SPAB | The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings

✨REPAIR SERIES - HISTORIC DOORS✨ Original doors carry craftsmanship, proportions, and patina that can’t truly be replicated. Their wear, detailing, and materials tell the story of a building’s age and use over time. • Retain original timber, glazing, and ironmongery wherever possible • Repair using traditional methods and spliced sections rather than full replacement • Upgrade discreetly with draught-proofing, improved security, and sensitive fire or thermal improvements where required • Avoid over-restoration, as signs of age and use are part of the building’s character Why it matters: A historic door is often the first point of contact with a building. Its scale, detailing, and materiality establish the character of the place before you even step inside. Once replaced, that authenticity and craftsmanship are very difficult to recover. Photographs acquired from : @davidmcferranconservation #Heritage #Conservation #HistoricDoors #spabireland #joinery

Late post alert* Newcastle, Durham, Bowes railway and many more was part of week 6 of the @spab1877 fellowship. Thanks to everybody involved in showing us this amazing, innovative and industrial part of the country, you know who you are! To touch the Tyne bridge and marvelling at the Romanesque style carved columns at Durham cathedral (some of which had a circumference of 7 off metres!) was just breathtaking and a reminder of how amazing this opportunity is for us all. @hols.arch @emilytheengineer @imp_mason @ins_tara_gram_ @friend_of_lime @suzymalie

What a week! We started last week in the Highlands with David Narro, visiting some fascinating conservation projects with highly considered engineering inputs. It was such a treat to hear the stories from a lifetime in engineering. Then we ended the week back home in Edinburgh, I always feel so lucky to live in this city. Thank you to Nic Boyes for teaching us about the monuments at Greyfriars Kirkyard - it was great to learn about the view from my office window! Also amazing to meet all of the interesting folks at the SPAB Scotland drinks! @stoneconservationconsultant @spab1877 @spabscotland

"You made me feel so much better and took a great weight off my mind." Looking after an old building can be overwhelming but our free, impartial Technical Advice Line is here to help. Call our expert advisers every weekday morning and see if we can take a weight off your mind, too. .uk/advice/technical-advice-line Image © Ben Prater via Pexels

We wish we could zip round the whole country this #NationalMillsWeekend! But have a look and you're bound to find a gem close to you! Here's some footage of mills that might tempt you to make a visit 🗓️National Mills Weekend 9 - 10 May 2026 📷 1: Polegate Windmill, East Sussex - credit Cameron Southcott 2: Houghton Mill, Cambridgeshire - Alan Murray-Rust CC-BY-SA via Wikimedia Commons 3: Lytham Windmill, Lancashire - Andy Hay CC-BY-SA via Wikimedia Commons 4: Barry Mill, Angus - Val Vennet CC-BY-SA via Wikimedia Commons #HistoricMills #UKHeritage #MillsOfBritain #WindmillLovers #HeritageSites #VisitBritain #WaterMills

Expert buildings craftspeople are fundamental to our cause. SPAB is delighted to work in collaboration with Heritage Crafts by sponsoring the Emerging Building Craftsperson of the Year Award 2026. ➡️ Nominate someone (or yourself) today at .uk/our-awards/emerging-building-craftsperson-of-the-year/ Deadline for applications 21 August. #BuildingCrafts #HeritageCrafts #Craftsmanship #Stonemasonry #Carpentry #Bricklaying #EmergingCraftsperson 📷: 1 - James 'Oz' Osborne, Blacksmith. SPAB Fellow 2023 2 - Sam Peacock, Stonemason. SPAB Fellow 2012 3 - Ross Harris, Millwright and Carpenter. SPAB Fellow 2025

The Bowes Railway Museum provides an amazing look into the industrial past of the Northeast. Such an honour to be shown around by Steve whose passion and knowledge of the site was fascinating! 🚂 Thank you @bowesrailway_engine_shed ! @spab1877

What a week in the Northeast visiting Newcastle Cathedral, Dunston Staiths, Whorlton Bridge, the Common Room and Durham Cathedral - so many beautiful places! @spab1877 #buildingconservation

We're collaborating with the SPAB for London Craft Week 2026! ✨Myth-busting: Wooden sash windows needn’t go in the skip ✨ On Saturday 16 May, drop in to the Gallery for advice and demonstrations from heritage conservation carpenter Ross Harris. He’ll show how old wooden sash windows, often made of high-quality timber, can be repaired, re-corded, re-glazed and preserved and in use for years to come. He’ll talk about the pros and cons of inserting replacement double-glazed panes and the options for secondary glazing and draft proofing as well as specialist adhesives and paints. 📆 Saturday 16 May 🕚 10am to 5pm 🎟 FREE William Morris founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) in 1877, in response to the work of Victorian architects whose enthusiasm for harmful restoration caused irreparable damage. Today the SPAB encourages excellence in new design to enrich and complement the built historic environment. Read more using link in bio 👆 Image 1 by Christopher Di Nozzi Image 2: Ross Harris repairing a sash window ©Ross Harris @spab1877 @londoncraftweek @rossharris_ #SashWindows #RepairingSashWindows #Heritage #LondonCraftWeek #WilliamMorris #SPAB

We've just released a couple of places on our flagship Repair of Old Buildings Course 18-22 May in London. Why wait until the course is run again in September? Sign up today .uk/whats-on/repair-old-buildings-course-spring-2026-0 If you work in heritage, or are studying for a career in the sector and want to gain an in-depth understanding of the repair, maintenance and conservation of old buildings this is the course that's been helping people focus on work with historic buildings for over 50 years. One participant described it as a 'Fantastic course that covered a lot of ground, from from people who were highly skilled and infectiously enthusiastic about their work! I couldn't help but come away feeling enthused and excited!' 📷© Annie Spratt, Liv Cashman, Micheile Henderson and Phil Hearing, Unsplash #HistoricBuildings #BuildingConservation #HeritagePreservation #OldBuildingRepair #ConservationCourse #HeritageSkills

Steve operating the Wheel Lathe at Bowes Railway 🚂 Great opportunity today for us to enjoy some industrial heritage for a change! What an incredible site, so much history and beauty, and some incredible workshop spaces Massive thank you to Steve for a wonderful day - strongly recommend a visit!! #spab #spabscholarship #bowesrailway #gateshead #herritagerailway

There were once dozens of post mills in Leicestershire alone – now, there are only 50 post mills left in the whole country. A post mill is the earliest type of traditional windmill found in the UK. The weight of the mill rests on a single post so the mill can be turned to face the wind. SPAB's Kibworth Harcourt Post Mill is now the last of its kind in Leicestershire. The mill was removed from the Heritage at Risk Register in 2021 following our major repair project. It's only open on select days of the year, including this year's National Mills Weekend! Our lovely volunteers will be welcoming visitors on pre-booked guided tours on 10 and 11 May. Book your free place: .uk/mills/national-mills-weekend-0 🎥 SPAB, Rachel Stoplar #NationalMillsWeekend #LeicestershireHeritage #WindmillTours #UKWindmills #MillsOfEngland #VisitLeicestershire #LeicestershireHistory #TraditionalWindmill #HeritageConservation #HistoricWindmills