Had Mr. Morris been asked which one
in preference to any other of his undertakings he considered his
greatest and best, he would have had no hesitation in naming the
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, which owes to
him more than anything else both in its origin and its success.
The Life and Work of William Morris,
Aymer Vallance 1897.
William Morris founded the Society for the Protection
of Ancient Buildings in 1877, and became its dynamic and outspoken
Honorary Secretary. Today the SPAB is fighting to save historic
buildings from demolition, decay and destructive restoration.
As well as its campaigning work, the Society concerns
itself with how buildings are repaired, ever aware of Morris's
words "We are only trustees for those that come after us".
Technical publications go hand-in-hand with unique training programmes,
such as the Lethaby Scholarship for building professionals, and
the William Morris Craft Fellowship for building conservation
craftsmen.
The East Midlands has a wealth of historic buildings,
encompassing a range of traditional construction types and forms.
However, of the houses of the great estates of the 'Dukeries'
in Nottinghamshire, only Anthony Salvin's Victorian Thoresby Hall
(now a hotel) and the much altered and remodelled Welbeck Abbey
survive. The site of Nuthall Temple, once a fine copy of Palladio's
Villa Rotunda, is now the southbound carriageway of the M1. Many
of our city centres have been torn apart by senseless redevelopment:
Nottingham lost its 17th century Collins Almshouses to a ring
road in the 1960s; Derby its Assembly Rooms to a fire; the Magazine
Gateway is imprisoned within Leicester's ring road. Worse, buildings
are still being lost, and the region has a poor record in comparison
with other parts of the county in respect of formulating schemes
for saving such buildings and exploiting Lottery and other funding
sources.
'SPAB in the East Midlands', covering all Lincolnshire,
Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire,
Rutland and Cambridgeshire, seeks to broaden the understanding
and knowledge of our built heritage. The group organises both
tours and technical days, promotes the work of the Society as
a whole, and encourages the promotion and development of schemes
to rescue and ensure the wellbeing of ancient buildings.
If you care about the protection of our ancient buildings,
why not join the SPAB? Telephone Joy Mann, Membership Secretary,
on 0207 377 1644.
The SPAB is also happy to try and answer any technical
queries you may have with regard to the conservation of historic
buildings, and publishes a range of technical pamphlets and information.
Please contact the SPAB Technical Secretary on 0207 377 1644.
If you would like more information on 'SPAB in the
East Midlands' please contact
Jane Holt or Peter Rogan at Mark Stewart Architects
Telephone 0115 9455787 · Fax 0115 9455112 · E-mail
spab@msarch.co.uk
Anthony Goode, Historic Buildings Contractor
Telephone/Fax 01858 555208
The illustration at the head of this
page is of the ruined mediaeval church of St. Mary, Colston Bassett,
Nottinghamshire. This church includes examples of all mediaeval
periods from the Norman conquest. It was de-roofed when a new
church was constructed on a different site at the turn of the
20th century. A campaign is currently underway to consolidate
the ruins. This drawing is by the late John Severn, MA FRIBA,
co-founder of the Nottinghamshire Historic Churches Trust, and
tireless campaigner for the preservation of our built heritage.
news-page home-page events-page
