The Modern Historic City: Evolving Ideas in Mid-Twentieth Century Britain

It is generally considered that ideas in Britain about historic cities, and their appropriate management, changed radically between the period of the Second World War and its aftermath and the end of the 1960s, in reaction to comprehensive redevelopment and with the rise of the conservation movement. Plans produced in the early part of this period have been characterised as representing ‘clean-sweep’ planning. By the end of the 1960s, it is held, very different ideas prevailed. One of the key articulations cited to represent this shift is the four studies for the historic cities of Bath, Chester, Chichester and York, commissioned to consider conservation issues both in those cities, and in terms of the wider lessons that could be applied elsewhere. This paper analyses the approaches used in conceptualising and planning for two of these four historic cities, Bath and York, with reference to both the 1960s studies and their 1940s precursors. It concludes that on the whole the 1960s plans for Bath represent a continuation of approach from the 1940s rather than a radical sea-change, with the emphasis still firmly on conceptualising the historic city highly selectively and in proposing high degrees of intervention. Changes are more evident in the plan for York which heralds a more inclusive and embracing conservation of place.