An interview with... BEN COWELL

Ben Cowell is the Director of Historic Houses, the organisation that represents the interests of privately owned historic houses and gardens across the UK. Historic Houses has just celebrated its 50th anniversary, so Sarah Greenwood went to ask him how much has changed.

Why did owners of Britain’s historic houses band together in November 1973?

The idea for some sort of owners’ association had been around for a while before then. The National Trust had first suggested it back in the 1930s, and in 1952 Lord Montagu convened a group of owners at a meeting at the Dorchester Hotel to explore what such an association might look like. The idea didn’t quite take off at that point, but like all good ideas it refused to die. In the mid-1960s, there were enough individual country house owners who had joined the British Travel Association that the BTA formed a Historic Houses Committee. When the BTA became a government sponsored organisation (renamed as the British Tourist Authority) in 1970, a meeting at Mansion House led to the creation of a Standing Conference of historic house owners. The answer to the question also lies in the politics of 1973. The UK had joined the European Community in January 1973, and other European countries already had owners’ associations of their own –so the UK needed to keep up! Meanwhile, owners faced the potential for new taxes, in particular the Wealth Tax that was proposed in Labour’s manifesto for the general election(s) of 1974. A more independent association was required, which could be free to criticise government if this was felt necessary. Hence, the Standing Conference broke away entirely from the BTA to become the Historic Houses Association, on 8 November 1973.

Who were the prime movers?

Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, our founding President, was a driving force. But alongside him was the Duke of Grafton - the association’s first patron, George Howard from Castle Howard, Michael Saunders Watson from Rockingham Castle, David Lytton Cobbold from Knebworth, and the Earl of March from Goodwood. Numerous other owners soon joined the 93 founder properties. Today, Historic Houses represents over 1,400 houses, castles, gardens and parks across the UK.

What did they achieve in the early days?

The association achieved a huge amount within a very short space of time. The tiny executive staff had quickly to become experts at Parliamentary lobbying, and at influencing the passage of legislation such as Finance Bills. Many late nights were spent stalking the corridors of power, pressing for amendments to clauses that would better protect historic houses from harm. A breakthrough came with the Finance Acts of 1975 and 1976, which gave owners the option of conditional exemption for their houses and gardens: provided a measure of public opening was on offer, the harshest capital tax charges were avoided. This was an important development, achieved relatively early in the life of the new association.

Has the organisation grown since then?

Within a few years the association started experimenting with a new category of member: the ‘Friends’. These were not (necessarily) the owners of historic houses, but rather avid supporters, who enjoyed going on regular tours of houses that might not normally be open to the public. From a few hundred Friends, then to a thousand or so, the number has really taken off in recent decades. We hit 75,000 this summer – a sign that the association is becoming better known. We have also been able to offer more services to houses over the years. We started by running occasional conferences and seminars, and now offer a full technical advice service and a programme of events and activities to support the owners of historic houses and gardens.

What were Britain’s historic houses like 50 years ago?

A great many were in a very poor state indeed. Years of neglect after the Second World War had taken their toll. Houses like Browsholme Hall in Lancashire and Combermere Abbey in Cheshire were in a really bad way, and needed significant investments by new generations of owners.

How have they changed?

In both of these cases, the situation has transformed over the last half-century. Both Browsholme and Combermere are now very successful wedding venues. The houses have been beautifully restored, to match 21st-century living conditions. Combermere Abbey won our Restoration Award in 2016, while Browsholme won our inaugural Sustainability Award for its adoption of renewable energy installations. Both houses are shining examples of the entrepreneurial spirit of their owners.

What is the organisation’s greatest success?

The mid-1970s tax changes were not to be underestimated. Since then, the association has fought other battles on policy matters, not always successfully, but in a way that reminds governments of the importance of private owners. The liberalisation of the rules around wedding licensing in the mid-1990s saw the creation of a whole new industry: the country house wedding. Around a third of our member properties now offer themselves as events venues. Encouragement of the diversification of businesses that can be carried out at historic houses and gardens is perhaps the association’s greatest legacy.

How important are its visitor members and what benefits do they get?

Our visitor members (the term we now use for our ‘Friends’) are hugely important to Historic Houses. Their subscriptions help to support all our work, and thereby to ensure that this important area of heritage is well looked-after. We offer a membership card that gives free access to around 300 places, a fascinating magazine that comes out four times a year, and regular online lectures, talks and insights into the world of independently owned historic houses and gardens.

What does the future look like for Historic Houses and for its members?

We are very excited about the future. The more people hear and understand about our work, the more we can promote the cause of independently owned heritage. A great many people continue to be delighted at having the opportunity to visit wonderful houses and gardens, and Historic Houses can offer the chance to visit more of these places than any other heritage organisation. So we will continue to spread the word, while also offering vital services to owners and custodians through our technical advice, our events and seminars, and our political representation. Another major project for 2024 will be to use lottery funding from the Heritage Innovation Fund to enhance the jobs pages on our website, in order to make these more accessible to an even wider range of potential new employees at Historic Houses. There’s never been a better time than now to get involved in the business of looking after and caring for this important part of our heritage, and we want to highlight all the different ways in which jobseekers might be able to do that.

Ben Cowell’s book The British Country House Revival (Boydell & Brewer) is available from all good book shops from May. Order a copy at a special price of £30 + p&p at www.boydellandbrewer.com until 31 December 2024, quoting BB242.