 |
 |
Dear Neil, Yes it is a matter of proportion and the proportion of 20th Century military defences which are preserved or protected is miniscule in comparison to virtually every other period or type. I’d go even further and say that we should be protecting more of it before it disappears so that we can see the bigger picture. And as for the bats it’s often the fact that there is a pillbox close by that has actually allowed them to survive when all other suitable roosts have been destroyed. I do not subscribe to the Carcassone school of thought that we should rebuild or re-imagine, in fact I can’t think of anything worse than reconstructing a ruin, but where we can save something in situ with little or no effort and without hurting anyone then why not. I, for one, find a pleasant walk in the countryside infinitely improved when I come across a pillbox. Phil . Phil Carlisle Knowledge Organization Specialist Listing Group, Historic England Direct Dial: +44 (0)1793 414824 http://thesaurus.historicengland.org.uk/ http://www.heritagedata.org/blog/ Listing Information Services fosters an environment where colleagues are valued for their skills and knowledge, and where communication, customer focus and working in partnership are at the heart of everything we do. [Historic England Logo]<http://www.historicengland.org.uk/> We help people understand, enjoy and value the historic environment, and protect it for the future. Historic England<http://bit.ly/1OuxROd> is a public body, and we champion everyone’s heritage, across England. Follow us: Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/HistoricEngland> | Twitter<https://twitter.com/HistoricEngland> | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/historicengland/> Sign up to our newsletter<http://bit.ly/1p49z1e> Help us create a list of the 100 places which tell England's remarkable story and its impact on the world. A History of England in 100 Places<https://historicengland.org.uk/100places> sponsored by Ecclesiastical<http://www.ecclesiastical.com/fororganisations/insurance/heritageinsurance/100-places/index.aspx>. This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal views which are not the views of Historic England unless specifically stated. If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it. Any information sent to Historic England may become publicly available. From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of NRC Sent: 29 November 2017 14:32 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Pillbox conservation and repair Dear Phil, Hyperbole is not required. It’s a matter of proportion, interpreting a fragmentary past, where to spend scarce resources. And people these days have every right to create their own cultural historical record (whether good or bad), not to live in an ‘Historic England’ hodge-podge past. Cheers, Neil From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records [mailto:[log in to unmask]]<mailto:[mailto:[log in to unmask]]> On Behalf Of Carlisle, Philip Sent: 29 November 2017 14:04 To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Pillbox conservation and repair The same could be said for Roman/Prehistoric/Medieval sites. Why do we bother preserving anything. Tarmac the countryside, I say. Phil Carlisle Knowledge Organization Specialist Listing Group, Historic England Direct Dial: +44 (0)1793 414824 http://thesaurus.historicengland.org.uk/ http://www.heritagedata.org/blog/ From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of NRC Sent: 29 November 2017 12:07 To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Pillbox conservation and repair Dear All, At the risk of offending all those with a vested interest, i.e. you make a living out of it, in preserving physical things, I’d like to present a tax-payers perspective. Why are we bothering to spend effort, time and money on the repair of a pillbox?? As long as it’s safe and not the focus of anti-social behaviour, why not let it slowly decay, become a ruin, get swallowed up by nature, including the predilections of bats? For the most part, we have the original designs, drawings of pillboxes, innumerable pictures of them, almost all their locations plotted, and plenty of other examples that may be in better condition. We also know why they were built and when, and how they fitted into a larger picture. We have stories, narratives about pillboxes, eye-witness accounts, and most importantly we have imaginations that can reconstruct, re-imagine the whole concept and object. Do we really need another physical example using up public money (if only the time of local authority officers)? So the roof is corroding, the bats will move out if it gets too drafty & wet, and if trees grow up through it’ll become a natural feature. Let time take its course. Cheers, Neil