“These old buildings do not belong to us only…they have belonged to our forefathers and they will belong to our descendants unless we play them false. They are not…our property, to do as we like with. We are only trustees for those that come after us.”
William Morris 1889.

“The genesis of the modern conservation movement stems from the thinking, writings and principles of philosophical thought by people such as John Ruskin, William Morris, Pugin et al. who were instrumental in germinating the anti-scrape movement of the mid-19th century - a reaction to the conjectural intervention by restoration of many of our medieval churches by people such as James Wyatt, Lord Grimshaw, and in France, Eugène-Emanuel Violett-le-Duc et al. See also Stephan Tschudi Madsen. “Restoration and Anti-Restoration”
Universitetsforlaget 1976.

“The loss of valued places diminishes us all, and the most unnecessary losses, the most indefensible, result from ignorance.”
English Heritage 2002.

“Before considering any alteration, it is essential to assess the elements that make up the special character and interest of the building [or asset]…”'
Building Regulations and Historic Buildings. English Heritage 2002

“Understanding the nature, significance, condition and potential of a heritage asset must be the basis for rational decisions about its management, use, alteration or disposal.”
Managing Local Authority Heritage Assets. 2003

“A poorly understood resource [asset] cannot be conserved protected or managed effectively.” Wood, J.

“Historic buildings are irreplaceable, and contain information about the past that is available from no other source. They must be treated responsibly, and the understanding that is essential to their proper treatment or conservation can only be reached by making use of the best possible information about them and by ensuring too that future generations understand what the present generation has done for their care.” Stirling, S. 2002

“…The object of conservation is to prolong the life of cultural heritage and, if possible, to clarify the artistic and historical messages therein without the loss of authenticity and meaning. Conservation is a cultural, artistic, technical and craft activity based on humanistic and scientific studies and systematic research.” ICOMOS Education Guidelines 2

“In advance of any building operations, sufficient survey, investigation, evaluation and recording should be undertaken to give reasonable confidence that the building, its development and historical importance are sufficiently understood, that nothing of significant value is likely to be inadvertently damaged or destroyed, and work appropriately designed and specified.” BS. 7913: 1998

“Imbued with a message from the past, the historic monuments of generations of people remain to the present day as living witnesses of their age old traditions. People are becoming more and more conscious of the unity of human values and regard ancient monuments as a common heritage. The common responsibility to safeguard them for future generations is recognised. It is our duty to hand them on in the full richness of their authenticity.” Venice Charter 1964

“The commonest reason for preserving old buildings… is that they are useful resources… even the most unexceptional building will… continue to be repaired for as long as the owner thinks that it is useful or can be made so at reasonable cost…A building usually reaches the end of its (so called) ‘natural life’ as a result of external economic forces and operational obsolescence rather than because it ceased to be capable of repair” Earl, J.

“The historic environment is an irreplaceable asset representing the investment of centuries of skills and resources. It gives places a unique competitive advantage. It generates jobs. It attracts people to live in an area, businesses to invest and tourists to visit.
Most of it is in everyday use; it is capable of an economic future; it is an asset we squander or degrade at our peril.” Power of Place. English Heritage (2000).

An empty building is an underused asset. Lack of maintenance is a failure to secure this investment. Unnecessary demolition is waste of irreplaceable resources.”
State of the Historic Environment Report 2001 English Heritage.

“People are interested in the historic environment. They want to learn about it…They want to be involved in decisions affecting it. They want to take part.
But many feel powerless and excluded…If the barriers to involvement can be overcome, the historic environment has the potential to strengthen the sense of community and provide a solid basis for neighbourhood renewal. This is the power of place.” Historic Environment Steering Group. (2000). Power of Place: The future of the historic environment.

“Recognition of community, spiritual, economic and other values play a growing part in the practice of conservation…” Clark, K. Informed Conservation

“Historic buildings are a proud and significant part of our, and every, nation’s heritage. They are an irreplaceable element of the collective memory of local communities…They contribute both to our sense of identity and to that regional distinctiveness which is so valuable and so vulnerable.” Stevens, J, Sir. (past) Chairman English Heritage.

“What you cannot make
You should not break.” Anon, cited by Earl, J. Building Conservation Philosophy.