Five Heritage Sites We Surveyed in 2025 – A Year in Conservation from Above
From Tudor towers to historic gardens and Victorian infrastructure, we had the privilege of documenting some of England’s most important cultural sites. Drone technology is becoming increasingly valuable within the conservation sector, allowing museums, trusts and architects to access accurate, high-resolution imagery without scaffolding or intrusive access. Below are five of our favourite heritage projects of 2025 — each offering a unique glimpse into London’s architectural story.
1. Mona’s Garden – London Gardens Trust
Mona Abboud’s garden is one of London’s most celebrated private urban gardens, known for its sculptural planting and unique layout. Our drone survey provided a full aerial record of the site, capturing structural planting patterns, pathways and variations in canopy density that are difficult to appreciate from ground level. The imagery supported ongoing documentation work for the London Gardens Trust and offered a visually rich reference for future conservation and study of this remarkable space.
2. Liverpool Street Station – Victorian Society
In partnership with the Victorian Society and the national #SaveLiverpoolStreet campaign, we produced the video above to document the architectural heritage of Liverpool Street Station. By combining archive imagery with modern high-resolution aerial views, we created a comparative visual record that highlights the station’s Victorian character and the potential impact of proposed redevelopment.
3. Bruce Castle Museum – Grade I Listed
Bruce Castle, a rare Grade I listed Tudor manor in Tottenham, was one of our most technically fascinating projects of the year. Our survey captured the full roof structure, chimneys, cupola and exterior façades in exceptional detail, enabling conservation specialists to assess weathering, moisture pathways and areas of potential vulnerability in the historic brickwork. The resulting high-resolution dataset now supports long-term maintenance planning for one of London’s most important early buildings.
4. Barbican Wildlife Garden – London Gardens Trust
Hidden within the Brutalist geometry of the Barbican Estate, the Barbican Wildlife Garden is a thriving urban biodiversity space requiring ongoing monitoring and documentation. Our drone survey provided a comprehensive overview of planting zones, canopy changes and spatial relationships within the garden. This aerial dataset now supports both the London Gardens Trust and local ecologists in tracking ecological development and planning future habitat improvements, all while showcasing a rare pocket of green within one of London’s most intense architectural settings.
5. St Mary’s Tower – Friends of Hornsey Church Tower (Grade II)*
St Mary’s Tower, a striking Grade II* listed structure overlooking Hornsey, required a detailed drone survey to document its condition and surrounding layout. Our inspection revealed key architectural features including stonework joints, parapets, roof structure and the geometry of the tower’s immediate landscape. The imagery is now being used by the Friends of Hornsey Church Tower to guide essential maintenance, support funding applications and build an accessible visual archive for future conservation work.
Preserving Heritage Through Aerial Insight
As drone technology becomes increasingly valuable in heritage conservation, our 2025 projects demonstrate how aerial surveys can provide safe, accurate and repeatable documentation for even the most complex historic sites. If your organisation, museum, church or heritage trust requires high-quality aerial imagery or condition surveys, we would be delighted to support your work in 2026 and beyond.