Professor Martin Biddle, OBE, FBA retired as Professor of Medieval Archaeology in the University of Oxford. He led major excavations in Winchester between 1964 and 1971. During a long and wide-ranging career in archaeology, he has written or edited many books and articles on the city's ancient history, and he is general editor of the renowned series of Winchester Studies. In 1976, he assembled a team of eighteen historians and scientists to investigate the iconic Round Table, which hangs in Winchester's 13th century Great Hall. Their findings have been published in the book "King Arthur's Round Table: an archaeological investigation". In 2010 he was awarded the rare honour of being made a Freeman of the City of Winchester.

To be confirmed

Eddie Booth is a director of The Conservation Studio and Course Leader for the MSc in Building Conservation at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum. He is also a trustee of the Woodchester Mansion Trust and a board member of the National Heritage Training Academy (SW). Formerly he was an historic areas advisor at English Heritage as well as being a past Chair and President of the IHBC.

To be confirmed

Emily Gee joined English Heritage as a Listing Inspector in early 2001 , covering parts of the midlands, home counties and London and projects in Liverpool and Manchester. Emily then served as Designation South Team Leader, responsible for advice to Government on listing, scheduling and registration in London and the South East from 2005 until 2011, when she became Head of Designation, with a national remit. Emily has an undergraduate degree from Smith College, Massachusetts, an MA in Architectural History from the University of Virginia and a diploma in Building Conservation from the Architectural Association. Emily is a member of the IHBC and the Society of Architectural Historians, and enjoys living in a Grade II, early Victorian terraced house in Camden Town.

To be confirmed

Richard Morrice is an architectural historian, a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and chairman of Canterbury DAC. Formerly an inspector of historic buildings, he is now English Heritage’s legislation and advice manager and has recently taken over from Steve Trow as the English Heritage advice lead on setting matters.

In 2010 Planning Policy Statement 5 provided the first formal definition of ‘setting’ for the purposes of planning and this was followed in 2011 by ‘The Setting of Heritage Assets: English Heritage Guidance’. The PPS 5 definition, adopted in turn by the Draft National Planning Policy Framework, turns on the twin issues of significance and experience. The paper will introduce the new guidance and consider, in particular, how setting relates to significance.

Chris Wood is Head of the Building Conservation & Research Team at English Heritage where he has worked for the last two decades. The team specialises in dealing with the problems of deteriorating materials on historic structures and are responsible for the revised Practical Building Conservation handbooks which are to be published this year. Chris was series editor and part author.

He is also responsible for running various research programmes including a number related to the ‘carbon challenge’. He has served on the DCLG working party on Part L of the Building Regulations since 2000 and has been closely involved with English Heritage’s guidance.

Prior to English Heritage he was a director of an architectural practice specialising in the repair and refurbishment of historic buildings. This followed 12 years as a conservation officer with two authorities.

To be confirmed

Frank started his archaeological career as a very young volunteer with a passion for excavation but also for buildings and their conservation. He initially studied Prehistory and Archaeology and then undertook environmental archaeological research at Southampton University for the Winchester Archaeological Research Unit. He directed the Test Valley Archaeological Trust for seventeen years and then for a further ten years was Heritage Officer for Test Valley Borough Council. Since 2006 he has worked as the New Forest National Park’s archaeologist. He is a member of the IfA (serving on its buildings interest group) and is also a member of the IHBC and the Association of local Government Archaeological officers. He was recently a monitor for the English Heritage Professional Placements in Conservation (EPPIC) project. He is currently an external Tutor for the College of Estate Management’s Postgraduate Programme in Conservation of the Historic Environment. In his spare time he is heavily involved with the conservation of a George Gilbert Scott church in Southampton.

The New Forest National Park Significance and the archaeological and cultural heritage

With the creation of the New Forest National Park in 2006 it was necessary and also possible to develop the evidence base to meet the following requirements:-

• To Conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the Park
• Promote opportunities for understanding and enjoyment of its special qualities and
• also Seek to foster the social and economic well-being of local communities within the Park.

Without a rigorous approach to developing the evidence base for the Authority’s historic environment work, be it archaeology historic buildings and landscape, it was going to be a challenge to determine significance and thus the degree of protection to be afforded and any conservation requirements.

For example the Park area contains nearly 10% of the Scheduled Monuments in the South East and this is only half the number that English Heritage has identified as meeting designation criteria for the New Forest and to this may be added many more sites.

Details will be provided of the historic mapping, LiDAR and National Mapping surveys and the various funding sources that have contributed to developing the evidence base.

Whilst the data collection is still at an early stage; the issue of what exactly constitutes significance for archaeological sites, monuments, and landscape features is being developed.

There are issues in dealing with the frequently encountered idiosyncratic approaches to ephemeral archaeological remains and landscape features that characterise much of the cultural heritage within the National Park.

The overarching regional archaeological research strategies are being reviewed and criteria for determining local significance are being developed as part of the emerging framework for the Park’s cultural heritage.

Kim studied history at Oxford and landscape architecture at the University of California, Berkeley; two apparently different worlds and subjects, but hopefully complementary. Kim's landscape architecture practice was based in Richmond for 21 years, but he now works from the family farm near Winchester. His first book 'Led by the Land' will be published in May this year.

Kim will explore the challenges of significant historic landscapes that are alive and constantly changing. Illustrating the talk with examples from the Thames Landscape Strategy, Boughton and the setting of Winchester, Kim will look at the process of identifying significance, accommodating change and carrying the public along with the ideas.

Matthew Slocombe MA FSA IHBC is Director Designate of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and has worked for many years as its Head Caseworker. He is also Secretary of the Joint Committee of the National Amenity Societies - an umbrella body which brings together voluntary sector heritage bodies with a formal role in the planning system – and an Advisory Board member for the National Heritage Protection Plan. He has served on various government steering groups, including those concerned with the Heritage Protection Review and reform of planning law for heritage sites and structures. He writes regularly on conservation and historic building issues.

To be confirmed

Alison Henry is a Senior Architectural Conservator in the Building Conservation and Research Team at English Heritage. She was previously a local authority conservation officer; as well as running her own business as a stone conservator. She has also lectured on the subject at Weymouth College.

To be confirmed