Civil engineering heritage: country profile – England

Abstract

This paper is a review of the civil engineering heritage of England, one of the series of national profiles being published by Engineering History and Heritage. It is presented under four headings: ‘England’s major civil engineering achievements’, ‘National and regional recognition of engineering heritage’, ‘Exemplar conservation of engineering structures’ and ‘Information sources for engineering heritage’. This profile discusses engineering structures of heritage importance, including the following, all built before 1900: Eddystone lighthouse; Iron Bridge, the first major structure of cast iron; Ditherington Mill in Shrewsbury, the first multistorey building using beams and columns of cast iron; Saint Katherine’s Docks by Thomas Telford; the Thames Tunnel, the first tunnel constructed under water; the Royal Albert Bridge by I. K. Brunel; the Palm House at Kew Gardens; and numerous Victorian railway stations. The profile lists organisations in England active in helping conserve its engineering heritage, including Historic England, the Panel for Historical Engineering Works, the Canal & River Trust and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and concludes with a short list of websites and books giving further information about English civil engineering heritage.