Grau-Bove, Josep;
Higham, Richard;
Cruz, Mara;
Munthe, Adam;
(2025)
The most studied house in the world: 12 years of research-led teaching at Hellens Manor, England.
Journal of the Institute of Conservation
, 48
(2)
pp. 132-152.
10.1080/19455224.2025.2497308.
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Abstract
This article shows how field trips, driven by research-led teaching, can lead to innovation in heritage science and conservation. Drawing from a decade of field trips to Hellens Manor in Herefordshire in the UK, the study highlights several scientific innovations made by students during these visits in areas as diverse as the visualisation and prediction of temperature and relative humidity conditions, the use of portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for mapping historical brick composition, and the application of urea crystallisation thresholds to quantify risks to collections near bat colonies. Additionally, the article showcases notable applications of established techniques, such as mapping glass composition and conducting in-situ imaging. The pedagogy of the field trip at Hellens Manor employs a two-phase process, firstly, defining specific research questions that are both feasible and scientifically interesting, with the potential to inform heritage management, and secondly, fostering creativity in problem-solving within the practical constraints of the trip. This educational model can provide practical experience of the skill of real-world decision-making, which is a gap previously identified in the literature. The findings show the benefits of prioritising accessibility to heritage collections, buildings and sites for educational purposes in a way that ultimately benefits their conservation alongside the fostering of collaborative relationships between educators and heritage site managers. Ultimately, the success of such research-led teaching hinges on aligning a passion for science with the needs and values of heritage.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | The most studied house in the world: 12 years of research-led teaching at Hellens Manor, England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1080/19455224.2025.2497308 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1080/19455224.2025.2497308 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent. |
| Keywords: | Field trips; field work; preventive conservation; heritage science; education; historic houses |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Bartlett School Env, Energy and Resources |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10210016 |
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