World Heritage UK 2024 Annual Conference

WHUK’s 2024 Annual Conference will be held Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th October 2024.

The conference’s theme will be “Making the Most of World Heritage: Growing the Benefits, Avoiding the Pitfalls, Thinking Long Term”.

Monday:

• 9.30am – Registration/teas/coffees
• 10.00am – Welcomes from:
  • Kate Kennally, Chief Executive, Cornwall Council
  • Paul Simons, Chair WHUK
• 10.15am – Creativity & Enterprise at WHSs in challenging times – keynote by Prof Mike Robinson, Professor Emeritus at the University of Birmingham
• 11.00am – Managing development vs. conservation (tbc)
• 11.30am – World Heritage as an economic regeneration driver (tbc)
• 12.00pm – tea/coffee break
• 12.15pm – Planning/LUR Act implications to WHSs; Helen Woodhouse from Historic England
• 12.35pm – Climate Change & Nature Recovery, Ian Marsh from the National Trust
• 1.00pm – Afternoon Q&A and wrap-up
• 1.30pm – Travel by coach to Geevor & Levant Tin Mines, including Cornish Pasty lunch
• 2.30pm – Site visits split into 2 groups; one to Geevor Tin Mine, including impact of WH on tourism; one to Levant Mine (National Trust)
• 4.00pm – Swap sites
• 5.15pm – Return to Redruth
• 6.15pm – Arrive at Penventon Park Hotel; short break before…
• 7.00pm – Social event at Penventon Park Hotel, introduced by Linda Taylor, Leader of Cornwall Council
• 9.00pm – Day end

Tuesday:

• 9.30am – teas/coffees
• 10.00am – welcome from Cornwall Councilor & Cornish Mining WHS Chair Dave Crabtree
• 10.10am – welcome from WHUK’s President Chris Blandford
• 10.20am – Benefitting All; how to ensure all local partners benefit from WH status and work together on ‘bigger picture’ – Pete Herring
• 10.45am – Heritage & Place Making, Jason Jones-Hall, Five10Twelve
• 11.10am – Alternative Futures for Heritage Assets, Patrick Newberry from Cornish Buildings Group and Adrian Farmer from Derwent Valley Mills WHS
• 12.00pm – tea/coffee break
• 12.15pm – Arts & Heritage, speaker tbc, ending with Cornish Mining’s new 10-minute film
• 12.40pm – Education and World Heritage, Alison Lightbrown, Head of Schools and Community Partnerships, HRP and Tower of London
• 1.10pm – buffet lunch
• 2.00pm – Indirect benefits: Heritage & Wellbeing, with Amy McElhinney, Project Manager, Monumental Improvements, at Cornish National Landscape
• 2.30pm – WHSs Elevator Pitches
• 3.15pm – Final conference Q&A and wrap-up
• 3.45pm – Conference end
• 4.00pm – Visit to South Crofty Tin Mine, hosted by Cornish Metals

The conference will be held at the Penventon Park Hotel, Redruth, Cornwall

The conference will be hybrid, in-person as well as broadcast digitally via YouTube.

Tickets:

• In-Person for National Trust members £138 (you will need to bring your membership card with you)
• In-Person for non-National Trust members £150
• Digital £100 (access to talks via YouTube)

The conference is supported by Historic England, Cornish Mining WHS and Cornwall Council.

For information on Redruth, try Discover Redruth.

For suggestions for accommodation, you may wish to consider:

Penventon Park Hotel – are offering 20% off their flexible B&B rates; please call them on 01209 203000, and quote HERITAGEUK to get your discount

Premier Inn, Camborne – from £146 standard room advance rate for 2 nights room only; 10 mins drive from conference venue

Travelodge, Camborne – from £141 standard room saver rate for 2 nights room only; 9 mins drive from conference venue

Tricky’s, Redruth – B&B from £83 per night; 5 mins drive or 30 mins walk from conference venue

Wetherspoon’s The John Francis Basset Hotel, Camborne – from £126 room only for 2 nights, non-refundable rate; 15 mins drive to conference venue

For further suggestions, try the official Cornwall Tourist Board VisitCornwall website.