While England is full of thousands of historic natural treasures, many are at risk of being lost forever.
Historic England has added 155 buildings to its Heritage at Risk Register for 2024, meaning they are under threat from ‘decay, neglect or inappropriate development’.
They include the world’s first railway station in County Durham, a rare Victorian six-sail windmill in Lincolnshire and ‘the finest Roman House on show in Britain’.
Historic England urges the public to show their support for these fascinating places, which are now at serious risk and need saving due to neglecting and underfunding.
Now, MailOnline’s incredible interactive map reveals where the nearest ones are to you in the country to help you plan a visit.
‘The UK has an abundance of heritage sites across the country that attract tourists and provide jobs in local communities,’ said Heritage Minister Sir Chris Bryant.
‘The Heritage at Risk Register plays a vital role in our ongoing mission to protect and preserve our rich heritage across the country.’
The good news is 124 sites have been removed from the register in 2024 because their ‘futures have been secured’ – bringing the overall total to 4,891.
Described as the ‘finest Roman House on show in Britain’, Roman painted house is the remains of an early 3rd century AD building unearthed in the 1970s
MailOnline takes a look at eight of the 155 sites newly added to the Heritage at Risk Register for 2024.
Roman painted house, Dover (Scheduled Monument)
Dover’s Roman painted house is a scheduled monument – an official designation for nationally important archaeological sites or historic buildings.
Described as the ‘finest Roman House on show in Britain’, it is the remains of an early 3rd century AD building unearthed in the 1970s.
Experts say it would have been a hotel for travellers crossing the Channel, providing accommodation to important people on official business.
Dover, or Dubris as it was called by the Romans, was the leading naval base and gateway to Roman Britannia.
Lending the painted house its name is the wall art of red, green and yellow panels that give an glimpse of its original colourful interior design.
Large masonry walls, an underfloor heating system, and areas of intact painted plaster have also survived the centuries.
Heighington & Aycliffe Railway Station, County Durham (Grade II*)
This railway station in County Durham is said to be the world’s first, but sad photos show it boarded up and in urgent need of repair.
Heighington & Aycliffe Railway Station, County Durham is Grade II* listed – defined as ‘particularly important buildings of more than special interest’
Dating from 1826, the building was originally designed as a pub but became a stopping point for trains, a shelter for passengers and a receiving point for parcels and goods being transported by rail.
When the building was commissioned, the concept of the railway station had yet to be developed – but today it’s regarded as something of a pioneer.
‘From the humblest single platform station to the vast terminals of St Pancreas and the Gard du Nord, they all owe a debt to Heighington and Aycliffe Railway Station,’ said Sarah Charlesworth, team leader for North Historic England.
Ironically, the building did become a pub in 1984 – but it closed in 2017 and has remained empty, becoming derelict, as it approaches its 200th birthday.
Kings Norton Old Grammar School, Birmingham, (Grade II*)
Just southeast of Birmingham is the picturesque area of Kings Norton that has several buildings dating from the 15th century.
One of these is the Old Grammar School, a stunning building likely constructed originally as a home for the priest of the nearby Church of St Nicholas.
Only in the 17th century was the half timbered building remodelled and used as a school.
The Old Grammar School was probably built in the early 15th century as the priest’s house to the Church of St Nicholas just across the green
In 1913, two women broke into the school with the intention of burning it down in a protest for the cause of women’s suffrage.
Instead, they were said to have left the following message on the blackboard: ‘Two Suffragists have entered here, but charmed with this old-world room, have refrained from their design of destruction.’
Since damp and rain has infiltrated the building in recent years, Historic England has grant funded repairs to the building to make it watertight.
Hurst Castle, Hampshire (Scheduled Monument)
Hurst Castle was built on the orders of Henry VIII between 1541 and 1544 on Hurst Spit, a shingle bank on the tip of Hampshire.
The Tudor castle was part of a chain of artillery fortresses protecting key ports and landing places around southern England.
Hurst was also occasionally used as a prison – most famously when Charles I was held captive here in 1648 before his execution the following year.
Additional fortifications to the east and west of the castle were made in the coming centuries, giving an overall length of about 1,500 feet.
Hurst Castle was built on the orders of Henry VIII between 1541 and 1544 on Hurst Spit, a shingle bank on the tip of Hampshire
However, the historic fortress is vulnerable to severe weather conditions and the dramatic effects of beach erosion and sea level rises.
Waltham Windmill, Lincolnshire (Grade II*)
Waltham Windmill – in the village of Waltham, five miles from Grimsby in Lincolnshire – is one of the few six-sail working windmills in England.
Built in the late 1870s, this rare piece of Victorian history is still in full working order and amazingly continues to produce flour.
However, it is at risk due to rainwater seepage and vulnerable to climate change, especially strong winds and heavy rain.
The mill is run by volunteers from Waltham Windmill Preservation Society who regularly hold fundraising events to help pay for ongoing maintenance.
Earlier in the year the sails of Waltham Windmill were removed for ‘significant repairs’ – costing in excess of £83,000.
The sails were last taken down in 2001 but ‘hopefully they won’t need to be taken down again for another 20 years’, said preservation society chairman Mike Date.
Pictured, Waltham Windmill in North East Lincolnshire. Its cap and sails have recently been removed for ‘significant repairs’
Queens Hall Methodist Mission, Wigan (Grade II)
This grand building in Wigan was the entrance block of a concert hall that has long been demolished, built in Edwardian Baroque style in 1906.
Boasting an elaborate turret with red brick and stone-coloured dressings, Wigan Athletic Football Club was founded within its walls.
Margery Booth, an opera singer and British spy, was among those to have performed in the building’s concert hall.
Shockingly, the glorious hall was demolished to make way for a new bus station in the 1980s, but thankfully the entrance block was kept.
Now a meeting place for addiction support groups and community education, it requires ‘extensive high-level repairs to address deterioration’.
Southchurch Hall, Essex (Grade I)
Southchurch Hall – a Grade I listed medieval moated house in Southend-on-Sea – was built in the 14th century and was home to farming families until the 1920s.
Southchurch Hall is Grade I listed medieval moated house in the Southchurch district of Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Wigan: Queens Hall Methodist Mission is the entrance block of a concert hall built in Edwardian Baroque style in 1906. The concert hall was demolished for a bus station but thankfully the entrance block remains
In 1930 it was extensively restored and presented to the town of Southend by the family of Thomas Dowsett, first Mayor of the town (now a city).
It’s now a much-loved local museum, but the building is at risk due to the fragile nature of the timber frame which is causing roof leaks.
Southchurch Hall is an important part of community life, providing opportunities for volunteering, community walks, and a history club for people experiencing isolation.
English Heritage says: ‘With the right support and restoration, the hall has huge potential to regenerate the surrounding area.’
Tamworth Castle, Staffordshire (Grade I)
One of the oldest additions to the list is Tamworth Castle in the town of Tamworth in Staffordshire, dating back to the 1080s.
It’s one of England’s finest motte-and-bailey castles, a primitive type of fortification consisting of a wooden or stone ‘keep’ or tower on a raised earthwork called a motte.
It has been a museum since 1899 and even hosts weddings, but ‘extensive repairs are needed’, according to Historic England.
Tamworth Castle is a Grade I listed, intact Norman motte and bailey castle in the town of Tamworth in Staffordshire
Historic England stresses that being added to the Heritage at Risk Register 2024 is a ‘good thing’ because it draws attention to places in need of support.
In total, there are now 4,891 entries on the register and the public can visit the Historic England’s website to see which one is nearby.
As well as giving them a visit, the public can offer support by getting involved in local community groups, connecting people to raise awareness and funds.
A spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Some places need volunteers, for example for clearing scrub from archaeological sites, so there are opportunities to get involved.’
Historic England also reveals that 124 have been added to its ‘saved’ list, meaning they are no longer on the register.
Among them are Saltdean Lido in East Sussex, which was built between 1937 and 1938 to elevate the coastal village’s status as a fashionable resort in the competitive era of the British holiday industry.
Also saved is St Pancras Old Church in Kings Cross, one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in London and resting place of writer Mary Wollstonecraft and composer Johann Christian Bach.
There’s also the Grade I listed Sherborne House in Dorset, built around 1720, which has recently been transformed into an arts venue for the public.
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