12th November 2024

Visitor Information

Entrance to this major heritage conservation day is FREE OF CHARGE.

The event is free and designed for everyone in the historic buildings, landscape conservation and heritage sectors. Owners, guardians, volunteers and professionals from all sectors.

About the Event

Join us on Tuesday 12th November 2024 for a very special Historic Buildings, Parks & Gardens Event (HBPGE). The event is free to attend and held annually in parallel with Historic Houses National AGM.

Our Event is all about the care, repair, conservation, maintenance, preservation and restoration of Historic Buildings including interiors, Historic Landscapes, Parks & Gardens. The all-day exhibition consists of companies and organisations offering advice, solutions, guidance and support, as well as a wide and diverse range of products and services. Ranging from the traditional to cutting edge technology and across all areas of historic building and landscape conservation.

The programme includes the all day exhibition, keynote speeches and awards as well as live demonstrations and short talks. We will be announcing the full demonstrations programme later in the summer but they already include a short talk by Douglas Kent, Head of Technical & Research at the SPAB and demos by The Building Craft College and Fine Art Restorations so you will be assured of an interesting and rewarding day. For details of demonstrations click here. We will be updating the programme regularly over the coming weeks so do check back regularly.

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.

Event Information

This year, the Historic Houses National AGM 2024 marks the culmination of a yearlong programme of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Association’s foundation. It also marks 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 will be able to listen to the address by Martha Cobbold, President of Historic Houses*, and hear from their guest speakers throughout the day alongside a selection of short talks and live demonstrations given by experts about practical skills and conservation techniques at the HBPGE.

Speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. Please keep an eye on our website for the latest details

*by kind permission of Historic Houses and subject to seating.

Who’s Exhibiting?

Examples of the types of services and advice represented at the exhibition include; interior and exterior building conservation, repair and decoration, garden and landscape design and restoration, lighting, security, building alterations & extensions, carpet restoration, information technology, cast stone, columns & pilasters, estate management, gates, gilding, ironwork, terracotta, textiles, windows, fine art restoration, auctions, energy conservation, valuations, catering, insurance, gifts, souvenirs, publishing, printing, event management and many, many more.

Admission & Registration

FREE ADMISSION is available to everyone in the historic buildings, landscape conservation and heritage sectors. This includes owners of historic buildings, parks & gardens, private or commercial, historic landscapes and all those who are involved in their upkeep, restoration or conservation.

Pre-registration for the Historic Buildings, Parks & Gardens Event is now open, you can register here.

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us on Tel: 01462 896688

Historic Houses members are not eligible for our pre-registration offer and should register with Historic Houses.

2024 Programme

(all timings are provisional and subject to change) Further details will appear as soon as available.

9.00AM – 5.00PM 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 – 1.00PM Practical Demonstrations in the Exhibition Hall, 3rd Floor

11.00AM Historic Houses AGM (Historic House Members only), Churchill Auditorium 

11.30AM Address by Martha Cobbold, Historic Houses President*, Churchill Auditorium 

12.00PM Historic Houses Guest Speaker *, TBA, Churchill Auditorium 

12.15PM Practical Demonstrations continue in Exhibition Hall, 3rd Floor

2.15PM Historic Houses Awards *, Churchill Auditorium 

2.15PM – 5pm Practical Demonstrations continue in Exhibition Hall, 3rd Floor

2.45PM Historic Houses Savills Lecture*, TBA, Churchill Auditorium

*By kind permission of Historic Houses and subject to seating availability