THERE are a staggering 23 listed buildings and scheduled monuments in East Cambs that are at risk of being lost if money is not invested to protect them, a report released by English Heritage revealed this week.
Among the buildings listed in the annually updated At Risk Register are churches, windmills, barrows and even part of a medieval hospital from villages and towns across the district.
New in this year’s list are St George’s Church, in Littleport, and St Peter’s Church in Stetchworth, while Stevens Mill in Burwell and the Dovecote to St John’s Farm, in Ely, remain at “immediate risk of further deterioration,” the highest level of concern.
There are some 345,000 Grade II buildings in England, accounting for 92 per cent of all listed buildings.
Beautiful, historic or architecturally special, they are the houses, cottages, shops, inns, offices, schools, town halls, libraries, farms, mills and other distinguished buildings that shape the character of our cities, towns and villages.
Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage, said: “Grade II buildings are the bulk of the nation’s heritage treasury. When one of them is lost, it’s as though someone has rubbed out a bit of the past - something that made your street or your village special will have gone.
“We need help and are prepared to fund nine to 15 pilot surveys around the country with local authorities, national parks, heritage and community groups as partners.
“For local authorities hard-pressed by cuts or other groups who come forward this means the chance to find out which buildings most need their scarce resources. And the results will help all parties involved, including the Heritage Lottery Fund and other grant-givers, to get rescues underway where nothing has been happening for years.”
For more information on how you can get involved with the project, visit www.english-heritage.org.uk.
East Cambs At Risk treasures:
Stevens Mill, Mill Close, Burwell
Dovecote to St John’s Farm, St John’s Road, Ely
Downfield Windmill, Fordham Road, Soham
Northfield Windmill, The Shade, Soham
St George’s Church, Church Lane, Littleport
St Peter’s Church, Church Lane, Stetchworth
St Peter’s Church, Wilburton
The remains of All Saints Church, Ashley
Romano-British settlement site, Bottisham
Bowl barrow, east of Shelford Farm, Haddenham
Long Barrow at Foulmire Fen, Haddenham
Oval Barrow at Small Fen, Haddenham
Round Barrow at Small Fen, Haddenham
Three bowl barrows, east of New England, Haddenham
Two bowl barrows, south of New England, Haddenham
Roman settlement, Lode
Roman site near Old Fordey Farm, Soham
Settlement site south of Tiled House Farm, Stretham
Long barrow at South Fen, Sutton
Long barrow at Rymanmoor Long Turning, Sutton
Round barrow at Stocking Drove Farm, Sutton
Long barrow at Lythel’s Farm, Swaffham Bulbeck
Long barrow at Partridge Hall Farm, Swaffham Prior
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