990 but which was not recorded as an asset at the date of purchase, and whose current value

is considered to be minimal; 5. Unrestricted Funds

• The freeholds of two properties in Bath, let on 999 year leases at nominal rents, for which no cost or value was recognised when the leases were granted, and whose current value is also considered to be minimal.

Revenue surplus/ Investment gains Transfers between Movement during Balance brought Balance carried As part of the agreement for Heritage Lottery Fund support for The Whole Story project, the HLF (deficit) (£) or losses (£) funds (£) the year (£) forward (£) forward (£) have taken a charge over the Trust’s property at No 1 Royal Crescent, which will be discharged after twenty-five years. No 1 Royal Crescent (Bath) Ltd 17,292 – (18,605) (1,313) 5,119 3,806 Beckford Tower Trust (7,852) (6,692) – (14,544) 226,955 212,411 2. Museum Exhibits Herschel House Trust (6,502) (14,552) – (21,054) 161,059 140,005 Donated heritage assets: It is the policy of the Trust not to capitalise donated heritage assets held in the collections of the Trust, Beckford’s Tower (which was donated to The Beckford Tower Retained in subsidiaries 2,938 (21,244) (18,605) (36,911) 393,133 356,222 Trust in 1972) or 19 New King Street (which was donated to Herschel House Trust in 1987). These Bath Preservation Trust 108,953 (19,531) 18,605 108,027 1,092,288 1,200,315 items are in effect inalienable except insofar as the limited acquisitions and disposals policy permits, held in principle in perpetuity, and are mostly irreplaceable, and any financially based 111,891 (40,775) – 71,116 1,485,421 1,556,537 valuation would be misleading to the value and significance of the material culture involved. The Trust has a clear duty to care for and make available these assets for the enjoyment and The above funds are all unrestricted and shown as such in those entities’ annual reports. education of the public as far as is possible, commensurate with the long term care of these items. The highest possible standards of collection management are applied, and the catalogues are made available as widely as possible to facilitate all enquiries and requests for information, subject to appropriate security and data protection guidelines. All the Trust’s museums have Accredited status. Purchased heritage assets: Heritage Assets purchased by the Trust after 1 March 2005 are recorded at cost and have not been depreciated, as they are deemed to have indefinite lives and are reviewed annually for any impairment. These assets are managed with the same care and rigour as any other items in the collections, and are intended as permanent additions to the collections.

52 53

The unrestricted funds are divided between the Trusts as follows: 6. Restricted Funds

Undesignated Designated funds funds Total

External grants Trust contribution/ Expenditure incurred Movement during Balance brought Balance carried and donations (£) transfers (£) in the year (£) the year (£) forward (£) forward (£)

Bath Preservation Trust

Museum Exhibits John Wood Instruments – (9,147) – (9,147) 35,307 26,160

Bath in Time – – (1,236) (1,236) 5,000 3,764 Invested in Future Loss of Operating May Total Free Total Unrestricted Other Assets MoBA Display Cases 23,773 5,012 (5,757) 23,028 – 23,028 property (£) maintenance (£) income (£) costs (£) legacy designated (£) reserves (£) undesignated (£) funds (£) The Whole Story’ project – – (22,776) (22,776) 75,700 52,924 Activities World Heritage Site Enhancement Fund 21,152 5,000 (35,397) (9,245) 112,024 102,779 No 1 Royal Crescent Ltd – – – – – – 3,806 3,806 3,806 Donations for Education 850 – – 850 – 850 Beckford Tower Trust – 186,811 25,600 – 212,411 – – 212,411 B&NES 2,000 – (2,000) – – – Herschel House Trust – 100,089 39,916 – 140,005 – – 140,005 Medlock Trust for school house 5,000 – (5,000) – – – Royal Crescent 250 Exhibition 6,765 – (24,977) (18,212) 18,212 – Retained in subsidiaries – 286,900 65,516 – 352,416 3,806 3,806 356,222 Costumed Interpretation – – (6,465) (6,465) 14,094 7,629 S W Museums Ready to Borrow – (5,012) (6,391) (11,403) 11,403 – Bath Preservation Trust 542,978 200,742 166,936 24,500 116,535 1,051,691 148,624 148,624 1,200,315 Pendal Website Design – – (3,000) (3,000) 3,000 – 542,978 487,642 232,452 24,500 116,535 1,404,107 152,430 152,430 1,556,537 Kick start funding 1,870 – (1,870) – – – Bath Spa Uni – Research intern 600 – (600) – – – Judicial Review 4,510 – (4,510) – – – The Trustees’ have set separate reserves policies for The Beckford Tower Trust and The Campaigning fund 987 – – 987 – 987 Herschel House Trust, which are further explained in those Trusts’ annual reports, but are SGBI 500 – (500) – – – AIM – Hallmark Grant 1,037 1,825 (2,862) – – – summarised below. AIM Grant (merlin upgrade) 2,441 – (660) 1,781 – 1,781 For The Beckford Tower Trust, the reserves policy is that the optimum level of free reserves WS 100 11,180 – (10,867) 313 – 313 should be equivalent to ten months’ operational costs with a remainder of any funds designated Other grants and funding received 6,283 7,322 (16,659) (3,054) 16,641 13,587 to be invested in order to support future maintenance of the Tower and its operations, in 88,948 5,000 (151,527) (57,579) 291,381 233,802 addition to the income from the Permanent Endowment Fund. For The Herschel House Trust, the reserves policy is that as an organisation dependent on Beckford Tower Trust Museum Exhibits Cabinet – – – – 64,000 64,000 admissions and rental income, the optimum level of reserves should be sufficient to cover the Coffer – – – – 324,000 324,000 impact of a loss of fifty percent of annual income, plus a designated fund to cover future Beckford book 3,325 506 – 3,831 – 3,831 maintenance costs. Activities Cemetery costs – – – – 2,146 2,146 For the Bath Preservation Trust as a separate entity, the Trustees reserves policy is that as an Rimington Legacy – – (398) (398) 50,415 50,017 organisation not in receipt of statutory funding and currently dependent on admissions, the Beckford Project Phase 1 500 – (500) – – – B&NES 1,000 – (1,000) – – – optimum level of reserves should be sufficient to cover the impact of a loss of fifty percent of Other Grant Funding – (506) (1,512) (2,018) 2,018 – annual income, plus designated funds to cover the property assets and future maintenance costs. 4,825 – (3,410) 1,415 442,579 443,994 The current level of unrestricted funds may not be sufficient to meet all future maintenance Herschel House Trust requirements. Therefore, the Trustees aim to set surplus budgets if possible and to earmark such Museum Exhibits Letter from Sir Joseph Banks – – – – 1,100 1,100 surpluses for further designated reserves. In addition, any unrestricted windfalls (legacies, gifts Letter from Nevil Maskelyne – – – – 1,525 1,525 Dudley Adams globes – – – – 18,700 18,700 etc.) should pass to reserves if appropriate. 18th Century guittar – – – – 2,500 2,500 Activities B&NES 2,000 – (3,000) (1,000) 1,000 – Ernest Cook 8,000 – (4,469) 3,531 – 3,531 Murray Foundation – – (1,814) (1,814) 8,000 6,186 Royal Astonomical Society – – (537) (537) 9,511 8,974 William Herschel Society – – – – 1,156 1,156 School Visits 600 – (200) 400 – 400

10,600 – (10,020) 580 43,492 44,072

Totals for the year 104,373 5,000 (164,957) (55,584) 777,452 721,868

54 55 Bath Preservation Trust Beckford Tower Trust

Museum exhibits Museum exhibits These relate to drawing instruments belonging to Bath Architect John Wood the Elder, creator of A cabinet and a coffer, both formerly belonging to William Beckford, were purchased in 2007/08 18th Century Bath and architect in particular of Queen Square and the King’s Circus. and 2011/12 for £64,000 and £324,000 respectively. Bath in Time – this relates to a grant received for the purchase and promotion of digital The purchase during the year ended 31 January 2019 was a book entitled ‘Letters to the Right images, and all copyright related to them, of items in the Bath Preservation Trust collections that Honourable Lord Brougham and Vaux presenting rambling details of a tour’ by William Beckford. are listed and available to search and purchase on the Bath in Time website. This book from Beckford’s library includes notes by him but more importantly a drawing by Other Asset – The Whole Story’ – this relates to the capital works for the project which Beckford for a piece of furniture at Lansdown. were completed in 2013, the costs of which are being depreciated over subsequent years. Operating activities: Operating activities: • Rimington legacy – In December 2014 The Beckford Tower Trust received £50,640 from • World Heritage Site Enhancement Fund – total donations and grants for the year the executors of Mr Niel Rimington, deceased owner of Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire. This amounted to £26,152 (prior year £32,514) and total expenditure was £35,397 (prior year restricted fund is set aside to offset any costs incurred by the Trust in operating the ‘Beckford £59,547). This leaves a closing balance of £102,779 to be carried forward, most of which has Provisions’, which ensure that some public access to the Fonthill Estate is guaranteed into the been earmarked to fund specific projects. future. In the year in question only £398 was spent on visits during the ‘Provisions’ period • Donations for Education – this primarily comprises a donation from the Medlock Charitable because other organised access was provided for the public by the current owners of Fonthill Trust towards the cost of continuing and expanding the educational work of the Trust with at no cost to the Trust. local schools and community groups. • Royal Crescent 250 Exhibition – during the year £6,765 of income was received towards Herschel House Trust the costs of a range of activities planned. Expenditure incurred during the year amounted to £24,977, funded with the balance of £18,212 carried forward from last financial year. Museum exhibits • Costumed Interpretation – this relates to funds received in order to purchase new period Museum exhibits consist of heritage assets purchased for display in the museum. costumes and to fund more interactive interpretation activities inside No 1 Royal Crescent. • Other grants & funding – these includes grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Bath Operating activities: and North East Somerset Council towards the costs of exhibitions and an AIM Hallmark grant • Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) Council – A grant of £1,000 was received as a towards developing and sustaining audiences at the Museum of Bath Architecture. contribution to the cost of the Wonder Women of Space. • William Herschel Society – This relates to a grant received for the refurbishment of the entrance area at 19 New King Street. • Ernest Cook – This is a grant towards new education equipment for stargazing with the remaining grant of £3,531 carried forward to next financial year 2019-20. • Murray Foundation – These relate to grants towards the refurbishment of the entrance area at 19 New King Street and the purchase of new display cabinets that were capitalised in 2018. The expenditure is now the depreciation of this asset. • Royal Astronomical Society – This relates to a grant towards the running costs of the museum.

7. Trustee Remuneration and Expenses The Trustees did not receive any remuneration (prior year: nil); reimbursed expenses amounted to £24 (prior year: nil). The Trust purchased management liability insurance covering staff and Trustees at a total cost of £1,150.

56 57 Clive Arrowsmith attending the preview of the exhibition Peter Gabriel Reflections at the Museum of Bath Architecture ©Tim Beale We are a membership organisation and a registered charity The Bath Preservation Trust Limited 1 Royal Crescent, Bath BA1 2LR +44 (0)1225 338 727 www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk [email protected] Registered in England no. 294789 Charity no. 203048

A wedding at Beckford’s Tower photographybysimon.com