At the end of March, HM Treasury announced its Spending Review 2020. It invited applications that were ‘evidence-based’ and contributed to ‘levelling up’ regional economies. Priority would be given to funding that strengthened the ‘UK’s place in the world’.

There is perhaps no organisation that exemplifies Britain’s regional spirit of place better than English Heritage, whose scattered 400 historic buildings, castles, ruined abbeys and sites – from Stonehenge to Hadrian’s Wall – tell the story of England. To visit such sites is to step into England’s history. Our built heritage is what makes Britain the envy of the world. Which is why English Heritage has ten million visitors a year – including 300,000 school children – over a million members and 3,200 local volunteers.

But what English Heritage does not have, unlike the £1.6bn cash reserves of the National Trust, is a contingency fund to cope with an estimated loss of £70m due to the pandemic. This is why the government must support English Heritage over the coming months to ensure the organisation can ultimately 
become financially independent.

What not everyone knows is that in 2015 English Heritage was split in two. Historic England is now responsible for listed buildings and ancient monuments while English Heritage looks after our national collection of heritage sites. The idea was to be financially self-sufficient by …