🔥Heritage in Flames🔥
UAH updates Fire Map as new incidents confirm escalating risk to Northern Ireland's built Heritage.
The fire at the Antrim Arms is not an isolated incident.
It follows a clear, repeated pattern:
Vacant → neglected → vulnerable → burnt. 🧵
The fire map shows that at least 37 fires have damaged listed buildings since 2015, with four fires in heritage buildings so far in 2026.
This is predictable.
The powers to prevent it exist.
They are not being used.
How many more before action is taken?
CITB NI are excited to open 4 entry level training opportunities in thatching as part of the Future for Thatch project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. To find out more & apply click the link below:
https://t.co/pgFq3QSiZM
Applications close 9th November 11.59pm
Shocking fly tipping under this historic railway bridge near Newry. Have reported to local council. You just never know what you will find on your travels. @nmdcouncil
"PHOTOGRAPHING PLACE" will be held online on 17th October 7-9pm. It features the judges for our HoH Calendar🎺 Emma Stewart, Joe Laverty, and Philip Arneill who will provide their perspectives on photographing places by sharing their work. Read on for more on Joe-and to book! 🧵
📸Announcing the Hands-on Heritage Calendar Competition 📸 Your chance to see your photos of Ulster's built heritage showcased in our 2026 calendar. Sales will support the maintenance of In Your Area. Photos will be chosen by a panel of leading professional photographers.
What makes this worse is that it seems many are lifted moved to storage and then used in other areas of the city, Conservation Areas or ATC's. This leaves parts of Belfast already heritage deprived totally stripped of any character. Any other examples of this in Belfast?
Where are Belfast granite kerbs going? UAH have received numerous calls and emails over the last few months about roadworks that have removed Belfast's granite kerbs and replaced with inferior concrete products which decay quicker and have a massive carbon footprint.
A great day out in Hilltown last Saturday. Hands-on Heritage was with members of Hilltown Community Association and organisers of the Back from the Booley Festival, and those with an interest in heritage to record local buildings for the Hilltown 'Local List'.
🌾 Future for Thatch supported by @HeritageFundNI – training new thatchers, subsidised roof works + 3D recording. Free community heritage workshops. 📢 Groups & owners, get involved! 👉 https://t.co/nXRqYvhiJC
It has been a challenging year so far. 8 fires at listed buildings this year and we are also seeing other loved structures meet the same fate, notably at Milltown House near Strabane.
UAH have put together a fire map highlighting the issue and asking for more protection for these historic sites and increased action to stave off vacancy.
Click here to see the scale of the problem, case studies and also examples of where buildings have been restored to full use
There are still some spaces available for our Saturday workshop on producing a local list and story-map of Hilltown's heritage buildings! We will set off from the Downshire arms through Hilltown to document buildings using our In Your Area app. Booking link below.
Join us this Saturday at the historic Downshire Arms, Hilltown! Hands-on Heritage and the Hilltown Community Association are partnering to hold a workshop to create a 'local list' of heritage buildings and places in the village using our 'In Your Area' app.
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Come along to @LarneMuseum on Saturday 16th August any time for a drop in session on using our fantastic In Your Area app to document and highlight local heritage buildings!