Scheme aims to unlock potential in historic sites

So says Historic England planning director for Yorkshire Trevor Mitchell, who is today announcing £500,000 funding for Hull’s Old Town.

Together with Elsecar in South Yorkshire, the Old Town has been named a Heritage Action Zone - to help build on the momentum from City of Culture celebrations.

Historic England has pledged £6m to help unlock potential in 10 areas of rich heritage including Coventry, Weston-super-Mare and King’s Lynn.

Mr Mitchell was showing people round the Old Town - which has benefitted from being part of a £25m public realm upgrade - last week. The area, inhabited for 700 years, is home to 40 per cent of the city’s listed buildings and the last remaining medieval street pattern. He said: “I took them into fantastic Trinity Square. In many others parts of Europe this would be a busy place with cafes and high-value homes and actually it was fairly quiet.

“The opportunity to bring empty buildings back round the church to life is a key objective. We have to capitalise on Hull’s moment in the spotlight to persuade developers now is the time to unlock some of these sites.”

Mr Mitchell said they’d identify around a dozen buildings and work with owners on what they need - whether it is research, advice or money. They would also match-fund an ongoing council scheme to improve shop and building frontages. He said: “There are lots of buildings in Hull which look fine, but don’t look busy. My ambition is to make Hull Old Town look busy.”

Historic England is also focussing on Elsecar, which gets 400,000 visitors a year, but could attract many more.

A bustling, industrial village from the 1700s, Elsecar - which is home to the oldest steam engine in the world - boomed thanks to its ironworks and thriving collieries, which were often visited by aristocrats and royalty. For 150 years it was the industrial estate village of Wentworth Woodhouse just a mile away.

Historic England will carry out further research and work with the council and heritage centre to bring historic buildings back into use. Mr Mitchell said it didn’t need a huge cash injection, but help “to fill in the dots of the story and demonstrate it’s of national importance so people think it is worth visiting.”

He added: “Elsecar is really of national importance as a mini Beamish or Ironbridge. It has all the potential, but not the national recognition, rather like Hull’s Old Town.”

Over the next three years a project officer will work closely with HE’s own specialist advisers on the initiative.

Lynn Dunning, Group Leader at Barnsley Museums, said: “Being awarded HAZ status is the result of many years of hard work to uncover the importance of Elsecar’s heritage, combined with detailed planning to realise its full potential.

“We hope to use this new status to tap into other funding streams that will help us achieve our vision for Elsecar as a visitor destination.”