ABSTRACT
It would be hard to imagine our towns and cities, and indeed our countryside, without old buildings; so much are they a part of the everyday scene that we tend to take them for granted, and overlook their importance. Each one is an example, in however small a way, of a combination of design and construction skills that provide us with a very visible history of building through the past 500 years. Past generations have lived and worked in them, with each period leaving its own imprint as the political and social history of this land unfolded. From the modest cottage to the mansion, our historic buildings are the very essence of what is termed our built heritage. Hopefully today, with extensive
conservation legislation and a supportive public, their future is better assured than at any time in the past, although some will still be very vulnerable. This chapter looks at some remarkable examples of building restoration and renewal, without which many would have succumbed to either further neglect or the bulldozer.
