Historic Houses Association

Historic Houses (formerly, and still for legal purposes, known as the Historic Houses Association or HHA) is a not-for-profit organisation that represents well over a thousand independently owned historic country houses, castles and gardens throughout the United Kingdom. History The association originated as the Historic Houses Committee of the British Tourist Authority, and was independently established in 1973 to help owners maintain and conserve significant homes in the interests of the nation's heritage. In 1974, the HHA participated in a campaign in response to the publication of a governmental green paper on a proposed wealth tax. The campaign, which also involved the National Trust and the predecessor of The Arts Society, drew public attention to the problems such a tax could cause for historic buildings and national art collections. The tax was not implemented, and the HHA subsequently continued to lobby for tax exemptions for heritage sites and to promote private ownership of historic houses. Today, Historic Houses represents, advises, and helps to publicise its member properties, and runs an access scheme for the general public. While a large majority of member places are privately owned (and most of those are still lived in), houses, castles, and gardens cared for by independent charitable trusts, local authorities, institutions, or businesses are also eligible for membership, and there are several hundred such member places represented. Typically a dwelling must be listed at Grade I or Grade II* (in England & Wales; or the equivalent level in Scotland or Northern Ireland), but a substantial minority of member places are large Grade II houses.