Investigator of historical buildings

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32975, 22 July 1972, Page 12

Investigator of historical buildings

Mary Davies is an investigator, an expert with a trained eye — looking at historical buildings in an area covering the English Lake District to the Scottish border. She explained to 8.8. C- . viewers how she was one of 19 investigators working on a survey for the Department of the Environment throughout Britain. A survey of historic buildings in Britain was produced just after the last war. In this new one 19th century buildings have been included. Because a building is

listed, it does not mean that it is preserved just as it is for ever. Not al buildings can be preserved, though they all have claims for preservation. If an owner wishes to alter or demolish a recorded building he must make out a case to the local planning authority or, in the case of a few selected buildings, to the Secretary of State. Mary Davies finds that she has plenty of research work in dating a building, checking carefully details of the car-

vings and the shape of the doors and windows. She marks each building on specially prepared maps of the area. Aim of the survey is to protect 200,000 buildings with minimal Government action and judicious use of grants totalling £1 million. Mary says that her work brings her a great deal of satisfaction, particularly when she comes across a building which had fallen on lean days until a new owner has come along and given it a new lease of life.