11th November 2025
The Historic Buildings Parks & Gardens Event – 11th November 2025
Entrance to the event is free of charge. Pre-registration for the Historic Buildings, Parks & Gardens Event is now open, please click here to register.
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Westminster, London, SW1P 3EE
Doors open at 9am
The Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens Event (HBPGE) is held annually in parallel with the Historic Houses Annual General Meeting. The event has been running for over 35 years.
Free entry to the HBPGE is available to everyone in the historic buildings, landscape conservation and heritage sectors. Owners, guardians, volunteers, professionals management staff and advisers involved with historic buildings (private, commercial, industrial, Grade I listed buildings, cathedrals, churches, manor houses, windmills, historic town centres), parks, gardens and historic landscapes,. All are welcome.
The combination of the HBPGE exhibition with over 70 stands, Historic Houses 50th anniversary celebrations, live demonstrations, short talks, an opportunity to meet experts and a free SPAB advice surgery, means you can be assured of an interesting and rewarding day.
The 2024 Historic Houses National AGM marked the culmination of a yearlong programme of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Association’s foundation and the 50th anniversary of the V&A’s ‘Destruction of the Country House’ exhibition, which did so much to bring the fate of historic houses to public attention. The Historic Houses National AGM will reflect on the revival in the fortunes of houses over the last 50 years and consider what the next 50 years might hold.
Visitors listened to the address by Martha Cobbold, President of Historic Houses*, and heard from their guest speakers Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A* and Lord Mendoza CBE, Chair of Historic England*and the Savills lecture given by Henry & Martha Cobbold of Knebworth* alongside a selection of short talks and live demonstrations given by experts about practical skills and conservation techniques at the HBPGE.
Please keep an eye on the website for the updates on the 2025 event.
*by kind permission of Historic Houses and subject to seating.
Look around the exhibition
The highly comprehensive exhibition consists of a wide variety of companies and organisations, providing, advice, solutions, guidance, support, information, and products & services for all aspects of the historic buildings, landscape conservation and heritage sectors.
Visitors have a superb opportunity to discuss current and future projects with experts and specialist suppliers. With everything on offer, from the traditional, to cutting edge technology, you can meet with professionals from all aspects of the historic buildings, landscape and heritage conservation sectors. These include historic buildings exteriors and their contents, historic landscapes, parks and gardens, both private and commercial.
Meet the experts
The SPAB, The Victorian Society, London Parks & Gardens, Professional Gardeners Guild, The Gardens Trust and many specialist organisations, suppliers and professionals will be on hand to help with all aspects of historic buildings, landscape and heritage conservation.
Live demonstrations programme
Held throughout the day, experts will demonstrate practical skills and conservation techniques.
To see the details of this year’s demos and short talks click here.
9.00AM The Historic Buildings Parks & Gardens Event opens.
Featuring an All-day Exhibition of products and services with 75 exhibitors, as well as live practical demonstrations held throughout the day, where experts show practical skills, conservation techniques on a wide range of issues relating to the conservation of historic buildings including contents and historic landscapes.
9.45AM Collections Management: Considering, Lighting and displaying to best effect. Heating: impact and options, Inventory management: listing and auditing, Conservation: practicality and cost efficiency. Crispian Riley – Smith, Founder, Art Advisory Group Demo Area 2
10.00AM Creating Stunning Plasterworks: Practical Demo. Artisans in plaster will take you through the story of originating and creating stunning plasterworks for any use or specification. From original design concept to installation. Ryan Stanford, Locker & Riley, Stand B13
10.15AM – Decorative Objects Conservation: Practical Demo in care, cleaning, handling and damage restoration, including porcelain, fine china, terracotta and earthenware. Amy, Decorative Objects Conservator, Fine Art Restoration, Demo Area 1
10.30AM – Woodcarving: Practical Demo. Cutting dovetail joints and assembling all the elements of a cabinet draw. Piers Shorrock, student, at the Building Crafts College, Demo Area 2
10.40AM – Renewable Energy Technologies: advantages and pitfalls of air, ground, and water source heat pumps, biomass boilers, HVO boilers, direct electric heating. Peter Webb (Director Building Services), Ingleton Wood, Demo Area 1
11.00AM Creating Stunning Plasterworks: Practical Demo. Artisans in plaster will take you through the story of originating and creating stunning plasterworks for any use or specification. From original design concept to installation. Ryan Stanford, Locker & Riley, Stand B13
11.00AM Historic Houses AGM (Historic House Members only), Churchill Auditorium
11.30AM Address by Martha Cobbold, Historic Houses President*, Churchill Auditorium
11.50PM Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A*, Churchill Auditorium
12.30PM – Woodcarving: Practical Demo. Cutting dovetail joints and assembling all the elements of a cabinet draw. Piers Shorrock, student, at the Building Crafts College, Demo Area 2
1.45PM – Climate change adaption and resilience for historic buildings and gardens: headline hazards, implications and actions. Morwenna Slade (Director, Climate Change), Ingleton Wood, Demo Area 1
2.00PM – Stone Carving: Practical Demo. The Carving a Tudor rose, the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England. It consists of five inner petals representing the House of York, and five outer petals representing the House of Lancaster. Max Higgins. Mason in residence at the Building Crafts College, Demo Area 2
2.15PM Creating Stunning Plasterworks: Practical Demo. Artisans in plaster will take you through the story of originating and creating stunning plasterworks for any use or specification. From original design concept to installation. Ryan Stanford, Locker & Riley, Stand B13
2.30PM Lord Mendoza CBE, Chair of Historic England*, Churchill Auditorium
2.45PM Historic Houses Awards *, Churchill Auditorium
3.00PM Historic Houses Savills Lecture*, Henry & Martha Cobbold, Churchill Auditorium
3.15PM – Controlling Dampness in Older Buildings. Most forms of deterioration affecting buildings in the UK result from excessive moisture. Despite being commonplace, dampness problems are widely misdiagnosed with resources frequently being wasted on damaging and ineffective treatments. This talk offers a few pointers on how to treat dampness successfully in older (pre-1919) buildings. SPAB Technical & Research Director, Douglas Kent, Demo Area 1
3.45PM – Book Signings, The British Country House Revival by Ben Cowell, Director General, Historic Houses, 3rd Floor Exhibition Hall.
4.00PM – Stone Carving: Practical Demo. The Carving a Tudor rose, the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England. It consists of five inner petals representing the House of York, and five outer petals representing the House of Lancaster. Max Higgins. Mason in residence at the Building Crafts College, Demo Area 2
4.15PM Creating Stunning Plasterworks: Practical Demo. Artisans in plaster will take you through the story of originating and creating stunning plasterworks for any use or specification. From original design concept to installation. Ryan Stanford, Locker & Riley, Stand B13
*By kind permission of Historic Houses and subject to seating availability
OPENING HOURS
Tuesday 11th November 2025, 9am – 5pm
VENUE
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Westminster, London, SW1P 3EE
ADMISSION
Entrance to this major heritage conservation day is free of charge to everyone in the historic buildings, landscape conservation and heritage sectors. Owners, guardians, volunteers and professionals from all sectors are welcome.
Pre-registration for the Historic Buildings, Parks & Gardens Event is now open. Please click here to register.
The Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens Event, which has been running for over 35 years is held in parallel with the Historic Houses Annual General Meeting.
For more information about the event please click here