The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings

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The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings

We're here for old buildings and the people who care for them. We represent the practical and positive side of conservation.
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We have a firm set of principles about how old buildings should be repaired and the practical knowledge to show how these can be put into effect. We are training the next generation to do the job with discernment and care and we are helping many others, who own or live in old buildings, to understand them better. Our membership includes many of the leading conservation practitioners as well as home owners, living in houses spanning all historical periods, and those who simply care about old buildings. Our successes are visible across the country. Thousands of historic buildings survive which would have been lost, mutilated or badly repaired without our intervention. Today, the Society has a statutory role as adviser to local planning authorities. We must be notified of listed building applications that involve total or partial demolition. We are also informed by those religious bodies, that have an exemption from the secular system, of certain types of proposal for listed places of worship. In addition, our Casework includes campaigning to protect historic buildings at risk.

07/10/2026

The Bayeux Tapestry has arrived back in England for the first time in almost 1,000 years, now on show at the British Museum. It felt like the right moment to share this interesting piece from The Conversation UK on what the tapestry's buildings can tell us.

The tapestry depicts 33 buildings in total, though the article explains these are formulaic impressions rather than accurate portraits - much like its figures aren't true likenesses of Harold or William.

One example is the church at Bosham, where Harold is shown praying before his voyage to France. It's shown on a much smaller scale than Westminster Abbey - fitting, since it really was a modest church by comparison. Interestingly, the tapestry doesn't include a tower there at all, yet today the Saxon tower is the only part of the original church that survives.

Have you visited Bosham, or seen the tapestry itself at the British Museum? Tell us in the comments.

Read more: https://theconversation.com/what-the-bayeux-tapestry-reveals-about-medieval-buildings-on-both-sides-of-the-channel-288405

📷 Scene 2 and 3 of the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting Harold and his men riding to Bosham Church, Bayeux Tapestry Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

05/10/2026

Happy !

Did you know that medieval towns used to compete for the best master masons, much like football clubs chase star players today?

These craftsmen-architects trained in stone for years. They designed buildings, led the workforce and solved tricky structural problems, and they often picked up the chisel themselves. Many of them couldn't read, yet they built some of the most remarkable buildings we still have.

Over the centuries, the architect moved from the building site to the drawing office.

Architect and author Eleanor Jolliffe explains how, and why it still matters for the buildings we care for today: https://www.spab.org.uk/news/world-architecture-day-evolution-architect

📷 Ralph Hodgson | Visuals of Lukas, Unsplash

03/10/2026

130 years ago today, on 3 October 1896, William Morris died. He was a designer, writer, socialist and early building conservationist, and he co-founded the SPAB in 1877.

His love of architecture began in childhood, visiting Essex churches with his father. By 1877, heavy-handed Victorian restorations were stripping centuries of history from churches and cathedrals and Morris and his friends were alarmed. Morris argued that old buildings should be repaired, not restored, so that their whole history survives. So Morris, with his friend the architect Philip Webb, founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

His belief was simple: care for old buildings through gentle repair, and hand them on with their stories intact.

Is there an old building near you that you're glad has kept its character? Tell us in the comments.

Discover more about Morris and the SPAB: https://www.spab.org.uk/about-us/william-morris-philip-webb

30/09/2026

Happy International Podcast Day!

We couldn't let it pass without a shoutout to our own SPAB Ireland Heart to Hearth podcast - chats about Irish vernacular buildings, with guests including stonemasons, folklorists and heritage specialists from across Ireland. Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/heart-to-hearth/id1580806917

And if you want more building conservation in your ears, our friends Stephen and Rich at Talking Conservation have plenty too, with several SPAB specialists among their guests: https://talkingconservation.com/

Happy listening!

📷 Rosemary Kane, Alamy

28/09/2026

The autumn 2026 SPAB Magazine is on landing on our members' doorsteps now.

In this issue we're asking: how can old buildings open their doors to everyone?

Accessibility by design showcases thoughtful, access-led solutions in historic buildings. It includes the award-winning inclusive transformation of Wraxall Yard in Dorset and a look at how the Landmark Trust approaches accessibility across its historic properties. Our technical notes also dig into organic admixtures in traditional lime mortars.

Join as a member to receive every issue of the SPAB Magazine while helping to protect the buildings you love.

Become a member: https://www.spab.org.uk/get-involved/become-a-member

Have you visited a historic building that gets accessibility just right? Tell us in the comments.

26/09/2026

Old buildings aren't relics. They're lived-in, layered, and full of stories still being written.

For nearly 150 years, that belief has shaped everything we do.

What is an old building that means something to you? Tell us below 👇

You can read our full vision, mission and values here: https://www.spab.org.uk/about-us/mission-vision

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25/09/2026

We're delighted to share that St Andrew's Chapel has won the Conservation and Historic (up to £20 million) category at the Architects’ Journal Retrofit Awards 2026.

Our seven-year project rescued this Grade II* listed chapel in Kent, built in 1484. It had stood empty since 1969. We followed SPAB's principle of repair, not replacement. The project combined traditional materials and local craft skills with contemporary improvements. That meant lime burnt on site with North Downs chalk, locally sourced ragstone and handmade Kent peg tiles, alongside wood-fibre insulation, secondary glazing and an air-source heating system.

A contemporary ancillary building and rammed-earth acoustic wall, designed by architect Mal Fryer, demonstrated how new interventions can complement historic structures without compromising their character.

The chapel also became a live classroom. Around 100 conservation professionals, architects, surveyors and craftspeople trained there through our Old House Project.

"The skills used to care for our oldest buildings are not skills of the past. They are essential to their future." - Matthew Slocombe, Chief Executive

Thank you to architect Malcolm Fryer Architects and to our Old House Project supporters The Architectural Heritage Fund, the Pilgrim Trust and Historic England.

Read more: https://www.spab.org.uk/content/st-andrews-chapel-old-house-project

📷 St Andrews Chapel front elevation © Inigo
📷 St Andrew's repaired medieval doorway © SPAB, photo Matthew Slocombe
📷 Old Postcard Image of St Andrew's Chapel Circa 1910 from local resident Jeff Foggo June 2024
📷 St Andrews Chapel new kitchen ©Inigo.jpg
📷 St Andrews Chapel detail of the exterior repair ©Inigo.jpg
📷 Lime kiln built at St Andrew's © SPAB, photo Jonathan Garlick

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24/09/2026

Flint flushwork ✨

This dazzling pattern is knapped flint set flush with pale limestone - quite literally hiding an incredibly hard, impervious stone behind a decorative "skin."

This decorative masonry work is often seen in East Anglia, where flint was commonly used as a building material, and flint flushwork became the signature look of churches in the 1400s and 1500s in this area.

Where else have you seen flushwork like this?

📷 St Ethelbert's Gate, Norwich Cathedral

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22/09/2026

Time for a few essential maintenance checks before the weather turns this September.

If you look after an older or traditional building, here's what's worth doing this month:

✅ Check your roof space (if safely accessible) for signs of leaks or damage, especially after heavy rain
✅ Clear plant growth from around walls, gulleys and drains
✅ Protect water tanks and exposed pipes from frost, and repair any leaks now
✅ Make sure airbricks and under-floor vents are clear so your building can breathe

Top tip: keep ground-level gullies and drains clear of leaves, twigs - even stray balls and toys - so water can drain away properly.

Not sure where to start, or found something that worries you? Our free Technical Advice Line is available on weekday mornings. Call us or find out more on our website. We're here to help homeowners keep their buildings in good repair. https://www.spab.org.uk/advice

📷 Annie Spratt, Unsplash | Adobe Stock | SPAB

20/09/2026

Exciting news! We've been awarded a Records at Risk grant from The National Archives.

Since 1877, SPAB has built up a remarkable archive of documents and images charting the history of building conservation in the UK - including letters from figures like William Morris and Philip Webb, who helped found the Society.

This £5,000 grant will fund new standards-compliant cupboards and shelving so we can properly care for and conserve these irreplaceable records.

Read more: https://www.spab.org.uk/news/records-risk-grant-national-archive

📷 SPAB

Address

37 Spital Square

E16DY

Opening Hours

Monday	09:30 - 17:00
Tuesday	09:30 - 17:00
Wednesday	09:30 - 17:00
Thursday	09:30 - 17:00
Friday	09:30 - 17:00

Website

http://www.spab.org.uk/

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