Author: mikenevell

I am the Industrial Heritage Support Officer for England, based at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.

Data (Use and Access) Bill 2025 and Industrial Heritage Sites

The Data (Use and Access) Bill passed both Houses of the UK Parliament on 11 June 2025 and now awaits Royal Assent. Among the key reforms being introduced by the Bill are new powers to establish Smart Data schemes and a statutory trust framework for Digital Verification Services. This bill proposes new soft opt-in laws…

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Mills Transformed: Rebuilding Bradford’s Past, Talk & Exhibition

Join Neil Horsley for an illustrated talk based on his new book, Mills Transformed, which documents the regeneration of Northern England’s iconic textile mills, focusing especially on the evolving landscape of Bradford.  Drawing on his evocative photography and compelling personal interviews, Neil captures the transformation of the city’s once-thriving mills, monuments of its industrial past, into…

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New National Trust Report Calls for More Investment in Historic Environment

The National Trust is calling on the government to invest more in the historic environment following research that shows how highly the British public value their local history. The research, carried out with consultancy Public First, was UK-wide with an in-depth focus on Coventry. The resulting report, “There’s a Lot of History Here” – Local History, Local Heritage and…

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Historic England Launches Heritage Investment Prospectus to Regenerate 17 Sites

Historic England launched its Heritage Investment Prospectus, at the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), on the 21 May. This showcases historic sites where owners are actively seeking investment partners or buyers. Underused historic buildings across England could be given a new life through this investment initiative by Historic England, and many of…

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Historic England Sector Volunteer Diversity Survey 2025

Historic England are running the 2025 Heritage Sector Volunteer Diversity Survey. The survey is aimed at any organisation in the heritage sector that has volunteers, such as industrial heritage sites. Volunteers are a vital part of the heritage sector. From gardening, welcoming visitors to historic places, and excavating archaeological sites to archiving oral histories and…

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Heritage Science Data Service – Survey

The National Heritage Science Forum (NHSF) are launching a new survey to investigate user needs to inform development of the Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS). The NHSF is undertaking a User Needs consultation on behalf of HSDS, as part of the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) programme. RICHeS was launched in October 2024,…

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National Mills Weekend 2025: Film Now Live

National Mills Weeekend, run by the wind and water mills section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), was establised 20 years ago, and for the last five years SPAB has produced a film to introduce the event. 2025’s film is now live. This year’s event runs over the weekend of the…

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On Display! Improved Display and Security Museum Grants Now Open

Several Museum Development England regions are offering grants of up to £5000 to help museums improve security and display conditions of their collections and loans through the On Display! initiative. The On Display! grants are a national programme of public funding from the UK Government through Arts Council England, distributed by Museum Development providers across…

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AIA 2025 Annual Conference in Bradford: Booking Now Open

The 2025 Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) Annual Conference returns to its traditional format of weekend talks and the AGM, followed by 3 days of tours. The venue is Bradford and it will run from 5th to 10th September, with flexible booking for the weekend and following tour days. Thanks to the Patrick Nott bursary,…

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