One of the goals of Portico is to explore the dimensions of virtual time travel. Inheritage.eu was developed as an international platform for professionals in the field of heritage communications. 
The main goal is to meet and inspire one another, to discuss and challenge, to show and to admire examples of heritage communications throughout Europe. 

What role does local history play in people’s life? With this question in mind Portico invited sixteen local residents of Cologne, Ghent, Chester and Utrecht to share stories that bring the history of their cities to life. This resulted in a wide variety of intimate, personal stories. They tell about first love affairs, the second world war, a passionate primary teacher and a puppetmaster from Ghent. Every story is different, yet they all share one characteristic. 

After obtaining several prestigious prizes in 2011 (“At Home In The City”, “Flemish Monuments”, “Management In The Cultural Sector”), The City Museum STAM in Ghent received in May 2012 the “Museum Prize”, organized by Openbaar Kunstbezit in Vlaanderen (Public Art Collections in Flanders) and the law firm Linklaters. Every year, three Belgian museums (one each in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia) get an award of  10 000 euros. The visitors’ involvement  and the general accessibility are the main criteria for selection.     

Two thousand years of Chester’s rich and colourful history have been earmarked to create one of Europe’s finest heritage trails. 

Famous City Walls
Chester’s famous City Walls – the only complete circuit in the UK – have recently been given an asset value £0.5 billion….. but could well be worth much more to the city in the future. Established and built by the Romans, they have been repaired, extended and adapted by successive generations ever since, the massive symbol of defence eventually became a fashionable walkway for promenading Georgians.  Now the 2-mile-plus sandstone circuit is a mecca to over 2.7m visitors each year; supports the equivalent of over 300 fulltime jobs and makes a net economic contribution to the Chester economy calculated at over £20m per annum.

Leading heritage trails
And when the PORTICO* co-operative European Project completes its imaginative restoration, improvement and interpretation works of the Walls and Towers their amazing stories are expected to attract a much wider audience. “Certainly, we expect the Walls to become one of the leading heritage trails in Europe and play a leading role in the realisation of our aim that Chester will be a ‘must see’ international destination by 2015,” said Councillor Herbert Manley, Executive Member, Prosperity.

The Walls have benefited from over £3m worth of specialist repair and maintenance work, by CWAC’s Bridges and Structures and Historic Environment Teams since the Council’s inception in April 2009. For many years the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act, 1979, which protects Britain’s archaeological heritage – has required owners and local authorities to obtain statutory Scheduled Monument Consent, before work can begin.

But now the Section 17 Management Agreement between CWAC and English Heritage will provide a framework allowing the Council – owner of the Walls – to carry our routine preservation work without this permission. Said Dr Jennie Stopford, Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside: “CWAC has done a great job working with us over the last three years to bring the City Walls and towers into good condition. “We have been impressed with the standard of the work done and the care that is now being taken of this top class heritage asset.  English Heritage is delighted to sign up to a formal Management Agreement with CWAC that will enable the City's on-going monitoring and maintenance regime.”

Said Councillor Herbert Manley, Executive Member, Prosperity: “English Heritage quite rightly sets the very highest standards and this agreement is a statement of faith in our ability to help preserve one of the country’s most important ancient monuments. “Recently, in response to a Government request we anticipated the asset, or rebuild value, of the walls at half a billion pounds. Their overall worth to Chester and indeed, the Borough, will be far greater than that when our plans for one of the best European Heritage trails are realised.”

The Council’s commitment is illustrated by its decision to devote £500,000 a year to spend on the cyclical maintenance and repairs needed to enable the structure to stand the test of time. Shadow Executive Member for Prosperity, Councillor Carolyn Graham, said: “Chester’s City Walls are internationally famous and an integral part of our heritage offer. Their preservation is vital for future generations and the economic benefit of the city.”

Colourful stories on panels
As part of the interpretation works a new series of panels – especially designed to tell the various and colourful stories of the Walls and Towers – are being installed at strategic points chosen by the Council’s Historic Environment Team and English Heritage. You can now learn about the Royalist Captain Morgan and his Civil War exploits; Queen Aethelflaed’s extension of the Roman walls to build a fortified city and how legend tells that the ill-fated King Charles I watched his troops defeated at Rowton Moor.

The panels have been produced in lava stone, which as a natural material complements the Walls. It has a beautiful natural finish, and it is the most durable panel material available with a potential life span of decades. They have been designed to capture the imaginations of a wide range of audiences, but with a particular focus on visitors with a general interest in heritage, local residents, walled town special interest visitors, and families with children in the 7-11 age range. The nine panels can be found at East Gate, King Charles Tower, North Gate, Newgate Bridge, Pemberton’s Parlour, Water Tower, Water Gate, Chester Castle and Bridge Gate.

This report presents the findings of the Second Part of the Competitiveness Study for the

PORTICO Project. Part 1 focused on the economic impact and development potential of Chester’s City Walls and Towers. This Second Part takes a wider view and considers the economic and social importance of investing in, and protecting cultural heritage with a particular emphasis on the PORTICO partner cities of Utrecht, Ghent and Cologne.