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