The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) was founded by William Morris in 1877, to oppose what he saw as the insensitive renovation of ancient buildings then occurring in Victorian England. He was particularly concerned about the practice, which he described as "forgery", of attempting to restore buildings to an idealised state from the distant past. Instead, he proposed that ancient buildings should be protected, not restored, so that their entire history would be preserved.
Today, SPAB still operates according to Morris's original manifesto. It publishes books, and runs courses and a telephone advice line.
The Society also has a branch in Scotland.
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