A three storey timber-framed building with shop fronts and a carriage entrance to the ground floor.
The Fleece Hotel viewed from Westgate Street, with the main entrance to the courtyard visible on the left-hand side. © Historic England Archive. Image reference DP325614.
The Fleece Hotel viewed from Westgate Street, with the main entrance to the courtyard visible on the left-hand side. © Historic England Archive. Image reference DP325614.

Introduction to Issue 23

Claudia Kenyatta, Director of Regions, introduces Issue 23 of Historic England Research Magazine on the theme of research into the heritage of England's High Streets.

Welcome to issue 23 of Historic England Research Magazine. The theme for this edition our research that informs the High Streets Heritage Action Zones programme.

Historic England is working with partners in 67 places in England to deliver a £95m Government-funded programme of heritage-led regeneration focused on high streets. Through targeting both the historic fabric of the place and its cultural life we are shifting how people see their high street, not as tired and dated places, but as somewhere that is vibrant and rich with character. The programme began in 2019 and is due to end in 2024. So far we have invested £54m, with an additional £55m attracted from other sources.

To better understand the heritage in these areas our teams are carrying out research at different levels of detail, engaging owners and communities, telling the rich story of much-loved local places. In this issue, after introducing the value of this type of investigation, we focus on some of the key individual buildings within some High Streets Heritage Action Zones. We also cover an archive collection of images of England’s streets mainly from the mid-20th century.

Name and role
Name

Claudia Kenyatta

Title and organisation
Director of Regions at Historic England
Details
Description
Claudia oversees Historic England’s work in the regions, where we offer expertise and advice and build the effective partnerships that help us to explain, protect and care for the historic environment.

Download Issue 23 in PDF format