UCL ISH Guest Lecture: Dr. Ben Cowell, Historic Houses Association 'Sustaining the Country House'

Abstract

The fate of the country house in the UK has been a politically charged issue in recent years. The mid-1970s saw an outburst of concern at the "destruction" of country houses and their collections, as manifested in the exhibition of the same name at the V&A. Important changes to the capital tax framework arguably did more than anything else to "save" the country house and enable many more of them to remain in private ownership. The 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s saw new business models emerge for how the country house heritage could be sustained for the longer term. Public openings, weddings, corporate events and filming are all now used to bolster the income available to meet the repair bills. However, country house businesses continue to experience adverse changes to the fiscal and regulatory environment that impinge on their ability to tackle an estimated repairs backlog of £1.38 billion. The most sustainable solution for the long-term care of country houses is undoubtedly for them to remain in private ownership, but for their maintenance to be incentivised through the tax system.

Biography

Ben Cowell is the Director General of the Historic Houses Association, which represents over 1,600 historic houses in independent ownership. Prior to joining the HHA in 2016, he was a regional director for the National Trust, having also led the Trust's External Affairs function. Before then, Ben spent ten years working in the civil service at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, including a three-year secondment to English Heritage. His PhD was on the history of estate landscapes, and he has published widely on this and other topics.

© Image: Kelburn Castle, Scotland