Over 20 popular historic landmarks will SHUT in months in major shake-up that will see hundreds of jobs axed
MORE than 20 iconic historic landmarks are set to SHUT in months amid a major shake up that will see hundreds of jobs axed.
Tourists who enjoy soaking up the beautiful scenery and rich history of English Heritage sites will likely be disappointed with the shock news.
As reported by , at least the charity is set to massively cut back on opening times at 22 sites - which are expected to become "hidden gems".
These are said to include Ranger’s House in Greenwich, London, which was used as a filming location for Netflix's Bridgerton.
Meanwhile, another 21 sites will be totally shut down, throughout the winter, in a bid to save money.
The move could see up to 200 staff axed in wide-scale budget cuts, with curators understood to be the main focus.
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Locations that are due to be locked up in winter months include Lullingstone Roman Villa in Kent, Totnes Castle in Devon, and Furness Abbey in Cumbria.
An insider told the news outlet the circumstances are "seriously worrying".
Another employee reportedly broke down in tears after a "reshaping" meeting.
“All of our jobs are basically at risk. They won’t tell us an exact number, but it’s affecting virtually every department," the source said.
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Another source added: “We think we are talking 150 full-time equivalent redundancies – potentially up to 200 actual people.”
They claimed the situation had been "handled so badly" amid fears qualified curators will be cast out for cheaper, younger, less skilled employees.
"I believe in giving young people opportunities, but they’ll basically just employ people with absolutely no skills to fill these gaps and pay them probably peanuts," the source claimed.
English Heritage is no longer boosted by government grants and relies on memberships, ticket sales and their shops to stay afloat.
The charity runs more than 400 historic sites with just over 2,500 staff and more than 5,000 volunteers.
It is believed the new policies will come into affect in April this year.
Prospect and the PCS, the unions that represent the heritage sector, are concerned.
Steve Thomas, Prospect’s deputy general secretary, said: “Staff at English Heritage will be understandably worried about their future after hearing this news and worried about the future of the historic sites they work so hard to keep open to the public.
“We have been working with the employer to minimise redundancies … We recognise that the financial situation is difficult.
"But it is also true that the skilled and dedicated staff who keep our history alive are the very heart of this organisation.
"Losing these skills and this experience would damage our heritage as much as losing the sites themselves.”
Fran Heathcote, the PCS’s general secretary, said: “We stand committed to protecting the jobs and livelihoods of our members … [who play] a key role in the vital task of preserving English history.”
An English Heritage spokesperson said: “All organisations need to review their structure from time to time and English Heritage has not done so for several years. In that time, our world has changed dramatically.
"The pandemic and its aftermath led to lasting changes in visitor expectations and behaviour, both domestically and internationally, while many of our visitors and members are facing challenges with the cost of living.
“High inflation has increased the cost of conservation work at our sites, but significant and ongoing expenditure is still required if the condition of the sites in our care is not to deteriorate.
“The aim of these proposals is to ensure that English Heritage is financially resilient and can fulfil our charitable purposes .
"We’re committed to working with our employees and our trade unions to find ways to avoid and reduce redundancies where we can … Under these proposals, we will continue to have a team of more than 75 expert curators, historians and conservators.”
The spokesperson highlighted reduced opening hours wouldn't affect many sites.
“For instance over one weekend in November, a number of these sites only welcomed 11 visitors," they said.
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Plans are not set to be finalised until a formal consultation period has taken place.
The Sun contacted English Heritage for comment.
