C O N T E X T 1 2 1 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1 33 SMG ideology. From a practical point of view, only the sisters knew how the space would function and only they had a clear overview of how it should be designed. A fair reading of this site (as a convent) is that it was largely created by women. In this respect it offers a surprising and important example of direct female activity in design and building. While this is unusual in the context of wider 19th and early 20th-century society, it is typical of the way in which Roman Catholic nuns had been building their own spaces from the 1830s onwards. Even more striking examples show women collaborating with the great architects of the gothic revival such as AWN and EW Pugin, and even undertaking manual building work such as digging foundations, bricklaying and carpentry. How should these sites be conserved? At St Marye’s the later buildings are vicariously protected by virtue of being within the curtilage of the Grade II* listed Norman remains and manor house. Recent negotiations over plans for redevelopment of the site have indicated that, despite protection, the later buildings are regarded by the local authority conservation officer as dispensable.This is a forgivable slight: none of these buildings displays obvious architectural interest. Without a conservation plan that emphasises their historical interest they might justifiably be regarded as indifferent. Producing a plan that adequately describes the historical significance of St Marye’s would be impossible without reference to literature outlining the importance of women to this building type, and demonstrating the value of convents as evidence for a unique and little-understood chapter in women’s history.That this does not exist is due in part to an academic research gap. It also points to past failures in heritage protection to look beyond the canon of architectural history. The need to address these problems is lent some urgency by the fact that convents face particular and continuing threats: dwindling communities are increasingly downsizing and selling their properties. Many unlisted but historically significant buildings have already been lost. Finding appropriate criteria for listing convents is hampered by the fact that their very purpose and nature are not widely understood. Although, for example, their architectural identity is determinedly religious, they do not, for better or worse, have ecclesiastical exemption. In recognition of these issues, English Heritage has recently undertaken a scoping project to identify some of the problems that convents face. A draft report has been drawn up to consider the efficacy of current protection policies. More broadly, English Heritage has been exploring diverse histories through its themed web pages, such as those dedicated to women’s history.This resource aims to raise awareness of women’s historic contributions to the built environment. Despite being a welcome first step, it does not engage with protection issues, concentrating only on buildings that are already listed. Moreover, while it excels in showcasing women’s varied roles, it must be wary of approaches that willingly accept models of female passivity. Prefacing its pages with the sweeping caveat that ‘women were confined to the home’ has the appearance of an apology – a needless concession that inadvertently buttresses an uncomplicated narrative of male achievement. English Heritage’s recent projects are to be commended but the default position of separating history into discrete categories is not always helpful. An opportunity to bring together women’s and religious history, a potentially fruitful exercise, has perhaps been missed here.To understand and protect convents depends on further and more imaginative research in conjunction with cross-disciplinary protection strategies. Until a comprehensive study of these buildings has been produced, their meaning, value and significance will continue to be obscured, at great cost to both architectural heritage and women’s history. Kate Jordan is writing her PhD at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, on the role of nuns in convent building. A brief summary of her research entitled ‘Nuns and convent building’ can be found on the English HeritageWomen’s History web page www.englishheritage.org.uk/discover/ people-and-places/womenshistory/nuns-and-conventbuilding Addwww.buildingconservation.com to your favourites list today Everything for the conservationand repairofhistoricbuildings inoneplace CONTACTS NOTICE BOARD Products& services Courses& training Organisations ©CathedralCommunications Limited2010 Aboutus Ourpublications Advertising Welcome NEWARTICLESONLINE DealingwithWoodworm TheCase forMicroporosity EVENTS NEWBOOKS HistoricGardens TheBuilding Conservation Directory Cathedral Communications Limited 01747 871717 info@buildingconservation.com Buildingconservation.com, the UK’s leading website for built heritage conservation, was established in 1994 by Cathedral Communications Limited, publisher of The Building Conservation Directory. 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