ANNUAL REVIEW 2009-10 CONTENTS 1 Chairman’s foreword 3 Chief Executive’s review 6 Completed projects 30 Projects under development 54 Register of Building Preservation Trusts 57 AHF financial information 62 About the AHF FRONT COVER: Bolton Percy Gatehouse (see p.20) INSIDE FRONT COVER: Causey Hall (see p.11) CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD I wrote in my Foreword for My fellow Trustees and I have continued last year’s Annual Review to visit projects throughout the UK, and about the challenges we remain struck by the dedication of the which faced us, and many volunteers who run them. It is truly these have not lessened remarkable that people are prepared to give in the current year. up so much of their own time to try to find Nonetheless, judicious viable solutions for challenging buildings, use of our resources has enabled the AHF often in areas of economic and social to continue to offer grants and loans to deprivation, and it shows that our part of a very wide range of projects, as shown in the historic environment sector has been this publication. We are very conscious of delivering the objectives of the new Coalition the need to ensure our own stability at a time Government’s ‘Big Society’ for many years when interest rates remain at a historic low, before the term was even coined. We look severely reducing the income from our forward to a productive working relationship endowment fund. We have therefore had to with the coalition and to supporting our restrict our grant-giving but have tried to do clients in the delivery of these vital so in such a way that by phasing our support community-based projects. and helping those projects with the most pressing need, any negative impact of these This year marked the retirement of one of restrictions is reduced. The Architectural Heritage Fund’s longest- serving and most influential Trustees, The next challenge ahead is the impact Nicholas Baring. Nicholas joined the AHF’s of spending cuts from national and local Council of Management in 1987 and gave government, which are likely to affect many 23 years of exemplary service to the of our clients as they seek support for new organisation, including nine years as and ongoing projects. We are very grateful to Deputy Chairman. His wise counsel and the AHF’s four main funders – Cadw, English quiet authority was much valued and will Heritage, Historic Scotland and the Northern be missed both by his fellow Trustees and Ireland Environment Agency – for their the staff. continuing support and encouragement of our work, and also to the J Paul Getty Junior In closing I would like to thank my TOP: Ford Park Cemetery (see p.10) Charitable Trust and the Pilgrim Trust who colleagues on the Council of Management, MIDDLE: are backing our new initiative to increase and the AHF’s staff, for their support and Wellbrook Manor (see p.41) activity in tackling buildings at risk – hard work over the last year – their expertise BOTTOM LEFT: described in the Chief Executive’s Review. and enthusiasm is helping us to meet and Moat Brae House (see p.49) overcome the challenges we face. John Townsend Chairman October 2010 1 2 Mrs Gaskell’s House (see p.13) CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW In his foreword, In 2007, Barry Quirk, leader of Lewisham our Chairman, Council, published his review of the potential for more transfers of assets from John Townsend, public bodies, especially local government, has talked about to community groups. The Government some of the was quick to respond positively, and subsequently the Asset Transfer Unit (ATU) challenges that The Architectural was formed within the Development Trusts Heritage Fund (AHF) has faced Association, with a wide-ranging group of this year. Rather than focusing stakeholders guiding its policy and actions. I have been a member of the Asset Transfer on those, I want to highlight some Unit’s stakeholder forum since its inception, of the opportunities which we are and this year became its Deputy Chair. helping others to take advantage It is very encouraging to see the range of of and some of the success stories projects handled by the ATU, and to note which are apparent even in these the number of enquiries it receives about very difficult times. historic buildings. Clearly the financial pressures faced by local authorities may lead to the potential disposal of buildings which are seen more as liabilities than assets, and we will continue to work with the ATU and other partners to ensure that transfers take place on equitable terms for the community group and local authority alike, but there are real opportunities for communities to find viable new uses for important historic buildings in their area. Changes in the social and political landscape mean that buildings such as libraries, town halls and courts can lose their original function, whilst remaining significant parts of the local infrastructure, and community groups are often best placed to take on these iconic structures and give them new life. The AHF has been working with English Heritage, the ATU and a number of other heritage bodies to produce guidance for local authorities and community groups considering the transfer of historic buildings, and Pillars of the Community – the Transfer of Local Authority Heritage Assets will be published this autumn. TOP: Hestercombe Gardens (see p.12) ABOVE: Belmont House (see p.22) 3 The AHF is always happy to offer advice by Europa Nostra in Istanbul, part of the and support to the wider voluntary and European Capital of Culture programme community sector, not just to specialist for that extraordinary city. We spoke to historic environment charities, and that is an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and why our work with organisations such as the encouragingly young audience about the ATU and the Development Trusts Association role of NGOs in the historic environment is so important. Similarly our involvement in the UK, and I was keen to emphasise with Heritage Link, now renamed the the fact that our experience demonstrates Heritage Alliance under the excellent the way in which communities can take Chairmanship of Loyd Grossman, remains their destiny in their own hands, as long very close, not least through my position as as they have the right support and the the Alliance’s Deputy Chair. At a time when opportunity to build capacity where it is funding for heritage and the culture sector needed. Turkey does not, as yet, have a more generally is under serious threat, the well-developed non-government heritage role of the Heritage Alliance is even more sector but the passion and commitment we important, and I was therefore pleased to be encountered on our visit led us to hope that invited to represent the Alliance and heritage this will change over the next few years. generally on the new ‘Culture Forum’, which brings together senior representatives of Capacity building in our sector remains organisations and umbrella bodies across a key issue at home as well as abroad, and the culture sector under the auspices of something which the AHF will be focusing Arts and Business and the National on over the next three years. Following the Campaign for the Arts. The Culture Forum successful introduction of our mentoring is collating and presenting what we hope grant scheme, we have developed the idea is compelling evidence to the Coalition further by looking at a number of ‘cold spots’ Government on the importance of the – areas of England and Wales where we culture sector to the economy and to receive relatively few applications and where quality of life, hoping to influence there appear to be very few active building Government decision-making around preservation trusts and other community- the Comprehensive Spending Review. based regeneration organisations. TOP: Although the AHF does not operate outside I was grateful to secure support for this Great Trerhew Barn (see p.29) the UK, we do provide information to scheme from our core funders in each BOTTOM RIGHT: researchers from abroad when they are country, English Heritage and Cadw, and Llanelly House (see p.52) looking at the possibility of community/ from two charitable trusts, the J Paul Getty non-government organisations (NGOs) Junior Trust and the Pilgrim Trust. This being involved in the regeneration of the will enable us to fund experienced project historic environment in their countries. organisers to work with new or dormant This year I was honoured to be one of four charities interested in taking on the representatives of the UK’s heritage sector restoration of a historic building but invited to speak at a conference organised lacking the confidence and capacity to 4 do so. Initially we are looking at the East Midlands and South Wales and we are also in discussion with English Heritage about a possible ‘generic’ approach around a building type. In Northern Ireland we continue to work closely with the Environment Agency and to administer the grants scheme for the acquisition of historic buildings at risk. During 2009-10 we disbursed two further grants under this scheme: £110,000 to Enable NI for the former National School in Drumbee, Armagh, which will be used for the charity’s activities in providing respite care; and £125,000 to Hearth Housing Association for six properties on McMaster Street in Belfast, to be converted into affordable housing. Unfortunately I would like finally to echo John Townsend’s TOP: Nicholas Baring CBE despite considerable demand the scheme tribute to Nicholas Baring, whose sage BELOW: is currently frozen because of the financial advice and calm demeanour I have valued Bells of the Kirk of St Nicholas (see p.49) pressures faced by the Government in throughout my seven years with the AHF.