Blog

By Paul Walters

It has been a few months since we embarked on the incredible journey that is the William Morris Craft Fellowship and it has not disappointed!

In February this year, a group of Irish Scholars, Fellows and Guardians banded together to found an Irish branch of the SPAB.

By Lilian Tuohy Main

As we enter the third month of our conservation tour, a theme that continues to arise is the importance of observing before acting. A unifying trait of historic buildings is their numerous ‘unknowns’. It is this intangible mystery that often makes a place compelling.

The Romping Donkey, Cheshire is one of a number of buildings at risk with which we have been involved over a period of several years. Sadly, the building remains in a poor and vulnerable condition with no use at present; however, a recent submission of planning and listed building consent applications suggest there may be fresh hope on the horizon.

Proposals for the rebuilding of the Royal Clarence Hotel, Exeter after a devastating fire.

By Aoife Murphy.

The Scholarship is giving us wonderful access to beautiful buildings and crafts all over the UK. It’s difficult to choose a blog topic.

Cecily Greenhill was the SPAB's archivist for many years and left a generous legacy to the Society when she died in 2012. Cecily, known to all in the organisation as 'Green', valued the Society's work and ideas. Green joined the Society’s staff in the early 1980s, under the Secretaryship of David Pearce. She was a devoted and enthusiastic custodian of the SPAB’s historic records, knowing its files and collections intimately. She helped many hundreds of researchers with their work and through this was only too aware of the fragility of much of the archive’s material.

John Sell joined the SPAB in 1974. He has been a Trustee for many years and served as the Chairman during the 1990s.

Roger Mears, architect and former SPAB Guardian on his enduring involvement with SPAB.

An original historic floor contributes enormously to the character and the spirit of a place. Whether it’s humble cobbles or stately marble hall, the floor tells the story of the building. When people enter an old building, step onto a churchyard path or walk down a street in an ancient town or village their natural inclination is to look up – at the ceiling, at the windows, at the walls, at the buildings above and around.  That’s why the SPAB have launched the History at Your Feet Campaign. Tweet @SPAB1877 with your favourite historic floors.