The Building Department of the National Trust

Cullen, Rory; Hooper, Nikita

The Building Department of the National Trust

Resource type

Journal article

Creator (person)

Cullen, Rory

Hooper, Nikita

Date published

January 2004

Abstract

The National Trust was founded in the late nineteenth century on the fundamental principles of providing people with opportunities for recreation, both physical and mental, through the preservation of places of natural beauty or historic interest, and safeguarding these places forever. The Trust's collection of buildings now numbers over 25,000. The various forms and styles of architecture represented present numerous challenges to the Building Department of the Trust, which is responsible for the repair, maintenance, and conservation of their fabric. The work carried out by the department can vary from minor maintenance repairs to major structural conservation projects. Whatever the size of task undertaken, work is always carried out on the basis that it must contribute to the preservation of the building so that future generations may both enjoy it and learn from it. The work of the department is demonstrated through three case studies, illustrating the approaches that have to be employed whilst undertaking work on all buildings in the Trust's care.