Save the Date: 9^th October 2026, all day at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

You are invited to the ICOMOS-UK study visit, focusing on adaptive reuse in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

The Dockyard offers an exceptional case study: it is not simply a conserved historic site, but a complex working environment where heritage, conservation, public access, commercial activity, creative meanwhile use, security, MOD relationships, energy costs, maintenance obligations and long-term stewardship all overlap. The visit offers valuable insight into the day-to-day realities of managing industrial heritage sites repurposed for a wide range of new uses.

The study visit is a day-long intensive programme that will include site visits to buildings within the historic dockyard that have undergone conservation and transformation schemes, discussions with the architects who have led re-use projects, a walking tour of the area, onsite discussions, and visits to local heritage sites.

The visit will also provide an opportunity to hear directly from Hannah Prowse, CEO of Portsmouth Historic Quarter. Under her leadership, the PHQ has embarked on a successful rebrand and facilitated the opening up of heritage buildings to creative users as meanwhile spaces during their longer-term conversion.

RSVP details

Tickets will be on sale soon. If you would like to attend, please register your interest on the form at this link. Please note that places will be limited, an RSVP does not guarantee a ticket- however we will do our best to accommodate those who RSVP.