Management of Coastal Properties
The task of the Exchange in Devon was to try to answer the question “how
can the conservation community best support the sustainable management
of coast landscapes in Devon within the context of a growing economy?”.
Practitioners in Coastal Management from environmental protection
organisations in Spain, Portugal and Finland met Trust staff and
representatives from other heritage conservation organisations to learn
about issues such as coastal grazing, recreational pressures, farm
management, nature conservation and access. Many recommendations were
made, including the need for long term planning and the development of
an overarching coastal plan for South and North Devon.
Archaeological and Industrial Sites
At Sutton Hoo, the burial ground of the 7th century kings of East
Anglia, heritage conservation practitioners from Denmark and Sweden
provided invaluable advice on how the site might best be presented and
interpreted to the visiting public. The Exchange project enabled Trust
staff and visiting practitioners to consider the site in both a regional
and a European context. Comparative visits were made to Anglo-Saxon
sites in the region, notably West Stow and Ipswich, where regional
partnerships are being established. Proposals to initiate links with
similar Scandinavian sites are being developed as a result of the
Exchange Programme partnerships.
Using the example of the Dolaucothi Gold Mines, practitioners from
France and the Slovak Republic investigated the management and
presentation of industrial sites in Wales. Archaeological evidence at
the Gold Mines shows that intensive mining took place during the Roman
period although this was not documented until the mid-nineteenth
century. Many challenges were identified during the exchange, and
solutions suggested by participants. For example, a review of
information panels and the information centre could help to explain the
confusing and complex archaeology of the site; the co-ordination of
promotional events could ensure that promotion is targeted rather than
passive; a site survey could be carried out for management purposes.
Farming and Upland Landscapes
The principle objective of the Exchange in the North West Region was to
investigate issues affecting the management of an upland area such as
the Lake District and to develop a strategy for better working
arrangements between NGOs and local communities, especially farming
communities. Practitioners from Austria and Poland met staff from key
organisations in the area to learn about a wide range of topics relevant
to upland management in the region, including the future of upland
agriculture, the shift in government support, and the involvement of
Government agencies and NGOs. Participants concluded that the Lake
District should be designated as a “cultural landscape heritage site”,
demonstrating the interaction between its communities and the natural
environment, as well as maintaining the biodiversity of the area. It was
felt that the Lake District, and the management of areas under the
National Trust’s protection, could be used as an example across Europe.
In Wessex, the purpose of the Exchange was to provide guidance for the
production of a management plan for three National Trust owned farms on
the Dorset Coast. A principal aim within the plan was to ensure good
nature conservation practice. Participants from Estonia and Lithuania
felt it was very important to meet with local farmers to discuss the
management of the farmland since they considered that without the help
of the farmers, the proposed management would not be effective. Most of
the farms were on limestone pasture. In order to gain a better
understanding of the management of this type of habitat, participants
sought views from other organisations, including English Heritage, RSPB,
Dorset Wildlife Trust, Corfe Castle Parish Council, Durlston Country
Park, and Corfe Castle Common Management Committee. They concluded that:
grazing is important for botanical management; it is important to
establish good links with local people, particularly with the farmers;
the important features of the farmland and for whom it is being managed
must be established.
New Uses for Old Buildings
Under the Exchange theme “New Uses for Old Buildings”, architects from
Romania and Ukraine came to work with the National Trust for Scotland.
They brought together their expertise to carry out a structural report
of Dymock’s Building in Bo’ness, West Lothian, in order to identify ways
in which it could be adapted to modern use. The study concluded that
the building had suffered structural damage from various causes, but
that a new use would eliminate most of them. As a result, the building
will be restored while conserving the original structure. Participants
felt that they learnt much during the project which would prove
beneficial to their own organisations as well as to the National Trust
for Scotland.
The second task under this theme was to consider and develop new uses
for unused or under-used vernacular buildings. The emphasis was on
revitalising the buildings by emphasising their unique characteristics.
Participants from Greece, Slovak Republic and Malta exchanged experience
with staff from a number of properties in the Lake District and North
Lancashire. It was concluded that each building deserves an individual
approach to its repair within the framework of four essential criteria:
all interventions must be reversible; new uses must not disguise the
monument itself or its environment; new additions should be datable and
not disguised as old features; function must be compatible with the
monument and its setting.
Heritage Retailing and Commercial Activities
Practitioners from Belgium and Poland, both representing heritage
conservation organisations at very different stages in development,
exchanged ideas on the theme of heritage retailing and commercial
activities in Wales. At several different sites, they compared the every
day practice of dealing with several commercial activities, including
plant sales, catering and holiday cottages. They also focused on
retailing activities, particularly customer flow, shop fitting,
merchandise and merchandise presentation. Participants made several
recommendations: the uniqueness of the site must be of prime concern in
developing the most appropriate way for carrying out commercial
activities; and the quality of standards throughout all aspects of the
development of commercial activities is important.
Education and Interpretation
The “Learning on the Lough” project in Northern Ireland focused on
educational activities in the area with a view to developing an
educational strategy for Strangford Lough. Participants from the Russian
Federation and Latvia studied the experiences of environmental
education centres in Northern Ireland for different target groups,
including the different sources of funding and opportunities for public
relations and environmental awareness events. It was felt that the
experience from Northern Ireland could be successfully transferred to
the participants’ own organisations and both aimed to investigate
possibilities for setting up environmental education centres in their
own countries.
At Gibside, a large estate in the Tyneside conurbation, the objective of
the Exchange task was to evaluate the potential of the estate in terms
of interpretation and to help the property to develop its own
interpretation plan for the site. Ideas and experience brought by
participants from the Ukraine and Italy provoked discussion on how best
to achieve this objective. As a result, a three stage interpretation
strategy was developed: understanding the potential of the site; setting
targets; optimising potential by planning a specific strategy for each
target.
The objective for participants from Lithuania and Malta at properties in
the East Midlands was to consider live interpretation as a means of
enhancing the visitor experience, awareness and understanding, whilst
maintaining “Spirit of Place”. They exchanged ideas with staff at
several properties and participated in different types of live
interpretation, including a toy workshop, costumed people and a
Victorian lesson in the school room. Participants made many useful
recommendations to the properties, for example, they felt that live
interpretation must be appropriate to each individual property and the
visitor should be able to choose whether to join in activities. It was
concluded that live interpretation creates a memorable experience for
all visitors.
Training in Rural Craft Skills
As part of a feasibility study being carried out by the National Trust
in the North West of England, heritage conservation practitioners from
Norway and Hungary investigated issues related to training in
traditional rural crafts. They focused on transfer of skills and the
formulation of a strategy for developing partnerships with other
organisations. Participants met with Trust staff and other crafts people
to learn about the current availability of craft training. It was
concluded that “hand to hand” craft training could appeal to young
people who find book learning difficult, but that it needs to be
structured and appropriate trainers need to be identified. Participants
reported that similar problems had been encountered in their own
countries and felt that exchange of experience was a good starting point
for addressing these.
Management of Historic Houses and Estates
Two tasks were carried were carried out under this theme. The Task for
the participants of the Exchange at Morden Hall Park, Surrey, was to
prepare a draft “statement of significance” for the Park and to consider
its relationship to the locality by analysing its special
characteristics. Morden Hall Park is a 124 acre green space in an urban
area which also has an interesting history, gardens and a collection of
old estate buildings, including mills, houses and cottages. Participants
from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Finland analysed the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Park which led them to
clarify the main objectives of the property. They concluded that a clear
link with the Park’s history should be established and that public
interest should be deepened through education, interpretation,
restoration and presentation and through developing stronger links with
the local community. Participants made a series of recommendations to
staff at the property concerning how the site’s buildings could be
developed to achieve these objectives.
In Northern Ireland, practitioners from Romania and Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia exchanged experience on the conservation and
documentation of the built heritage. They learnt about various methods
for documenting historic buildings, archaeological and small industrial
sites in different organisations throughout Northern Ireland. Of
particular interest was the computerisation of archive material on built
heritage as participants felt that this system could be adapted for use
in their own countries. During the Exchange, participants also studied
the methodology for the reconstruction of buildings within a museum.
Management of Historic Gardens
There were two Exchange tasks which focused on the management of
historic gardens: one in Cornwall and one at Stowe Landscape Gardens in
Buckinghamshire. Heritage conservation practitioners from the
Netherlands, Italy and Germany investigated how gardens in Cornwall cope
with an increasing number of visitors without losing their essential
character. They met staff at a number of gardens and nurseries in order
to compare and exchange experiences. It was concluded that it is
important for those who work in gardens to learn about the buildings on
their estates and the history of the families who owned them in order to
be able to put the gardens into their historical and social context.
Participants also felt that attention should be paid to the structure of
gardens, particularly the retention of long vistas, both in the garden
and out to the surrounding countryside. It was recommended that a
long-term (30-50 years) conservation plan should be prepared for each
property which concentrated on the use of local plant species.
Educational initiatives and facilities for the disabled were of
particular interest to participants who felt that the Trust’s experience
in this area would be transferable to their own countries.
The aim of the project at Stowe Landscape Gardens was to develop
strategies for interpretation and marketing which could be applied to
Stowe and to other similar sites both in the UK and beyond.
Practitioners from Ireland and Hungary undertook the task in two stages.
The first stage was to identify all issues relevant to the development,
conservation, marketing and interpretation of heritage sites and to
provide a model for the analysis of these sites. The second stage
involved developing solutions to a variety of problems which could be
applied to a variety of sites. Participants concluded that there are
common issues facing the development and conservation of sites in the UK
and in their own countries. At Stowe, in particular, they felt that the
on-going conflict between school related activities and public access
should be resolved as a priority.
