Historic England said it had added them to the Heritage in Danger Register last year because they are “at risk of being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development”. One of these, the Grade Two Birmingham and Midland Institute, boasted Dickens as one of its first presidents. It was established by Act of Parliament in 1854 and played a leading role in scientific and technical education in Birmingham. King Arthur’s Great Halls at Tintagel, Cornwall, are also Grade Two listed and were designed as the seat of the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table. A major driver of tourism in Tintagel, it recently came “dangerously close to structural failure”, Historic England said. Another building at risk is Papplewick Pumping Station in Nottingham. Built between 1882 and 1886, it is the only pumping station in England to “retain all its original features, including the machinery and tank”, the organization said. An initial grant of £9,450 has been made to fund an initial assessment of repairs required due to age-related wear and tear. Image: Papplewick Pumping Station. Photo: Historic England On a more positive note, 233 sites have been saved, thanks to volunteers, community groups, charities, landlords and councils. Those preserved include two known sections of Hadrian’s Wall – Steel Rigg in Northumberland and Port Carlisle in Cumbria. This year marks the 1900th anniversary of the wall. Over the past year, Historic England – a non-departmental government body – has awarded £8.66m of repair grants to 185 historic places and sites on the Heritage at Risk Register, including conservation areas. In addition, 15 sites have benefited from £3.25 million in grants from the heritage at risk arm of the Cultural Recovery Fund. Image: Birmingham and Midland Institute. Photo: Historic England Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: “It is central to Historic England’s mission to hand down to future generations the rich heritage of historic buildings and places we have inherited from previous generations. With the help of local communities and partners, imaginative thinking and business planning, we can bring historic places back to life.” Heritage Secretary Lord Parkinson said: “Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register plays a vital role in our ongoing mission to protect and preserve our rich heritage across the country. “It’s also great to see so many heritage sites being removed from the register thanks to the support of local communities alongside Historic England.”
