This guidance is intended for anyone interested in or responsible for the care of war memorials. This might include parish, local and district councils, conservation professionals, contractors, statutory bodies, volunteer groups or private owners. Although the guidance covers the setting of war memorials, more detailed information on landscape issues can be found in the publication The Conservation and Management of War Memorial Landscapes. When it refers to `custodians', the document is addressing anyone who has taken on formal responsibility for a war memorial, whether or not they are its...

This guidance note provides advice on the methods, materials and risks involved with insulating solid ground floors. The energy savings resulting from insulating solid ground floors can in many cases be of marginal benefit when the cost and disruption to the building fabric are considered. Insulating other building elements is likely to produce greater benefits in energy efficiency for significantly less cost. This is partly because a typical solid floor already provides a degree of insulation, but mainly because the ground beneath maintains a stable temperature of around 10 degrees C....

Traditional farmsteads and farm buildings make an important contribution to the remarkably varied character of England's landscape. They are fundamental to its sense of place and local distinctiveness. Although the majority of traditional farm buildings have now become partly or wholly redundant for modern agricultural purposes unsupported by income to fund their maintenance and repair, they often have the potential to be of economic value in terms of their capacity to accommodate a variety of new uses. Successful adaptive reuse of any farmstead or building depends upon an...

The appearance of brick and stone masonry owes as much to the character of the mortar joints as to the stone and bricks themselves. Unsuitable repointing can affect not only the look but also the durability of masonry, and is amongst the most frequent causes of damage to the character and fabric of historic buildings. The comprehensive repointing of a building is rarely necessary. Generally only those parts that are most exposed to the weather or are affected by specific problems such as leaking rainwater pipes or gutters are likely to be in need of attention. Sound historic mortar...

When historic buildings are left vacant they are at a greatly increased risk of damage and decay as well as being a potential blight on their locality. The best way to protect a building is to keep it occupied, even if the use is on a temporary or partial basis. It is inevitable that some historic buildings will struggle to find any use, especially in areas where the property market is weak and the opportunities for sale or re-use are limited. However, such buildings may become centrepieces of future regeneration and safeguarding will allow them to fulfil their social, cultural and economic...