Heritage Hub & Network

                           

Update – 2022…

The Berkhamsted Local History and Museum Society is delighted to be awarded one of only 10 grants made nationally to heritage organisations in 2022 under the Brighter Day Scheme run by a leading industry body, the Association of Independent Museums (AIM).

The award of £3,000 has been hugely beneficial in pushing forward the Society’s extensive digitisation programme, by enabling high resolution images of a large number of rare oversize artworks, and heritage maps and plans, which need specialist professional equipment. Digitisation of these old and sometimes frail items allows easy detailed study and use without the need for repeated removal and handling. The ability to zoom in to a very high magnification means that much hidden detail is researchable for the first time.

This AIM scheme is funded by the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars Charitable Trust and both they and AIM are much thanked for their support, which will make a major difference. The professional skills were provided by The National Archives Digitisation Service. Over 1,100 digital images have been achieved, much more than originally estimated.

Digitisation of such items as photographs and postcards is already paying good dividends for the Society and Berkhamsted, with high quality images being used in the Society’s screen animation about Berkhamsted’s historic St Peter’s Church, which celebrated its 800^th anniversary in 2022. This animation launched in May 2022 and ran every day in St Peters throughout 2022.

Update – Jan 2022…

The Heritage Hub concept emerged from the work carried out by Fourth Street in 2019. BLHMS led this project, funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, and it kickstarted a process of bringing together stakeholders to discuss how the heritage of the town could engage a wider range of people. Covid of course intervened very effectively to stymie progress on most strands of the work; however, behind the scenes partners have been developing the proposed initiatives:

The Society itself is digitising its collections (Initiative 1: Create a Virtual Hub) and co-ordinating  an expanded programme of events for the themed Heritage Open Days (Initiative 3: Celebrate heritage through events, performances and activities) with venues such as the Rectory Lane Cemetery and the Castle still managing to deliver activities for visitors and schools during the year.  

A Medieval History Festival, spearheaded by the Chamber of Commerce, is re-emerging from its stalled planning phase to take place in August 2022. The Castle now has a comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan – the next step is to see a Development Plan take forward the options for improving interpretation and visitor facilities on site.

The Society is now working on a visual display to be installed during May in the Church for its 800th Celebrations  (Initiative 4: Designing visitor heritage interpretation facilities). The time is now also ripe for the heritage bodies to engage with prospective funders and stakeholders, particularly the Town Council, to create a co-ordinated trail of heritage sites (Initiative 2: Create a town-wide Heritage Interpretation Network (HIN.))

James Moir.

Update – June 2020…

BLHMS member Dr James Moir is now the Project Leader for the Heritage Hub, as from the beginning of 2020. James also directs the Rectory Lane Cemetery Project, is a trustee for the Berkhamsted Castle Trust, and is involved in various other local initiatives. Thus he is in an excellent position to take forward a partnership and co-ordinating initiative such as the Heritage Hub.

The original intention in 2020 was to prepare in the spring an Expression of Interest to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, after discussions with partner bodies in Berkhamsted. Covid-19 has vastly changed the landscape, in that funding bodies have shelved their previous programmes and are to focus for an unspecified time on rescuing severely damaged heritage, arts and museum bodies that now have a huge hole in their financial futures.

The pandemic has also affected the opportunities to meet and discuss proposals, and has delayed the programme to audit in detail the History Society’s collection and start the process of digitisation, which are precursors to making better use of the collection. We will be discussing the opportunities to design some much smaller scale but hopefully valuable interventions in the light of the current restrictions, and will post any proposals here.

Norman Groves.

Update – November 2019…

The Heritage Hub feasibility and direction-setting stage is drawing to a close, so please download the key reports here (and be aware if you are printing that these are large, full-colour documents): • Berkhamsted Heritage Network and Hub – Context, Options and Strategy Report November 2019 (76 pages) • Berkhamsted Heritage Network and Hub – Appendices for the Context, Options and Strategy Report November 2019 (127 pages) For a more digestible summary version please download the Berkhamsted Heritage Hub Strategy Summary Leaflet. Again, we would like to heartily thank National Lottery players and the NLHF for making all this possible. Please contact Norman Groves, James Moir and Jenny Sherwood to discuss any point.

Update – October 2019…

The Heritage Hub project will reach a milestone in November 2019 when it finalises with the National Heritage Lottery Fund the strategy setting investigation stages, thanks to funding provided by committed National Lottery players.  Key goals achieved in 2018-2019 include:

• Five Topic Workshops have involved key town stakeholders. These covered
  • developments at St Peter’s Church
  • designing a heritage events and activities programme
  • planning for a  Virtual Hub
  • interventions to form the Heritage Interpretation Network
  • and utilising collections of artefacts.

About 22 different organisations were represented, involving  74 attendances. Notes will be included as an Appendix to the main report.

• Six training and skills workshops (The Hub Learning Programme), delivered presented by the Curator of Amersham Museum, Emily Toettcher. They address:
  • Find new volunteers! Keep old volunteers!
  • Just how do we interest young people?
  • Fundraising that Works!
  • Finding that fascinating local story!
  • Painless promotion on a budget!
  • Websites that Wow!

These have been fully booked, from a wide range of town heritage and community bodies, averaging about 12 people a session. Full notes will be available via the website in due course.

• The appointed consultant advisers for the Project, Fourth Street Place Consultants Ltd, researched and drafted their Context and Options Report for Consultation, which was circulated in February to key organisations in the town as a basis for ongoing discussions.
• A special Collections Analysis was undertaken of the items stored by the History Society at the Dacorum Heritage Trust. These total 29,000, the bulk being photos and documents. The Analysis was undertaken by the Curator of Amersham Museum.
• Following on from this Analysis a follow-on Pre-Audit and Pre-Digitisation Study has been commissioned, looking at policies and practices for organising the Society’s collection and preparing for digitisation.
• A Key Stakeholders workshop was held on 29^th July, with about 25 attending, including the Town Council, and representatives from major local community bodies. Organisationally it was agreed to proceed as a non-formal partnership for the time being until the funding situation clearer. The strategic framework of initiatives was endorsed.
• The main revised Context Options and Strategy Final Report is being assembled with Fourth Street, plus a Leaflet that summarises the Strategy, which will be used to inform supporters and funding bodies. The next processes include discussing the implementation strategy and organisational steps, with an aim of preparing a strong portfolio and case to approach different funding bodies.

Update – June 2019…

In spring 2019, the consultant’s Options Report (see key proposals below) was circulated for consultation to representatives of key heritage and cultural bodies in Berkhamsted. In response, popular proposals are a virtual “museum”, the Castle Visitor Centre, walking trails, St Peter’s exhibition space, and enhanced information on sites around town. In the middle ground stand the history festival (including film and image based); pop-up events, performances, and re-enactments; heritage themed art, photo, poetry and similar events and competitions; and a town model. Least popular are digital monoliths, and bronze monuments. Five Topic Workshops (involving 45 people) have been held to consult and plan. These included Hub co-operation with St Peter’s Church on exhibition space; enhanced heritage events and activities; a Virtual Hub; using collections better; and schemes for more information around town. We are also researching how the Hub can work to benefit schools, and how to engage better with young people.

The Hub Learning Programme, a series of six study sessions delivered by the Curator of the innovative Amersham Museum, Emily Toettcher, starts in July 2019. The “new skill” areas to be addressed include finding and keeping volunteers; engaging young people; fundraising; researching local stories; promotion on a budget; and websites and online. The sessions are designed to be of benefit to many community and cultural groups, not just heritage ones. An in-depth analysis of the collection of BLHMS items (nearly 29,000) stored at the Dacorum Heritage Trust was undertaken in April by Emily Toettcher. This first stage analysis gives much better understanding of what the collection comprises, and considers policies and procedures to do with collections development, care and documentation; digitisation; storage options; and key objects. The next steps are to consult key stakeholders based on the workshops, a revised Options Report, and development work with consultants on the draft Delivery and Business Plan. Key proposals in the Context and Options Report (prepared by the consultants Fourth Street Place Consultants Ltd):

1. The heritage visitor centre at Berkhamsted Castle is a key proposal. During discussions in 2017 about heritage in Berkhamsted, this location was considered as giving most potential. This is something that has come a step closer with improvements in 2018, particularly the formation of the Berkhamsted Castle Trust, transfer of the East Field to the Trust, occupation changes at the Castle Lodge, and the preparation of a Conservation and Management Plan lead by English Heritage. A visitor centre would be a headline activity, but it is obviously one requiring sensitive and thorough planning, and very large capital and revenue funding. Therefore, preparing for this would take a considerable number of years of negotiations.
2. Provided all the church authorities approve the concept, the consultants consider that St Peter’s Church is very suitable to include heritage exhibition space as part of a wider improvement scheme. This could be the other main physical location for the Hub, and is subject to the same sensitivity, financial requirements and timing issues as the Castle
3. An Enhanced Heritage Trail, larger panels that explain the wider heritage context on suitable walls, plus small boards for specific sites, and possibly free standing “monoliths” in suitable locations. This would be linked to paper and online Trail Guides.
4. As suitable locations for displaying items from the collections are limited, an online virtual “museum” is proposed, with digitised images of key heritage items. This could be accessible via several routes. Any online resource will need to carefully complement existing services.
5. History festivals are considered as good ways of engaging a wide range of audiences. Bearing in mind the strengths of Berkhamsted, one option could be theming this around heritage film and historic images.
6. Drama and re-creation performances illuminating past ways of life are a proven way of appealing to diverse audiences and can be woven into festivals or added to existing cultural events. Practically any location, from street to open space, can act as a pop-up “theatre”.
7. Other enjoyable activities that will be investigated include heritage art, photography, or poetry and prose, and allied events and competitions.
8. An architectural model of the town is considered a great way for adults and children to visualise the past.
9. Permanent historic photo displays are already found in some Berkhamsted public buildings, but it is suggested these could be upgraded and enhanced.
10. Bronze monuments to key local figures are often popular in the right location and lead to much sharing of images across the world. Some can be designed to be especially appealing to children.
11. The concept of a having mini-exhibitions with collection displays in central public buildings with all-day public access has been considered by the consultants, but the scale of available, large enough, and suitable locations is not considered sufficient to make a worthwhile impact.

Update – February 2019…

The Project is now a third of the way through its investigatory research stages. Fourth Street and its team of experts have undertaken various site visits, walks around the town, meetings with various stakeholders, and extensive background research. They have now completed their Context and Options Report for Berkhamsted Heritage Network and Hub. In the light of their experience elsewhere and the constraints of the existing circumstances in the town, the consultants set out what could be done, the stories to be told, the options to best get the heritage messages across, and the financial implications. The lengthy report is now being sent out for consultation to various key organisations across the town in order to get their input, feedback, suggestions, and corrections.  This will then be followed by further workshops and individual consultations. Over the next few months therefore, the various options will be consulted on and refined, looking to find consensus and support where possible. As the History Society owns no property, any proposal affecting a building or site will need the willing and active involvement of the relevant owners.  Once we have a robust set of viable options these will then be presented to the town for further wide consultation. The next update will be at the Annual Town Meeting on Thursday 14 March.

Update – October 2018…

After receiving the HLF grant in April, the Project Group invited competitive Proposals, based on our Project Brief, to lead the Hub and Network investigations. We chose Fourth Street Place Consultants Ltd, who are heritage business planning consultants. They will work with a historic buildings consultant, interpretation and exhibition designers, and architects. On the 8th October our first workshop was held with the consultancy team and key people from around the town from many of the main organisations who, we hope, will want to contribute to the Heritage Hub & Network in various ways. Before Christmas 2018 Fourth Street and team will be undertaking detailed research and visits to specific key sites around the town. They will be holding meetings with a number of people who were at the workshop, and others, in advance of further consultations in 2019. They will report back in late December with a detailed analysis of various options for the Hub & Network for consideration and further work in 2019. NB The main time for local consultations will be later in 2019, as there are a number of other stages we need to go through beforehand.  So please be patient with us!

The Overview – March 2018

Why we want to create a Heritage Hub The brown signs on the A41 announce “Berkhamsted – Historic Market Town”. Walking around you see Berkhamsted looks like it has a past – but there’s very little around town to tell you about it.  You search Berkhamsted Tourism online and find flimsy sites with little content.  You can’t find a leaflet or visitor guide.  You just can’t easily find out

how Berkhamsted got to now

And it’s not much different for local people – how much do most of us know of the richness of Berkhamsted’s enjoyable heritage?  Where can you go to find out how your forbears lived their lives, went to work, raised their children, and survived huge changes and challenges?  How did the town, the surrounding villages and countryside get to look the way they do?  Unless you’re a history enthusiast, our heritage is all too often hidden, disjointed, and hard to grasp. As one young person said during our market research “We know more about London!” What the Hub & Network project will be investigating The time is right to join with local people and community groups in investigating how to bring this exciting past to life, for the benefit of locals and visitors alike. The Heritage Hub project team will join with partners to build a sense of “our place” by finding out:

• what residents and local groups feel would appeal to them to get delving into our local heritage
• the best ways of enthusing many more people, of all ages and backgrounds, including young people and families
• how the large collections of locked-away historic memorabilia can best be used to tell the stories
• how people representing local heritage buildings and countryside spaces can plan and work together in a Network, to make a much stronger impact collectively, for the benefit of all
• the feasibility and costs of establishing the Hub as a central support resource in a local heritage building (such as the Town Hall), and of mounting its key services – or whether sustainability and accessibility are better achieved by good online resources
• and whether there is strong enthusiasm to form an active team of Hub people and Network representatives to make it all work.

How the Hub is more than a museum People have wondered if the Hub is simply a slightly weird museum, with some outreach. The answer is No!  There are overlaps of course, but also crucial differences.  The essentials are:

• The Hub and the Network are indivisible – there cannot be one without the other.
• The Hub and Network involve a team of people working together to enhance local overall heritage provision and boost its impact.
• The Hub and Network together embrace strategies to
  • engagingly tell the very many stories of “How Berkhamsted Got To Now”
  • increase the amount of on-site heritage information
  • widen engagement with under-reached parts of the community
  • be largely accessible all day/every day, rather than just a few hours a week
  • encourage local individual and family collections and histories to be shared.
• Network partners could range from the major (e.g. our Castle, churches and schools) to smaller venues (e.g. coaching inns and historic shops).
• Network premises and spaces could provide venues for family events, arts and drama, small pop-up displays, workshops, school visits, signposting, info boards etc. The type and scale of provision would vary greatly.
• The Hub will include online resources to help access collections, events and activities. If a suitable Hub location space becomes available and is financially sustainable, it could provide a central, welcoming base for larger exhibitions, workshops, school visits and research, plus the start of themed trails, leaflets and more. This project will explore other viable options on the Hub’s physical/virtual spectrum, including sharing out displays and activities across a range of Network premises.
• Hub and Network services would reinforce, not supplant, the existing valuable activities, websites and social media of existing community bodies.
• The Hub and Network will cover the rich heritage and landscape history of Berkhamsted, Northchurch, the surrounding villages, the Commons and the Ashridge area.

HLF, Town Council and History Society funding – and how we’ll use it We are extremely pleased that the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have agreed that our ideas are well worth investing in, with a much-appreciated grant of c£61,000 through the National Lottery, thanks to Lottery players. This grant, together with additional financial support from Berkhamsted Town Council and Berkhamsted History Society, will enable wide consultations, detailed studies and governance training, all supported and co-ordinated by industry experts. We hope to listen to the views of many people in 2018 and 2019 as we work though the various aspects to be explored.  In particular, there will be extensive local public consultation in 2019. How long this will all take The project has been carefully mapped out to ensure that every important stage is completed in the right order, as plans for the Hub & Network take shape. The project will take over a year to complete, so we’ll be reporting back to the HLF and the town in late 2019.  Once this investigation stage is completed, we will then assess and plan for the implementation stages. Who is in the Hub Project Team For Berkhamsted Local History & Museum Society: Jenny Sherwood and Norman Groves For Berkhamsted Town Hall Trust:    Pete Elsworth and Giles Clark For Berkhamsted & District Archaeological Society:    Peter Clayton For Dacorum Heritage Trust:    Roger Hands (and Peter Clayton) For Rectory Lane Cemetery Project (the Friends of St Peters):    James Moir Plus: Ian Reay – Herts County Council and Berkhamsted Town Councillor Linda Hattersley – Market Research and Communications Specialist Norman Groves is our Project Manager We will provide brief updates here regularly as our Project makes progress over the course of 2018/19.  You can email Norman Groves, Project Manager for the BHH Project here