Intangible heritage: actions and strategies for the maintenance of traditional crafts in the United Kingdom

Purpose – The conservation of vernacular architecture is closely linked to the conservation of the traditional materials and techniques needed for maintenance, repair and restoration. Since industrial materials first entered the construction market, building traditions and knowledge have been progressively lost, along with their accompanying guilds. In many areas of Europe and beyond, this gradual loss of intangible heritage associated with the knowledge of traditional construction is having an extremely negative impact on the conservation of vernacular architecture and settlements. This article presents research aiming to identify the actions and strategies that can be carried out to promote the conservation of traditional building guilds. Design/methodology/approach – The United Kingdom has been identified as a territory where numerous actions have been carried out for the transmission of knowledge on traditional construction since the late 19th century. The information collected has resulted in a selection of 33 cases of legislative and public management policies; groups, associations and foundations; training courses and tools; and tools for dissemination and raising awareness. Findings – The fieldwork completed in all cases has enabled the identification of the actions implemented, their target audiences and the strategies sought, providing a set of examples which can be transferred to other international settings with similar problems. Originality/value – This is a study that had not been previously carried out and that contributes significantly to establishing possible actions and strategies to be implemented in cases where the traditional building crafts are intended to be preserved and promoted.