125 Years of Saving Ancient Buildings
Jenny West looks at the role of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, founded by William Morris in 1877 to counteract the highly destructive 'restoration' of medieval buildings being practised by many Victorian architects.
William Morris (1834-96) is well known for his artistic design, writing and politics, but less well known is his work in building conservation. One hundred and twenty-five years ago, in March 1877, he and a small group of clergy, architects and artists including Philip Webb (1831-1915) and William De Morgan (1839-1917) founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). Horrified by what they saw as widespread damage to old buildings, especially that by High Church architects attempting to ‘restore’ churches to their original medieval design, they showed impressive foresight in mounting this early pressure group.
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