ENGLISH HERITAGE CENTENARY DINNER
Wednesday 4 December 2013
Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage
AS DELIVERED
Your Royal Highness, thank you so much for coming this evening we are honoured to have
you here to both enjoy our restoration of Kenwood House and to celebrate 100 years of
heritage protection. You have long been a crusader for heritage, championing all sorts of
buildings from the relics of industry to country houses. And you have led by example: the
incredible rescue of Dumfries House and its contents was an inspiring act.
Lord Iveagh bought Kenwood in much the same way that you, sir, bought Dumfries House.
When Lord Mansfield decided to give up Kenwood and to move to Scone Palace he put this
wonderful house on the market. It was destined to be replaced by an estate of luxury villas
but Lord Iveagh snatched it from under the noses of the speculators and gave it to the
nation. This was an extraordinary act, but more was to come; in an amazing shopping spree
- a sort of billionaire’s supermarket dash, Lord Iveagh bought, in four years, a collection of
paintings that still makes us gasp to this day
The actions of Lord Iveagh were exceptional but were not unique. In 1912 it was Lord
Curzon's purchase of Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire that led to the passing of the Ancient
Monuments Act the following year. He bought the castle to prevent its amazing fifteenth
century fireplaces being exported to America. Tattershall Castle was saved but John
Rennie’s monumental London Bridge was later to go to Arizona and, of course, the
American purchaser allegedly thought he had got Tower Bridge. But just imagine what else
could have been taken across the Atlantic if it had not been for legislation - St Pancras, that,
when they un-packed it turned out to be not a church but a railway station; the exotically
named Birmingham Bull Ring that turned out to be a concrete shopping centre and Piccadilly
Circus which turned out to be a road junction.
Imagine a world in which development had spread unchecked by considerations of history,
heritage and natural beauty – Imagine the Peak District built over by housing estates,
imagine Hadrian’s Wall crowded in by wind farms, imagine Bath city centre with thirty-
storey tower blocks, or imagine, if you will, Heathrow Airport’s uncontrolled spread until
eventually Windsor Castle was converted into terminal nineteen.
That none of these things happened was due to the establishment of the principle that the
state should identify and preserve the most important parts of our national story. Today in
Britain 880 of our most important sites and monuments are in the care of the three national
heritage agencies CADW, Historic Scotland and English Heritage. Meanwhile our
predecessors started the process of designating nearly 400,000 listed buildings and
scheduled archaeological sites almost all of which are now looked after by private individuals
who, after all, are the most numerous protectors of the national heritage.
In a century of heritage campaigning there have been cause celebres, some, like the
demolition of the Euston Arch, the Mapin and Webb building in the City or the Firestone
Factory have been wake-up calls for politicians. Some like the discovery of the Rose Theatre
led to changes in legislation. But there have been some real losses, like the damage done to
our historic city centres in the 1970s was deeply regrettable and shaming.
In a memorable exchange Ken Livingstone once said that English Heritage had done more
damage to London than the Luftwaffe. Well, thanks Ken. But I disagree. I think that the
Ancient Monuments Department, founded a hundred years ago, and which turned into
English Heritage in 1982, has made a hugely positive contribution to the way this country
now looks. I still receive letters complaining that we don’t protect enough, and some letters
complaining that we protect too much – a surprisingly large number complain of both things
at the same time!
But today, people all over Europe, look at the UK’s heritage protection system and see a
one that has been successful, on the whole, in balancing the heritage of the past with the
needs of today. The late Tony Banks told me that being listing minister was the job in
politics that he most treasured as he felt that it was the one job he had done which had
lasting value – we have the listing minister here tonight and there are several other former
listing ministers with us tonight - I hope you all feel the same.
Looking back over a hundred years of state intervention there are lessons we can learn. The
first is that Heritage has never been a party political issue; almost every piece of heritage
legislation has been the result, not of government policy, but has been down to personal
passion and determination. Actually we don't have governments to thank for the
preservation of our national heritage but we do have to thank individual politicians.
The second point is about the extraordinary role of the voluntary sector. The national
amenity societies like the SPAB or the Georgian Group; building preservation societies like
the Landmark Trust or the Princes Regeneration Trust and of course the National Trust –
all these have been absolutely crucial in our national story.
The third point is about change. Ever since the Ancient Monuments Department of the
Office of Works was founded a century ago the state’s role in protecting our heritage has
taken on many administrative guises. As we go forward with the National Heritage
Collection being cared for by a new charity we should see this as the next step. It will, of
course be a new venture, but one built on very solid foundations. Over the last eight years
we have raised £55m for places like Osborne House, Stonehenge and, of course Kenwood.
We will need to continue this work and will be asking you for your support both moral and
financial. The fact is that we cannot look after this great collection of historic places without
your help.
This is a momentous year for the nation's heritage, it is one in which we celebrate a
centenary; one in which we close the A344 running past Stonehenge and open a major new
museum there; it is a year in which we launch a new charity and re-commit to a strong
expert and impartial national heritage agency.
So, I think, unlike like the ailing wife of the famous taxidermist we can look to the future
without apprehension. Your Royal Highness, Your Grace's, my Lords, ladies and gentlemen
protecting our national heritage will never be easy, it will never be wholly uncontroversial,
but we know that it enjoys hugely popular support. The state will continue to play a role in
the next century, providing the framework for heritage protection, but I think the next
century will be the people’s century – it will be popular enthusiasm and support that will be
the most effective safeguards for our heritage in the future.