Trustees from your local heritage restoration charity Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust (RBPT), have been out and about over the last few weeks, undertaking heritage skills research and visiting RBPT funded restoration projects in the Yorkshire Dales.
RBPT is a heritage restoration charity based in the historic market town of Richmond, North Yorkshire. Formed in 2003, the Grade II* listed Richmond Station is their flagship project, which the trust saved from dereliction and unsympathetic development, transforming it into a vibrant community enterprise. As well as restoring The Station, RBPT also offered a Small Grants Fund which has helped to finance smaller restoration projects around Richmondshire; focusing on saving at-risk heritage buildings.
This included support for The Old School in Keld, a Victorian building in Upper Swaledale that was in need of repair after decades of exposure to the elements. RBPT was pleased to award a grant of £18,000 to save the building in 2022 – you can read more about this here. The Board of RBPT recently visited Keld where they enjoyed a tour of the restored buildings with Project Manager, Helen Guy, who is local to the area. Helen gave great insight into the work that had been involved in the restoration of the buildings that make up the Resource Centre, including the Countryside and Heritage Centre, The Old School Living Heritage Centre, modern meeting room, and renovated holiday accommodation. The trustees were delighted to discover some interesting links to The Station in The Old School Living Heritage Centre.
The Board also hosted their bi-monthly board meeting in the refurbished on-site meeting room, a fantastic space in the Dales with views across Upper Swaledale and a host of modern facilities. You can find out more about at www.keld.org.uk
As well as their trip to Keld, several trustees also paid a visit to the National Glass Centre in Roker, Sunderland, to learn more about heritage skills and how they can be applied to complement the regeneration of heritage buildings. During their visit board members Nicky, Phil, Robin, Lin and Nigel got to experience engaging glass making demonstrations, and spoke to glass specialists about their craft. Over the coming months the Board will be visiting other local craftspeople and heritage experts to further develop their understanding of the skills and expertise from years gone by, and how they can link heritage skills to regeneration of heritage buildings.