Bath Preservation Trust

Bath Preservation Trust The Bath Preservation Trust was set up in 1934 to safeguard the historic city of Bath. The Trust also runs or helps to run four of the best museums in Bath.

The purposes of the Trust are:

- to encourage and support the conservation, evolution and enhancement of Bath and its environs within a framework appropriate both to its historic setting and its sustainable future, and
- to provide educational resources which focus on the architectural and historic importance of the city. The Trust receives no statutory funding and is supported by around 1400 members who share a passion for the city and its environs.

In 2024 our Biophilic Bath exhibition at the Museum of Bath Architecture demonstrated how city greening could make a dif...
24/06/2026

In 2024 our Biophilic Bath exhibition at the Museum of Bath Architecture demonstrated how city greening could make a difference to the city environment and support wellbeing. It was a compelling subject which introduced the forward vision of planting as climate strategy and the untapped value of urban spaces.

The exhibition inspired thoughts of how we could introduce more greenery throughout our own sites to help mitigate climate change and adapt to a wetter and hotter climate. Following much planning and consideration, in the late summer of this year we shall be installing a Contemporary Georgian Garden in the courtyard area at No.1 Royal Crescent. This is the first of our own contributions to a more Biophilic Bath, introducing nature and shade into a classic Georgian courtyard.

Intrinsic to the design is the intention to showcase the multi-functional benefits of urban greening, and the ways in which transforming hard spaces can contribute to urban cooling, carbon capture, and water management. The challenging microclimate of the space will provide a living example of resilient landscapes.

The planting is locally appropriate and selected from Charles Cardale Babington’s book, Flora Bathoniensis, published in 1834. The book is a catalogue of plants which could be discovered in the landscape of Bath, recorded in 1832 and 1833 and related to the Georgian period of Bath’s history. It also has many links to Georgian society including plant collecting, culinary uses, home apothecary, perfumery and natural dyes.

The Contemporary Georgian Garden has been designed by Grant Associates, the internationally renowned landscape architects based in Bath, and includes a stone bench for people to sit on and view the garden and the curve of the Crescent. The tranquil leafy space will be a fitting addition to the house, to be enjoyed by all.

We are tremendously excited to be able to announce the installation and look forward to sharing details as we progress.

We are also immensely grateful to the Anthony and Elizabeth Mellows Charitable Settlement for their kind donation, which has enabled the creation of this garden.

View the press release here: https://www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/press-release-contemporary-georgian-garden-to-feature-at-no-1-royal-crescent/

Join us for the next BPT X RIBA Bristol & Bath Midweek Monthly Talk: 'CIRCULARITY' - Championing materials reuse at 30 D...
16/06/2026

Join us for the next BPT X RIBA Bristol & Bath Midweek Monthly Talk: 'CIRCULARITY' - Championing materials reuse at 30 Duke Street with Simone Dos Santos and Sam Mason of Make Architects.

Duke Street is an 8-storey workplace scheme exemplifying recovery, re-use and reinvention. The project, on schedule to complete this year, replaces two outdated buildings on a prominent site in central London. Its facade is central to its circular economy principles. Rather than treating the existing components on site as waste, they have been carefully dismantled and salvaged for re-use. Adding to the circular economy and helping to record all of the materials used, it is one of the first projects to make use of a pioneering new concept known as materials passports.

It is the UK's first commercial refurbishment project to use a closed-loop "Glass Forever" process, where glass recovered from the building's original façade is remanufactured into new, high-performance glazing for reinstallation. More than three-quarters of its structural frame is reclaimed steelwork, making it the largest steel reuse project for a commercial office in the UK to date.

🕕 6pm
📆 Wednesday 1st July
📍 No.1 Royal Crescent
🎟️ Tickets: https://no1royalcrescent.org.uk/whats-on/

Talks are 45mins-1hr with additional time for questions and discussion.

Bar serves wine, beers and soft drinks.

Green Belt, Grey Belt… or is it time for the Great Belt?The Green Belt has long been a point of debate - is it valuable ...
01/06/2026

Green Belt, Grey Belt… or is it time for the Great Belt?

The Green Belt has long been a point of debate - is it valuable farmland, untouchable countryside essential for nature, health, and wellbeing; an underused resource; or a chance to rethink how land could be repurposed in harmony with nature and heritage and address the housing crisis?

The Grey Belt is a new urban planning designation targeted to unlock the UK’s housing crisis. By definition, this is land within the Green Belt which fails to strongly contribute to preventing urban sprawl, stopping towns from merging, or protecting the setting of historic towns.

The Great Belt vision explores how we can plan for housing, nature, and heritage to build a resilient future. Is it time to move past the “Green vs. Grey” debate and look at the bigger picture?

Come and join the conversation!

Hear from Maysa Phares, Senior Associate at Studio Egret West, alongside an expert panel as we debate how this vision could shape the future of cities.

🗓️ Wednesday, 3 June 2026
🕕 Time: Doors at 5:30 PM | Talk starts at 6:00 PM
📍 Venue: No. 1 Royal Crescent, Bath
🎟️ Tickets: £12 / £6 Concessions. https://no1royalcrescent.org.uk/whats-on/

The historic Walcot Steps in Bath, captured on canvas by artist Peter Brown “Pete the Street”. In recent years, Walcot S...
27/05/2026

The historic Walcot Steps in Bath, captured on canvas by artist Peter Brown “Pete the Street”.

In recent years, Walcot Steps, a picturesque passage linking The Paragon to the eclectic charm of Walcot Street, underwent crucial conservation work, including stonework repairs, a restored archway, bollards, and railings, funded by Bath Preservation Trust and B&NES Council’s World Heritage Site Enhancement Fund.

Bath’s historic urban fabric requires active guardianship and we are often on the look-out for new projects in the historic public realm. If you have an idea, or know a place which needs care, please email [email protected] - the fund is actively looking for new, inspiring project applications for 2027.

The Bathscape 'Views and Vistas of Bath' report is officially published!The Views and Vistas Project, part of the Bathsc...
20/05/2026

The Bathscape 'Views and Vistas of Bath' report is officially published!

The Views and Vistas Project, part of the Bathscape Landscape Partnership Bathscape supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, puts the power of historic landscape conservation directly into the hands of our community. Led by BPT and local volunteers, this citizen science initiative documents people's favourite viewpoints across the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Armed with cameras and field toolkits, a dedicated team of volunteers spent hours surveying viewpoints from Beechen Cliff to Little Solsbury Hill. They pinpointed features of interest, analysed skyline changes, and gathered the vital data to help ensure that iconic visual corridors defining Bath’s sense of place within the landscape are recorded, monitored, protected and enhanced. They headed to the hills to:

📸 Capture fieldwork and photography tracking visual changes over time.
📜 Undertake historic research, comparing modern sightlines with archival material.
🌳 Assess condition, flagging everything from iconic landmarks to overgrown vegetation and new developments.

Because having hard data is the best way to defend landscape value and actively influence local planning guidance, policies and development decisions. As custodians of the project BPT will ensure the findings remain part of a dynamic, ongoing conversation about how the city changes and develops.

🌿📸 What’s your favourite view in Bath? Is it included?

A big thankyou goes out to our amazing team of volunteers who supported this important piece of work.

'Views and Vistas of Bath' is available to download here: https://www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/views-and-vistas/

Stay tuned this year as we share some of the best views and vistas to experience our celebrated local landscape.

Image: Casper Farrell

Often cities turn their backs on their waterways, treating them as hidden, overlooked infrastructure. Nowhere was this m...
29/04/2026

Often cities turn their backs on their waterways, treating them as hidden, overlooked infrastructure. Nowhere was this more apparent than in Bath where, prior to the Western Riverside masterplan and the rediscovered riverscape, Bath's winding river Avon was a much neglected asset and in large parts unattractive, inaccessible and underutilised.

For decades like many other places the city failed to grasp the value and importance of the river, and in recent years it has been working actively to transform the river corridor to support public life, nature and wellbeing and generate economic vitality. The Bath River Line project and riverside developments demonstrate this shift.

In the next BPT X RIBA Bristol and Bath Midweek Monthly talk, 'How Rivers Anchor Regeneration and Resilience', Duncan Paybody of Studio Egret West explores the transformative power of urban waterways, shifting the perspective of rivers from overlooked infrastructure to the primary drivers of environmental and social change.

🕕 6pm
📆 Wednesday 6 May
📍No.1 Royal Crescent
🎟️ Book here: https://no1royalcrescent.org.uk/whats-on/

Talks are 45mins-1hr with additional time for questions and discussion.

Bar serves wine, beers and soft drinks.

Image credits: Brilliant Bath Photography, Studio Egret West, Alison Brooks Architects

It’s Earth Day 2026, and this year’s theme 'Our Power, Our Planet' reminds us that environmental progress is driven by u...
22/04/2026

It’s Earth Day 2026, and this year’s theme 'Our Power, Our Planet' reminds us that environmental progress is driven by us - the people and communities who protect and enhance the places we live and work.

“Our Power” lies in our daily commitment to:

🌍 Sustainability, conservation, and design excellence which enhances the amenity of Bath and enriches the built and natural environment.

🌍 Thoughtful, collaborative design which enables the city to flourish now and in the future.

🌍 Influencing and inspiring designers and decision-makers to facilitate imaginative best practice in planning, regenerative design, placemaking, heritage and environmental management.

🌍 More ambitious action on climate change and requirements for carbon-positive affordable homes.

🌍 Enhanced policy requirements for landscape-led sustainable development.

🌍 Priority to the redevelopment of brownfield land and the adaptive reuse and retrofit of heritage buildings.

🌍 Interlinked policies to lever the transition to circular neighbourhoods, city and economy.

🌍 Managing landscapes to support biodiversity, protect nature and mitigate climate change.

🌍 Aligning urban planning with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Bath is a beautiful place that deserves a more beautiful, resilient future.

Follow and support our work to learn more about our commitment to protecting and enhancing Bath and the planet through sustainable action.

We’re hiring! *HR Officer (Part-time, 14 hours per week)*Join our team and help support the smooth running of our charit...
21/04/2026

We’re hiring!

*HR Officer (Part-time, 14 hours per week)*

Join our team and help support the smooth running of our charity – from recruitment and staff development to payroll and policy updates. You’ll be working closely with colleagues across the organisation, and reporting to the CEO.

💷 £28,840 pro-rata (£11,536 actual / £15.85 per hour)
🌿 34 days annual leave (pro-rata, incl. bank holidays)
📍 Permanent role (following 6-month probation)

We are proud to be a Real Living Wage employer and are committed to creating a supportive, inclusive workplace for all.
We actively welcome applications from under-represented groups in the heritage sector, including people from the Global Ethnic Majority and disabled applicants.

📩 Visit the Bath Preservation Trust website for details about the role and to apply – https://www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering-internships-jobs/

📅 Closing date: Midnight, Monday 27 April 2026
📅 Interviews: Week commencing 4 May 2026

Coming up!BPT X RIBA Bristol and Bath: Midweek MonthlyThe next talk in our Elements of Nature series. 'How Rivers Anchor...
21/04/2026

Coming up!

BPT X RIBA Bristol and Bath: Midweek Monthly

The next talk in our Elements of Nature series. 'How Rivers Anchor Regeneration and Resilience' with Duncan Paybody, Studio Egret West

🕕 6pm
📆 Wednesday 6 May
📍No.1 Royal Crescent
🎟️ Book here: https://no1royalcrescent.org.uk/whats-on

In this session, Duncan Paybody explores the transformative power of urban waterways, shifting the perspective of rivers from overlooked infrastructure to the primary drivers of environmental and social change. Using Studio Egret West’s recent work in Manchester as a blueprint, Duncan will unpack how a “river-first” approach creates a sense of rootedness and local authenticity that is often missing from modern masterplanning. The discussion will navigate through two landmark projects along the same city watercourse:

🦆Mayfield Park: Examining the lessons learned from Manchester’s first new city-center park in 100 years, where the uncovering of the River Medlock acted as the catalyst for a world-class public realm.

🦆Holt Town: Looking ahead at a massive regeneration site where the river serves as the connective tissue, proving that watercourses can lead the way in large-scale urban evolution.

Attendees will gain insights into how rivers can be leveraged to enhance biodiversity, mitigate climate risks, and build a lasting “sense of place” that resonates with the local community.

Talks are 45mins-1hr with additional time for questions and discussion.

Bar serves wine, beers and soft drinks. RIBA Bristol & Bath - Bristol Society of Architects

Address

1 Royal Crescent
Bath
BA12LR

Opening Hours

Monday 12pm - 5:30pm
Tuesday 10:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 10:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 10:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 10:30am - 5:30pm
Saturday 10:30am - 5:30pm
Sunday 10:30am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+441225338727

Website

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