Context 155 - July 2018

34 C O N T E X T 1 5 5 : J U L Y 2 0 1 8 valued by locals and what is officially desig- nated nationally as heritage. Again, exploring the ‘affective heritage’ of the estate demanded an alternative approach to engaging with the public, elaborated with reference to a conceptual understanding of place that emphasises the sen- sory relationship with the surrounding heritage environment. Investigating historic places in this way can draw out tensions between the values ascribed by residents and those enshrined in official designations by heritage agencies, helping the latter take better account of the unforeseen impacts on local communities. This author recently undertook a series of walking interviews with local residents, heritage professionals and others around the 26-acre for- mer Ebrington Barracks in Derry~Londonderry. This site, ‘difficult’ due to its recent military history during the Troubles, is a fascinating case in heritage-led regeneration (McClelland, 2013). Ebrington was critical to the inaugural UK City of Culture programme in 2013. Opening it up to public access via the Peace Bridge was symbolically important in official attempts at reimagining and telling a ‘new story’ for the city (Devlin, 2016). The site’s ongoing transforma- tion entails the prospective reuse of many listed and non-listed buildings, conservation of the scheduled star-fort walls dating from the 1840s, and repurposing of the five-acre parade ground into a shared space. The ‘inbetweenness’ of Ebrington’s regenera- tion lends itself to exploring alternative perspec- tives on how it has changed and is changing, how people interact with it, and ultimately what this place means to them. Many participants conveyed their sense of excitement following its opening up after decades shielded behind high fortifications, as well as frustrations at the slow progress perceived since the City of Culture year. Practically speaking, GPS tracking allowed the association of spoken word with specific locations on the route, which is important for post-interview analysis and visualisation. More fundamentally, these walking encounters pro- vided nuanced insights concerning heritage and regeneration processes, with numerous issues emerging, for example, over how its history should be interpreted and aspirations in terms of future uses, visitor attractions and connectivity with the surrounding city. The walking interview method provides a read- ily adaptable means of accessing people’s every- day lives in the historic environment; sensitive to how individuals and communities differentially experience and construct their understanding of place. Realising the participatory intentions and supportive rhetoric of conservation policies at multiple scales undoubtedly requires deeper practical engagement into the future, with such approaches emerging from the humanities and social sciences . One of many ghost signs adorning buildings at Ebrington formerly used by the British Army or Navy A former accommodation block for married soldiers and their families awaiting reuse at Ebrington Andrew McClelland is a postdoctoral researcher at Maynooth University, Ireland. The Ebrington research mentioned here received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement. References Devlin, P (2016) ‘City of Culture/Memory: Derry-Londonderry, 2013’, in Post-conflict Performance, Film and Visual Arts: cities of memory , edited by D O’Rawe, and M Phelan, Mark, Palgrave, London Emerick, K (2017) ‘The language changes but practice stays the same: does the same have to be true for community conservation?’ in Heritage, Conservation and Communities: engagement, participation and capacity building , edited by G Chitty, Routledge, Abingdon Madgin, R, D Webb, P Ruiz, and T Snelson (2018) ‘Resisting relocation and reconceptualising authenticity: the experiential and emotional values of the Southbank Undercroft, London, UK’, International Journal of Heritage Studies , 24 (6) McClelland, A (2013) ‘Heritage harmony and discord in Northern Ireland’, Context 132, November 2013 Yarker, S (2017) ‘Social housing as built heritage: the presence and absence of affective heritage’ in Heritage, Affect and Emotion: politics, practices and infrastructures , edited by DP Tolia-Kelly, E Waterton, and S Watson, Routledge, Abingdon