2010 Canterbury

The Forum 2010 was held in Canterbury from the 11th-13th November 2010. Delegates attended from some 24 countries. This event represented the establishment of Future for Religious Heritage as a new European forum for historic places of worship.

Group photo outside Canterbury Cathedral 2010

Speakers included Mrs Inger Liliequist, Director General of the Swedish National Heritage Board; John Sell, Vice-President of Europa Nostra; Sir Alan Beith MP; Dr. Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage and Loyd Grossman, Chairman of The Churches Conservation Trust and The Heritage Alliance; from Canada was Prof. Luc Noppen from the University of Montreal, where the idea for a European network was first discussed at a conference in 2005.

As part of the event, delegates enjoyed a tour of places of worship in the area led by ecclesiastical historian John Vigar including St Martin’s in Canterbury, the oldest church in England still in use; the old Synagogue in Canterbury, St Mary’s and St Peter’s, two churches in Sandwich cared for by The Churches Conservation Trust and A W Pugin’s church of St Augustine in Ramsgate.