BRITISH HISTORIC BUILDINGS TRUST The British Historic Buildings Trust ("yet another agency to deal with historic buildings", as Dame Jennifer Jenkins wryly admitted when intro~ ducing it) was born on October 2nd 1985 and the infant's head was wetted enthusiastically at the launch held at the Royal Society of Arts; for the child is of noble parentage, the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust being mainly resposible for its entry into the world. Alan Bemrose and Derek Latham, who have worked for many years with the Derbyshire Trust, are Director and Technical Advisor; other Trustees are Dame Jennifer (Chairman), Sophie Andreae of SAVE, Dr R.W. Brunskill, the Duke of Grafton, and Dr Michael Kelly. The justification for the new Trust's existence is that there is no other national 'fire-fighting' organisation to rescue a wide range of buildings. Acting principally in the same way as most local Trusts - as a revolving fund - the new Trust hopes also .. "to act as a catalyst to show what can be done in an imaginative way to create new life for old buildings. It will also encourage the formation of local trusts, advise individuals, organisations and public bodies,and carry out feasibility studies for problem buildings". The need for such an organisation has become increasingly necessary as local authority funds have reduced -particularly the housing funds which in the past have provided the 'big money' for residential conversion schemes. Page 4 The first projects proposed include Sir John Soane's Pell Wall Hall, Shropshire; Pear Tree Farm,Derbyshire; The Granaiies, Berwick-on Tweed; and houses at Lower Bridge St, Carmarthen. The Trust's initial requirement, not surprisingly, is money; it is appealing for £150,000 initially, partly to cover the modest costs of office· accommodation and administration at it~ base in Wirksworth, Derbyshire It is appropriate that a Trust emphsising its concern for humbler buildings and in particular redundant rural buildings should not be London-based. As well as the hard cash, the Trust is also appealing for everyone to act as 'eyes and ears' in bringing to its attention buildings in need of rescue. a English Heritage GRANTSFROMTHE HBMC- A CORRECTION Following the last issue of Context, Mrs Diana Phillips wrote from the HBMCto say that our comment on the distribution of grants, and the proportion given to outstanding buildings, was misleading. Grants for SlO work and for Town Schemes have both been increased and, in total, some £6m, represJnt a considerable sum of money. This we gratefully acknowledge. We still hope more money will be made available in modest grants to modest, and perhaps threatened historic buildings, preferably in a way which attracts contributions from others - perhaps the local authorities! Great houses may need large grants, but some slight economy on the larger grants may still be possible. However it is done, some help is needed at the bottom end of the market to stop the rot - the loss of the Grade II building, if not by outright demolition, then by senseless, insensitive or illegal alteration.
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