The buildings and monuments managed by English Heritage have experienced tumultuous changes over thousands of years. They’ve witnessed wars, invasions and plagues – but now they’re facing a formidable new challenge in climate change.

Through the roll out of our sustainability strategy, we’re making changes to reduce our impact on the environment. We’ve already switched to a renewable energy supply, and we’re installing LED lighting and solar panels at some properties. Most recently, we’ve partnered with Smart Energy GB, installing smart meters to monitor usage at our most energy-hungry sites and play our part in upgrading the nation’s energy system.

‘You might look at our monuments and think that huge castle’s not going anywhere,’ says Estates Director Rob Woodside. ‘But our properties have lots of vulnerabilities, and the changing environment can have a significant impact on our built structures and our gardens.’

These quirks of climate don’t just cause problems for buildings – plants also suffer. ‘This year we had a very wet winter, then a very dry and warm spring,’ says John Watkins, Head of Gardens and Landscapes. ‘If tree roots sit in waterlogged ground, they can’t breathe. If that happens over a long period, they will die – a tree could lose a third or even half of its roots. Then, when a drought strikes, the tree has less roots to absorb moisture and might itself die. Climate-induced stresses also leave trees more vulnerable to diseases, and to the strong winds we experienced this summer.’

Climate change could potentially impact the visitor experience, too. Car parks may be flooded, and storm damage could leave properties unsafe to open; they might also need to close if intense heatwaves make it too uncomfortable to work inside. ‘At the moment it’s an occasional thing – we’re quite happy if we get a hot summer,’ says Rob. ‘But climate change forecasts suggest that summer heatwaves could become the norm, making properties unbearably hot.’

Such events have implications for how we manage, preserve and maintain our monuments, on how we open our properties safely to visitors, and on costs. And they show the importance of assessing and responding to potential threats.

‘We can’t take anything for granted,’ says Rob. ‘We have to better understand our risks, and think about what the future might bring, because climate change scenarios for the coast predict anything from a 0.5m to 1m increase in average sea level by the end of the century. That poses some difficult questions: how can we maintain a coastal site such as Hurst Castle, and for how much longer? Is it going to be viable to look after a property like this in 30, 40, 50 years’ time? So, while our response now is reactive – we do everything we can to repair and maintain the structure, because it’s so significant – I think our successors are going to have to face some very difficult questions about Hurst Castle and similar places. It’s a canary in the coal mine.’

Our Partnership with Smart Energy GB

As part of our commitment to working towards a more sustainable future, we’ve partnered with Smart Energy GB to share the benefits of installing a smart meter.

86% of people with a smart meter have said that they have changed how they do things around the house to use less energy. They can also be used to keep track of your spending, check your tariffs, and thereby save money on your bills.