English Heritage is planning up to 200 redundancies and the winter closure of several castles, abbeys, and other historic sites as part of a major restructuring, staff have learned. At least 7 per cent of the workforce could be affected, with curators particularly targeted.
Under the proposals, 22 sites will become “hidden gems”, opening only on specific limited days, including Ranger’s House in London, a Georgian villa used in the Netflix series Bridgerton. A further 21 sites will close for winter, such as Lullingstone Roman Villa in Kent, Totnes Castle in Devon, and Furness Abbey in Cumbria.
Staff are dismayed, with one insider describing a colleague in tears after a meeting about the “reshaping”. Another source said: “We think we are talking 150 full-time equivalent redundancies – potentially up to 200 actual people.” Curators fear their responsibilities may be transferred to cheaper “collection managers”.
The charity, which cares for over 400 historic monuments, no longer receives a government grant and relies on membership, tickets, and shop sales. It has 2,535 employees and more than 5,000 volunteers. The new structure is expected to be in place by April.
Unions Prospect and PCS have expressed concern. Prospect’s deputy general secretary Steve Thomas said: “Losing these skills and this experience would damage our heritage as much as losing the sites themselves.” An English Heritage spokesperson said the review aims to ensure financial resilience amid high inflation and changing visitor behaviour.
