Salford Lads Club, Salford. Grade II listed. John Kippin 2018
Salford Lads Club, Salford. Grade II listed. John Kippin 2018 © Historic England
Salford Lads Club, Salford. Grade II listed. John Kippin 2018 © Historic England

Historic England invites people to see and hear the 'Spirit of the North'

  • Historic England and acclaimed photographer John Kippin present 'Spirit of the North' - a new series that gets to the heart of 'northernness'
  • From Durham Cathedral and Flamborough Lighthouse, to Salford Lads Club and the Liverpool Docks, the images capture iconic historic places and the life in them today
  • Historic places across Northern England also explored in accompanying six-part podcast series available now
  • Free exhibition of the 'Spirit of the North' series at Bessie Surtees House, Newcastle-on-Tyne opens Friday 22 June 2018 as part of the Great Exhibition of the North's 'Inspired by' programme

To celebrate the North of England’s people and places Historic England has commissioned celebrated photographer John Kippin to explore the ‘Spirit of the North’ with a new series of images, released today.
 
Capturing a selection of the North’s most historically and architecturally significant places, from Liverpool Docks and Durham Cathedral to Orgreave and Salford Lads Club, ‘Spirit of the North’ explores the North of England’s rich history and gets to the heart of “northernness” itself.

Using his unique style and inquisitive approach, Kippin shows how the North’s extraordinary history of creativity, innovation and cultural influence continues to shape northern identity today. The images celebrate places that have shaped the entire world, but are still uniquely northern.

Perhaps this special quality of otherness, when laid alongside our history and achievements is what shapes and defines us and makes the North a truly special place.

John Kippin 2018

Exhibition

The 'Spirit of the North' series will be on display at Bessie Surtees House on Newcastle Quayside from Friday 22 June - 9 September 2018 as part of the Great Exhibition of the North's Inspired by programme.

Great Exhibition of the North is a free, summer-long celebration of the North of England's pioneering spirit.

Podcast - Available Now

Listen to the podcast now

A new six-episode podcast series from Historic England delves into the history of landmark buildings and sites across the North.

Hear photographer John Kippin reveal the inspiration behind his photographs and discover more about the places he chose to capture from the people that know and love them best.

Touching on music, industry, nature and transport, the ‘Spirit of the North’ podcast offers a light exploration into Northern identity through people and places with local voices exploring whether there truly is a ‘Spirit of the North’.