Luxury, Heritage and Innovation: “The 2025 Historic Houses, Parks and Gardens Event”
Pandora Mather-Lees
Luxury Director, IORMA
November 2025
The annual Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens Event returned to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster on 11th November reuniting the custodians, artisans, craftspeople, and innovators who help to conserve Britain’s built and natural heritage. The event, held alongside the Historic Houses National AGM, is an important and much anticipated fixture in the heritage calendar. Indeed, it is an intellectually stimulating meeting place for expertise, creativity, and collaboration.
Free to attend, this conference and exhibition welcomes owners, conservators, architects, gardeners and volunteers from across the UK. As such it is an important forum to support the luxury sector in terms of upkeep and preservation of real estate value. With over seventy exhibitors, live demonstrations, and specialist talks, it offered a rare opportunity to see traditional craftsmanship and modern conservation technologies side by side. The shared mission was clear. That is to preserve the country’s architectural and landscape legacy while finding sustainable ways to carry it into the future.
Throughout the day, attendees had an opportunity to see and listen to a broad programme of demonstrations and discussions. From plasterwork and sash window repairs to the delicate science of art and object restoration, the sessions reflected a growing appreciation for those special artisanal specialist skills that keep historic buildings alive. Among the most engaging talks was Preserving the Past: How Damp and Mould Threaten Art Collections in Historic Properties, presented by Fine Art Restoration. This particularly insightful session examined the environmental threats faced by collections in period houses and the urgent need for preventive care in the face of climate-related challenges.
Elsewhere, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) Fellows, James Bull and Ross Harris, offered a practical demonstration on repairing traditional sash windows, a feature that defines many Georgian and Victorian homes. Getting sash windows right in heritage and listed property is vital to maintaining their worth. Their session highlighted the value of sympathetic restoration, an approach that retains original materials wherever possible, reducing waste and maintaining authenticity. Similarly, Rose of Jericho explored the use of limewash and distemper in traditional paints, drawing attention to natural materials that have been used for centuries yet remain relevant and still used in sustainable conservation today. Conservation nowadays always focuses on deploying techniques that are reversible. This means avoiding permanent alterations to the fabric of an artwork or building which, whilst ‘best practice’ it makes the work pretty time consuming and often more costly to execute.
Graham Stamp of Locker & Riley captivated audiences with Creating Stunning Plasterworks, a live demonstration that revealed the artistry behind decorative ceilings and enrichments seen in royal palaces and country estates. These moments, where heritage craftsmanship takes centre stage, embody the event’s purpose: to connect the past’s mastery with the innovation and design of the future.
The speaker line-up also drew significant interest, with addresses from Jason Lindsay, President of Historic Houses, Baroness Twycross from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Dr Anna Keay OBE, Director of The Landmark Trust. Their collective message highlighted the social, cultural, and economic value of Britain’s historic estates. Far from static relics, these houses and gardens are lively and fascinating contributors to the economy, tourism and community, in fact welcoming over 19 million visits each year and supporting thousands of jobs nationwide.
This year’s theme, celebrating both preservation and progress, resonated throughout the exhibition halls. Many exhibitors showcased technologies that complement traditional techniques, from cost management software designed for restoration projects to energy conservation systems that help historic estates meet modern standards without compromising character. Together, they represented the evolving relationship between heritage and innovation, where the goal is not simply to restore but to future-proof the house and grounds.
The event’s atmosphere was very collaborative. Conservation experts exhibited and spoke alongside architects, landscape designers and digital innovators, united by a shared respect for craftsmanship and continuity. Companies such as Harris Bugg Studio, known for transforming historic landscapes through contemporary yet sensitive design, reflected how creativity and ecology now sit at the heart of modern heritage practice. Others, including the UK Parliament Restoration and Renewal team and Cliveden Conservation, demonstrated the scale and diversity of skills needed to sustain historic buildings across the country.
Delegates paused at stands to see a number of varied demonstrations such as how to create plasterwork and choose sumptuous textiles for the interior. Issues were addressed such as rising conservation costs to climate resilience, while younger apprentices shared their experiences in the Building Futures in Heritage Q&A. Their input offered reassurance that the next generation is both inspired and prepared to continue this essential work and that apprenticeships are still considered a useful route to a meaningful career.
In the auditorium, HHA Chairman Ben Cowell interviewed technical expert Robert Parker about the very broad scope of his work. Parker’s remit spans servicing Edwardian lifts to lightning conductors. This often succeeds by picking up the phone to close contacts which trumps the use of AI in these instances surprisingly. According to Parker it is the best means to find the right person who can advise and repair historical objects. Nevertheless, the biggest issue he is consulted about is insurance where the premiums have become frankly unsustainable alongside a lack of transparency as regards the detail of how they are structured. Costs are currently so high that many owners are considering not insuring at all. Criticism reigned about the gate keeping of brokers and the inability “to get near an underwriter” resulting in intransigence across the board. Another bone of contention for owners is planning; any alteration, extension or demolishment requires planning applications. Multitudes of tiny alterations are inevitably clogging up council planning administration systems to the extent that the level of regulation must be addressed so that only the more important alterations should require planning permission.
Using a property for filming can be highly profitable for owners, with fees often ranging from £5,000 to £10,000 per day. While it does come with some disruption and possible risk of damage, having an estate featured on screen can bring valuable exposure, boosting both tourism and prestige.
The Historic Houses Association also offers annual awards and the conference is when the prizegiving occurs. By way of example, the head gardener of Arundel Castle Gardens won Garden of the Year 2025 award sponsored by Christie’s, then The Restoration Award sponsored by Sotheby’s went to Castle Howard in Yorkshire and Christopher Ridgely, Head Curator took to the stage to accept.
To conclude, it appears that focus of the owner of an historic estate is one that values sustainability, inclusivity and innovation as much as beauty and tradition. This conference served as a glowing reminder that caring for Britain’s historic buildings and landscapes is not only about preservation, but about participation in a living legacy. To follow on, next March 5th The HHA Business takes place at the Royal Society in Carlton Terrace in London. This will explore future-proofing the historic house and estate and will be an important forum for those working and living in the sector.
IORMA champions the intersection of luxury, technology and cultural value. As such, this year’s Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens Event reflected all three. The skill, creativity, and vision on display confirmed that heritage is not confined to the past; it is an evolving dialogue between generations, conservation disciplines and ideas. In a rapidly changing world, such collaboration ensures that our history and heritage remains not only visible, but vibrant.