The Learning from Reigate Stone research symposium was held in the Tower of London on March 29 2022. The main aim of the symposium was to disseminate the findings of the doctoral research project directly to key parties in heritage management and conservation practice. This became all the more important given that the doctoral research ended just as the Covid-19 pandemic started. The pandemic had a severe impact on the usual channels of research dissemination, delaying the publication of scientific papers and greatly reducing the capacity of project partners to engage with relevant stakeholders. The symposium, which was itself delayed by over 1 year, was therefore an opportunity to restart and further develop the cross-disciplinary dialogue that had been a feature of the doctoral research period and reinforce the bonds between different groups in the ‘Reigate Stone community’.
The symposium was funded as part of an EPSRC Impact Acceleration Award. The aim of these awards is to foster effective knowledge transfer between research and industry. They enable research findings to be delivered directly to key target groups, in this case the small sector of the built environment industry entrusted with the care of Reigate Stone masonry. They also enable direct feedback and specific requirements for ongoing research to filter back to relevant research gropups. To make best use of these opportunities, other researchers and practitioners were invited to contribute to the symposium and space was given to exchange and networking.
The symposium was a hybrid event. This had both the benefits of direct, simultaneous conversation between multiple actors and the option of remote attendance for those unable to travel to London on the day. Seven speakers presented on topics ranging from the history of quarrying to conservation case-studies. The presentation sessions were followed by workshops exploring specific aspects of the wider research project and their relevance to industry. Approx. 45 people attended in person and between 20 and 40 people attended online throughout the day. Attendees included architects, conservators, heritage site managers, archaeologists, engineers, geologists, and historians and ranged from sole practitioners to large companies.
