Sector knowledge: Landscape Research

Landscape research coverJournal Summary: Landscape Research, the peer-reviewed journal of the Landscape Research Group, is a dedicated international forum for debating landscape. The journal is distinctive in its combining of high-quality and innovative research papers with reflective critiques of landscape practice.
Contributions to the journal appeal to a wide academic and professional readership and reach an interdisciplinary and international audience. Whilst unified by a focus on landscape, the coverage of Landscape Research is wide ranging. The journal therefore encourages submissions from a range of disciplines, including environmental conservation, geography (human and physical), landscape architecture, archaeology, history, anthropology, urban studies, planning, design, heritage studies, ecology, countryside management, cultural studies and forestry.
Publisher: Routledge
Website: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/clar20/current
Access: Subscription; some open access
Journal Type: Academic peer reviewed

Sector knowledge: RICS Land Journal

RICS Land Journal Journal Summary: RICS Journals provide insights from experts across key industry issues within the built environment, construction, property and land surveying sectors. Land Journal has coverage of rural, geomatics, minerals and waste, environment and planning and development issues.

Publisher: RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors)

Website: https://ww3.rics.org/uk/en/journals/land-journal.html

Access: Subscription (RICS member access); some open access

Journal Type: Professional institute research and insight articles

Sector knowledge: Journeys – the international journal of travel and travel writing

Journeys coverJournal Summary: Journeys is an interdisciplinary journal that explores travel as a practice and travel writing as a genre, reflecting the rich diversity of travel and journeys as social and cultural practices as well as their significance as metaphorical processes. The dual focus on experience and genre makes Journeys unique among scholarly journals concerning travel and is intended to draw into conversation scholars in such varied disciplines as anthropology, literary studies, social history, religious studies, human geography, and cultural studies.

Publisher: Berghahn

Website: https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/journeys/journeys-overview.xml

Access: Subscription; some open access

Journal Type: Academic peer reviewed

Heritage for Inclusive Growth

2020

The RSA has published its report, ‘Heritage for Inclusive Growth‘ (2020). It includes a number of case studies:

  • New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)
  • Dundee, Scotland
  • Mid and East Antrim Museum and Heritage Service
  • St Fagans National Museum of History
  • Don’t Settle
  • Welsh Streets
  • Growth Lancashire
  • Margate Townscape Heritage Initiatives

Sector knowledge: Journal of Urbanism – International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability

Journal of Urbanism coverJournal Summary: The Journal of Urbanism is a multi-disciplinary journal that focuses on human settlement and its relation to the idea of sustainability, social justice and cultural understanding. It is concerned with the relative impact of design on environmental perception, urban livability and the experience of space.

The journal addresses a wide range of urban concerns, and aims, by publishing research from a variety of theoretical, methodological and conceptual perspectives, to create an attitude of sustainability toward urban form.

Publisher: Routledge

Website: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rjou20/current

Access: Subscription; some open access

Journal Type: Academic peer reviewed

Planning changes in England

Planning for the FutureThe Government has launched a consultation on reforms of the planning system in England. The “Planning for the Future” consultation has at its heart proposals to radically streamline and modernise the planning process, claiming it will bring a new focus on design and sustainability, improve the system of developer contributions to infrastructure, and ensure more land is available for development in a speedier fashion than has previously been the case.  The heritage sector has been anticipating the announcement, and will need to look both quickly and closely at the implications for both protected and unprotected historic buildings and sites, the historic character of places, archaeology within the development control process, and much wider issues around sustainability, design/build quality and use of appropriate materials.  It will also need to pitch its views and concerns carefully in a post-covid world where getting the economy moving again and getting Britain building is the Government’s current dual-toned mantra.

In previous planning and development policy changes at a national level, The National Trust has been in a lead role campaigning to ensure that heritage remains a key consideration, alongside other organisations such as the coalition of heritage NGOs represented by The Heritage Alliance’s Spatial Planning Advocacy Group.  With current challenges within heritage organisations as a result of the pandemic this may be more difficult, and it will be ever more important for the sector to combine its efforts to get its reasoned voice heard – showing where heritage can clearly contribute for the long term in creating, sustaining and improving places and communities.

Finchale Priory: Prior’s lodgings

Finchale Priory © David Gill

The prior’s lodgings are at the east end of the complex.

Finchale Priory © David Gill
Finchale Priory © David Gill

A chapel was placed on the south side of the rooms, and a study to the north.

Finchale Priory © David Gill
Finchale Priory © David Gill

Stonehenge: source of the sarsens

The Grey Wethers, Fyfield Down, Wiltshire © David Gill

Research into the origins of the sarsen stones at Stonehenge have shown that they come from near Marlborough (“Stonehenge: Sarsen stones origin mystery solved”, BBC News 29 July 2020). A core taken in 1958 from one of the sarsens at Stonehenge has been analysed and shown to match the chemical profile of the sarsens located at West Woods, to the south of Marlborough. [Note this is different to the sarsens on Fyfield Down.]

Stonehenge © David Gill

Advice for reopening heritage sites

© David Gill

As heritage sites and locations start to reopen after the lockdown there are various factors to consider. Here is a select list of helpful websites:

Leading Visitor Attractions 2019: Historic Environment Scotland

Iona © David Gill

The visitor numbers for Leading Visitor Attractions in 2019 are now available. Properties managed by Historic Environment Scotland attracted over 5 million visitors in 2019. Top of the list is Edinburgh Castle with 2.2 million visitors, followed by Stirling Castle (609,000), Urquhart Castle (547,000) and Glasgow Cathedral (537,000). Skara Brae on Orkney received over 115,000 visitors, no doubt reflecting the presence of cruise ships.

The top six sites attract over 4 million visitors in 2019.