In this episode of Hidden Heritage, Violet Manners is joined by Jason Lindsay, Chairman of Historic Houses, and Marcus Yorke-Long, Head of the Private Office at Charles Russell Speechlys, for a conversation exploring one central question: who owns our heritage now?
Heritage is often discussed emotionally, romantically even, but rarely strategically. Yet Britain’s historic houses, estates, collections and landscapes sit at the intersection of identity, economics, policy, private capital and global interest.
Together, the conversation examines whether British heritage is fundamentally undervalued as a national asset, why international buyers increasingly recognise value in what Britain itself sometimes overlooks, and what “ownership” really means in 2026. Is heritage something we legally possess, culturally inherit, economically exploit, or simply steward for the next generation?
From overseas investment and custodianship to policy failures, succession pressures and the realities facing modern estate owners, this episode explores the tension between heritage as a living responsibility and heritage as a global commodity.
Far from a nostalgic conversation, this is a clear-eyed discussion about continuity, stewardship, national identity and the future of Britain’s historic landscape.
Because the question is no longer whether the world values British heritage. It is whether Britain values it enough itself.

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