The world's first and oldest building conservation organisation, championing a philosophy of honest repair over restoration since 1877.
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings is the world's oldest organisation dedicated to the care and repair of historic buildings. SPAB exists to protect old buildings from decay, demolition, and damaging forms of repair or restoration, promoting instead an approach that values authentic historic fabric and favours conservative repair using compatible traditional materials.
The Society provides technical advice to property owners and professionals through its casework service, publishes technical guidance on the repair of traditional buildings, and runs a highly regarded programme of training courses — including the prestigious William Morris Craft Fellowship — that develop the next generation of conservation-skilled craftspeople and professionals.
SPAB takes an active campaigning role, commenting on planning applications and policy consultations, and maintains a Maintenance Week programme that encourages owners of old buildings to carry out basic maintenance as the single most cost-effective means of ensuring their long-term survival.
The Society provides technical advice to property owners and professionals through its casework service, publishes technical guidance on the repair of traditional buildings, and runs a highly regarded programme of training courses — including the prestigious William Morris Craft Fellowship — that develop the next generation of conservation-skilled craftspeople and professionals.
SPAB takes an active campaigning role, commenting on planning applications and policy consultations, and maintains a Maintenance Week programme that encourages owners of old buildings to carry out basic maintenance as the single most cost-effective means of ensuring their long-term survival.
History
SPAB was founded in 1877 by the designer, writer, and socialist William Morris, in response to the widespread and often destructive Victorian practice of 'restoring' medieval churches and other old buildings — stripping away centuries of accretions and replacing authentic historic fabric with new work intended to recreate a conjectural original appearance.Morris articulated a counter-philosophy in his founding Manifesto, arguing that the material fabric of old buildings was irreplaceable: once lost, it could never be recovered, and imitation was always a lie. He proposed instead that old buildings should be maintained in a state of 'conservative repair' — arresting decay while retaining everything genuine, however fragmentary.
The Manifesto remains the philosophical bedrock of the conservation movement worldwide, directly influencing the principles codified in the Venice Charter of 1964 and the approaches of heritage bodies across the globe.
We're here for old buildings and the people who care for them.