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The research findings of Claire Honess and Matthew Treherne on the relationship between Dante's poetry and political, religious and intellectual practice in late medieval Italy have brought significant benefits to visitors to Florence and to the Florentine tourist industry, to faith groups and to the general public.
By engaging with the tourist industry, faith groups, UNESCO and regional bodies in Italy, through the development of online resources, and by developing new ways of experiencing Dante's work, Honess and Treherne have enriched both cultural and religious life in Italy, in the UK and beyond, meeting a need identified by key partners.
John Blair's research on the history and archaeology of early medieval England has had a major impact on central and local planning policy. It has made several significant contributions to current practice as regards historic landscapes and building preservation (especially churches), and it is at the heart of the on-going debate about future policy reform. His publications are read and used by planning officers, policy makers, and by the general public — who have also come to know of his work through Channel Four's Time Team. Blair's research demonstrates the influence that academic history and archaeology of the highest scholarly standards can have on planners, policy makers, commercial archaeologists, and conservationists. Its public benefits include improved understanding, cultural enrichment, and conservation policies which are more sensitive to the heritage embedded in landscapes.
The Warwick Network for Parish Research (WNPR) was established in 2003 to facilitate public participation in the making of history, specifically the production of new historical knowledge about parishes from the Middle Ages to the present. Parishes were fundamental units of governance, worship, and everyday life across Europe for over a thousand years, and the primary resources for family and community historians are archived by their parish of generation (in 2010/11 5% of the UK population visited a local record office, 60% of whom were researching family history). WNPR has helped formulate the place of locality in a globalising world and is a point of connection between independent researchers, local history societies, archivists and university-based scholars. It has supported non-academic historians in exploring their communities past and present, built capacity for independent research and writing, and encouraged local historians to contextualise their findings through engagement with wider historical debates. Impact has been achieved in three principal ways:
Impact was achieved through two projects led by Dr Hardy. In December 2005 the Unit helped to establish the Folkestone People's History Centre (FPHC) to research the town's historical heritage. The enthusiastic engagement of individuals and groups in the Centre resulted in a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) supported project, `A Town Unearthed: Folkestone Before 1500' (ATU), running from December 2009-March 2013, which took over the work of the FPHC. Impact has centred on preserving, creating and interpreting cultural capital; engaging and developing local associations; creating new audiences; influencing policies towards heritage, and challenging assumptions about the history of Folkestone. The main beneficiaries have been adult learners; schools; local authorities, associations and groups; as well as national and international audiences.
Dr Ian Bradley's research on the history and practice of pilgrimage in Scotland has had an impact on public understanding of cultural heritage, on the tourist industry, and on the development of new practices by local authorities, churches and the military. Dr Bradley has been commissioned to devise and lead pilgrimages in Scotland and beyond, which have yielded quantifiable economic benefits of over £250,000. His research has contributed to the conservation of cultural heritage through a range of consultancy work, with impacts including the establishment of the Scottish Pilgrim Routes Forum in 2012 and enhancements to the visitor experience at Iona Abbey. It is continuing to shape pilgrim route infrastructure development by national and local agencies, church groups and the army.
The City of York enjoys a rich heritage of historic buildings, museums and archives which attract 7.1 million visitors p.a (12% overseas) (5.10). Between 2008 and 2013 members of the Department of History have transformed the public interpretation and conservation of this heritage by: i) developing better professional practice within heritage; ii) working in partnership with heritage organisations to develop learning resources; iii) contributing to the development of exhibitions, community events and publications in the heritage sector; iv) developing greater understanding of the full chronological range of York's history and bringing hitherto neglected issues to public prominence. In sum, these have contributed to a deeper public understanding of the richness and value of York's past.
Research carried out by Dr Margaret Yates at the University of Reading has enhanced understanding of the social and economic history of the late medieval and early modern periods and the standards of living of those of middling or low social status. In particular, the findings and methodology of her work on the houses of these classes has been of major benefit to the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum (WDOAM), which specialises in the preservation of historic vernacular buildings. Through an innovative Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University, the WDOAM has used Yates' ground-breaking research to explore the history of the houses in their care and to present the past to the public in engaging, enjoyable, informative and interactive ways. As a result, the visitor experience offered by WDOAM has been greatly enhanced and visitor numbers increased at a time of competitive pressures in the regional heritage industry.
Professor Benjamin Kaplan is a pioneer of what has been called `the new history of toleration', which is of great significance to the public's understanding of the possibilities for peaceful coexistence between people of different faiths in the post-9/11 world. More than any other work in this revisionist school of historical writing, Kaplan's book Divided by Faith has been read and discussed by journalists, human rights organisations, churches and other non-academic audiences in North America, Britain and The Netherlands; it has also widely been used in university teaching. Kaplan's research has thus profoundly influenced public discourse and academic education regarding the history and character of religious toleration.
Eamon Duffy has made a major contribution to the rediscovery of the lived experience of traditional religion in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, enabling a re-assessment of the role of Catholicism during the English Reformation. His work has impacted on:
(i) Public discourse. Duffy's research is debated in circles well beyond higher education institutions, as is evidenced by the wide variety of publications in which his books are reviewed, the BBC's frequent use of his expertise in debate, and the numerous and well attended public talks he has given;
(ii) Cultural life. Duffy's work has influenced TV documentaries, museum exhibitions, RSC productions and other aspects of cultural life;
(iii) Education. Duffy's work has influenced the teaching of history both within the UK and internationally.
Through a series of well-established knowledge exchange partnerships, Leicester historians have enabled heritage organisations to identify a research agenda to inform their strategy, create innovative tourist information resources for historic sites in the UK, and manage the transition of these resources from paper to digital media. The cumulative impact of their contribution has been to extend the global reach of these organisations, to improve the quality of visitor experiences of the historic places they manage, to increase footfall and revenues at historic sites, and to develop — and realise — new pathways for economic growth by increasing demand for and strategic investment in heritage-based tourism.