Welcome to Bath Preservation Trust
75th Anniversary 1934 –2009
In 2009 year the Trust celebrates 75 years of campaigning to preserve and enhance the city and environs of Bath. The Trust was founded in 1934 as a direct response to the ‘Bath Bill’, a plan to drive new roads through the heart of the city to accommodate the motor car to the detriment of the historic fabric. Since the Trust’s foundation there have been many campaigns to prevent destruction in the City, most notably in the 1960s and 70s when the ‘sack of Bath’ became a national scandal. As well as this very visible work the Trust has also quietly acted to help restoration of many details across the City from the Circus Acorns to, most recently, the Royal Crescent railings, and has explained aspects of the historic city to thousands of locals and visitors through its museums and educational activities.
The Trust depends on membership income, donations, legacies and visitor admissions to continue its work for Bath. Please consider joining or supporting the Trust in this anniversary year and keep watching the website for specific anniversary activities.
BATH HISTORY XI
For twenty years, academics and local historians have contributed to our greater understanding of Bath through 10 volumes of this remarkable publication. Bath Preservation Trust has now published Volume XI of Bath History in a new larger format, full of superb photographs and lively and intelligent articles, including:
- The Royal Crescent as it might have been – Horse baths in the Southgate area – The rise of the Casualty Hospital, forerunner of the RUH – Lady Isobella King, Irish philanthropist and breaker of glass ceilings – Criminals held by the Bath Police – The life and career of Gustav Horstmann, clock and watchmaker – Early municipal housing in Bath – An interview with distinguished Bath historian Elizabeth Holland.
Bath History XI is now on sale at £12.99 from Mr B’s Emporium (John Street, Bath), Toppings bookshop (The Paragon, Bath), The Roman Baths shop, or direct from Bath Preservation Trust (01225 338727).
UNESCO Delegation Visit November 2008
Bath Preservation Trust welcomed the UNESCO delegation’s visit and raised three challenges.
Bath Preservation Trust welcomed the visit by UNESCO inspectors to Bath, in the hope that this would draw greater attention to the challenges facing Bath as a World Heritage Site. The Trust focused on three issues when they met inspectors:
- The Western Riverside project to redevelop a derelict area for housing. The design of the proposed development will include tall and bulky buildings inappropriate to Bath.
- Government plans to increase housing in and around Bath with 6000 houses planned within in the City boundaries and an urban extension of 1500 homes into Bath’s surrounding countryside. The landscape setting is an important part of the World Heritage Site Values; and
– The need for proper investment in a World Heritage Site Management plan. The Council’s published plan for 2003-2009 has large areas which have not been effectively implemented. For example, planning guidance for view management and building heights should be strengthened according to the values of the World Heritage Site, and more resource should be directed to interpreting the City’s Georgian architecture.Caroline Kay, Chief Executive of the Bath Preservation Trust, said: “The World Heritage status of Bath recognises its position as a national and international treasure. Bath Preservation Trust believes that in order to respect that status, more needs to be done to ensure that the City puts its heritage at the heart of all of its plans for development of its future.”
For further information contact Caroline Kay, Chief Executive
Bath Preservation Trust
Tel: 01225 338 727 Email: ckay@bptrust.org.uk
DRAFT REGIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGY
A Call to Oppose Higher Numbers of Houses for Bath
The Government plans to impose even higher housing target figures for Bath in the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy, the spatial plan for growth and development in the south-west from 2006-2026. See the RSS page for more details.
PROTECTION OF WORLD HERITAGE SITES 2008
The Trust submitted a response to the Government’s consultation on the Protection of World Heritage Sites. Read the consultation document here, and the Trust’s response here. For background on Bath’s World Heritage status go to the World Heritage page.
BUILDING HEIGHTS GUIDANCE FOR BATH
Bath Preservation Trust in a May press release called on Bath and North East Somerset Council to produce supplementary planning guidance on buildings heights in Bath, in line with English Heritage recommendations. See our Buildings Guidance page for details.
BATH WESTERN RIVERSIDE
For details on the decision not to call in the Western Riverside planning application, visit the Western Riverside page.
To view the letter from the Government Office for the South West to the Council which sets out their reasons for deciding not to intervene click here.
Also on the Western Riverside page, read the views of the Prince of Wales, Bath Preservation Trust’s Patron, on the impact of tall buildings on sensitive historic sites.
ROYAL CRESCENT PAVING AND RAILINGS
English Heritage in June 2008 gave approval for the restoration of the Royal Crescent railings to go ahead, following the completion of the restoration of two test sections. The restoration process officially began with the removal of the first set of railings on 18th August.
For more information about the project see the Royal Crescent Society’s website.
The picture on the left shows the park in front of the Royal Crescent used as allotments during the war years, when the haha was filled in with spoil.