10
Loading video...
By Margarita Hamilton
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Britain’s castles and historic estates must become economically useful places again, or many will decay beyond repair. Preservation cannot depend on nostalgia, occasional ticket sales, or the hope that someone else will pay. These buildings need year-round purposes and reliable income.
That means welcoming weddings, cultural events, business gatherings, overnight guests, and new forms of tourism, while protecting the architecture that makes them irreplaceable. If owners, government, and the tourism industry fail to act, Britain will lose historic buildings, local jobs, visitors, and living links to its own history.
The stakes reach far beyond the heritage sector. Tourism supports livelihoods across the country. VisitBritain estimates 44.2 million international visitors will arrive in Britain in 2026 and spend £33.9 billion.
Read More on Leadership Insights
Meanwhile, the government has said proposed wedding-law reforms could generate an estimated £535 million in economic benefits by widening the range of places where couples can legally celebrate. That means historic properties can attract visitors and spending, but only if they can adapt.
The financial reality is unforgiving. Roofs need repair, stonework erodes, damp penetrates walls, and weather batters masonry. Specialist restoration requires skilled craftspeople and expensive materials. Maintenance is a permanent obligation, not a one-time bill after a grand reopening. A property that cannot generate enough income to meet it will deteriorate, no matter how beautiful it looks in photographs.
...
Restoring an Historic Building Requires More Than Enthusiasm
I learned this through restoring and operating a seventeenth-century fortress in North Somerset. The work demanded more than enthusiasm for architecture. It meant confronting an exposed coastal environment, sourcing appropriate stone, and making the building usable for modern guests without stripping away its character.
The lesson was that restoration does not end when the workmen leave. It requires a sustainable financial model and a commitment to ongoing maintenance.
Historic properties must have a reason to open their doors. A castle used for only a handful of days each year is unlikely to earn enough to fund its upkeep. A property that hosts a wedding one weekend, a corporate retreat the next, and a concert later in the month has more ways to earn revenue and reach different audiences. It can become part of community life, rather than a landmark people simply pass by.
This is not about turning every historic building into a generic event venue. We need to give people meaningful ways to experience places that cannot be recreated. Travelers increasingly seek experiences with a strong sense of place.
Couples want celebrations that reflect their identities, not interchangeable packages. Families and groups want to shape their own experiences. A centuries-old building offers atmosphere and history that a new venue cannot manufacture.
...
The benefits spread beyond the property gates. Visitors spend money with nearby hotels, restaurants, transport companies, suppliers, guides, and shops. Events create work for caterers, technicians, florists, cleaners, and hospitality staff. When heritage venues attract visitors throughout the year, that spending helps sustain local businesses. When they remain closed or underused, those opportunities disappear.
The choice is stark. In the best case, historic properties become active, financially resilient places: buildings are maintained, local businesses gain customers, skilled crafts are put to work, and new generations encounter history as something lived rather than fenced off.
In the worst case, owners cannot afford repairs, properties close, roofs fail, and communities lose a cultural asset and a source of economic activity. Once a historic structure is lost, no tourism strategy can bring it back.
New uses must be carefully judged. Wellness programs, outdoor activities, nature-based stays, and cultural programming may extend the visitor season, but every proposal must respect the building, its setting, and the environment. Public authorities should create clear routes for appropriate new uses, support investment in repairs, and make expert conservation guidance accessible.
The responsibility is shared. Owners must develop realistic business plans and reinvest in maintenance. Policymakers must make it possible for conservation-led projects to proceed without unnecessary barriers. Tourism organizations and event professionals must include heritage venues in their plans. Communities should be involved early, with honest discussions about traffic, noise, access, and local benefits.
Britain must stop treating its castles as fragile objects to be kept apart from modern life. They are part of the country’s inheritance, and inheritance carries responsibility.
Owners must bring suitable buildings into active use and fund their care. Policymakers must enable responsible adaptation. The tourism industry must help make these places part of the visitor economy.
Margarita Hamilton owns Walton Castle, a restored 17th-century fortress in North Somerset. All views are the author's own.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines