Context 164 - May 2020

20 C O N T E X T 1 6 4 : M A Y 2 0 2 0 bronze-age survival at Holme-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. There, the preservationist argument won with Seahenge moved to a museum. A pro- tester at the time felt that this was ‘60 grand… spent by archaeologists… telling each other they’re doing the right thing. It’s a farce.’ Today the outcome could have been different – particu- larly as £60,000 is now harder to find. English-Heritage-the-charity has recently announced its new sustainable conservation strategy and asset management plan. This differs from a conventional conservation management plan in setting priorities about where expenditure should be prioritised and targeted, based on significance, condition and vulnerability. English Heritage stresses that maintenance remains the key priority for its estate but the new strategy will influence where limited funds are spent. If plasterwork is exposed within a ruin, for instance, and therefore vulnerable to decay, gradual erosion may be accepted over active conservation. In Scotland, increasing wet weather due to climate change is exacerbating problems with dampness and decay. A current example is the National Trust for Scotland’s (NTS) Hill House, Helensburgh. This outstanding exam- ple of Charles Rennie Mackintosh design was constructed with materials and architectural details that were ill-suited to their location. The erection of a semi-permanent shroud, to assist drying-out, might be viewed as the ultimate in preservationism. But while encasement has made the house a museum object, it has also offered a new existence, with walkways allowing visitors to view the structure in new ways. The trust could have decided that the house would never be fit for its climate, but its outstanding Mackintosh-designed contents also needed to be considered. The public reaction has been notable: fundraising for the temporary roof was achieved more swiftly than any previous NTS campaign. In this case protection is unquestion- ably popular. Conservation remains a popular movement. Public protest often results from perceived neglect. National agencies, councils and conser- vation bodies routinely prioritise at-risk work, chiefly because it commands public support.The idea of curated decay has not been tested on any large scale, nor has it been extensively explained and promoted, but the millions who become members of heritage organisations might well view it as a dereliction of duty. At worst, there is a risk that curated decay could be used falsely to justify spending cuts and a withdrawal of care. Some might argue that St Peter’s Seminary, at Cardross near Glasgow, falls into this cat- egory. A Scottish government report stated that St Peter’s was an ‘internationally renowned A-listed building… commissioned in 1958 by the Archbishop of Glasgow. Opened in 1966, it was hailed as one of the finest modern buildings of the day, and received the RIBA Architecture award in 1967.’ However, as conservation work ‘could cost £13 million over 20 years’, the same report decided that ‘taking into account increas- ing pressure on public resources, the Scottish Government has… to decline a request from the Catholic Church… to take St Peter’s into state care.’ The minister concluded that ‘the only reasonable way forward for this site would be “curated decay.’’’ Despite this unhealthy association with cost- saving, curated decay in its true form can and should have a place in the range of options open to building conservationists. Even for those with ideas based on care and repair, there is rarely a single, simple solution. Caitlin Desilvey makes no mention in her book of the SPAB, and she is wrong if she assumes that all building conservationists promote ‘the desirability of a return to a prior state: restoration…’ Restoration Active conservation, rather than curated decay, underlies apparent abandonment at English Heritage’s Brodsworth Hall (Photo: Matthew Slocombe) Natural colonisation of a ruined church by an oak tree produces something as much living organism as structure (Photo: Matthew Slocombe)