Whether you are interested in getting your hands dirty by volunteering at an industrial heritage site, or simply finding out a bit more about our industrial past from the comfort of your computer, there are lots of ways to get involved.
Industrial Heritage at Risk Flickr Group
The Flickr group has been jointly set up by English Heritage, the Council for British Archaeology and the Association for Industrial Archaeology for people to share photographs, read the stories behind them and to join in discussions about the industrial heritage.
If you are interested in joining a society or volunteering at a site
Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA)
The AIA is a national membership society promoting the study, preservation and presentation of Britain's industrial heritage. You can keep up to date with the news and events sections and explore links to 60 affiliated societies (including most local groups), resources for support and funding, industrial museums and preserved sites.
IA Recordings
This site boasts an extensive archive of video footage, created from 1978 onwards. Run by a small team of volunteers, they're committed to recording people and processes while they're still working. With links to a further 640 Industrial Archaeology websites internationally, arranged by subject matter, you won't be short of ideas for further research.
Council for British Archaeology (CBA)
The CBA works closely with the AIA in monitoring and responding to the threats to industrial heritage. You can provide support on many levels, from becoming a member to volunteering at events and getting involved with activities with one of the CBA's many regional groups.
The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage (TICCIH)
TICCIH provides a global window on industrial heritage, campaigns for its international recognition and the rescue of threatened sites, advises on industrial World Heritage Sites and organises conferences and workshops throughout the world. Its website helps put our industrial heritage into its global context and gives you contacts for every imaginable category, including agriculture, mining and metallurgy.
If you are interested in visiting preserved sites in the UK and Europe
European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH)
ERIH is the tourism information network for industrial heritage in Europe. With key 'anchor points' that map industrial firsts across the continent, it offers fascinating journeys of discovery through themed routes from 'Treasures' to 'Textiles'.
Researching industrial sites
English Heritage has a number of useful resources for those wanting to know more about particular industrial sites:
A new Guide to Industrial Collections has been produced which describes the holdings within English Heritage Archives. These include photographs, plans and drawings as well as individual site reports prepared by English Heritage survey teams.
The national record of the historic environment, maintained by English Heritage, holds records of 45,000 different industrial sites and historic buildings. These can be searched via Pastscape.
Local authority Historic Environment Records also contain information on industrial sites in the local area and details including website addresses can be found on the Heritage Gateway.
