Page 22 - Oundle Life November 2021

I wonder if this should have been my first article for Oundle Life? – although it may have been a little ‘dry’ as my ‘starter for 10’. That said, we’ve come a long way together and I now know that many of you share my passion for the historic buildings in Oundle and surrounding villages. So maybe ‘now’
is the appropriate time to deepen our understanding of the framework that
has been compiled and applied to
protect them.
Historic England (previously known as English Heritage) suggests that it is “...this responsibility that justifies a protection system for the historic environment” that necessitates “...the consequent ‘interference’ with the private
Whilst everything we inherit is
strictly our ‘heritage’, the term has
become synonymous with the places,
objects, knowledge, and skills passed
down through the years and often valued for reasons beyond their functional use. We call this our ‘historic environment’ with some parts considered so important – either individually or as part of a group – that they deserve some degree of protection.
heritage assets are capable of being sensitively adapted
rights of property owners.” While some owners may feel ‘interfered with’ when caught working on a listed building without due permission, I prefer to regard the ‘interference’ with more generosity and I am grateful for it.
However, the legislation that offers protection for heritage assets has developed in a piecemeal fashion and it is not always easy for homeowners to
understand or apply. Such legislation is manifest through law, policy, and guidance notes and across the board a variety of terms are used to identify the essence of a heritage asset and its value.
For example, the law references the
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