Maintaining old buildings
Historic buildings are a precious part of our heritage and contribute to the character of our landscapes and townscapes, even if not listed or within a conservation area. They provide an important connection to our past, as well as offering a distinctive environment for people to live, work and visit.
Proper care and maintenance is important to ensure that historic buildings continue to contribute to our local culture.
If you are the owner of a historic building (particularly those built pre-1919), make sure you understand how it was constructed as well as the materials and techniques used. This will help inform your maintenance plans and the best approach to repairs.
Generally, repairs to your historic building should be done on a like for like basis. This means using matching materials and techniques to those originally used. By doing this you make sure that works are compatible in terms of the building’s performance, character and appearance. The use of modern materials and techniques on historic buildings can often cause more serious problems to the building fabric in the long term.
Further guidance and advice can be found at the following links:
Professional advice can be obtained via specialist heritage registers, accreditations and directories:
Last Modified: 07/05/2025
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