Historic England adds 197 sites to heritage at-risk register

Historic England added 197 buildings and sites to its Heritage at Risk Register on 5 November. Its annual update also removed 85 sites for which solutions had been found, leaving 4,991 entries, all considered nationally important.

The register identifies places threatened by decay, neglect or inappropriate development. It covers buildings, parks, battlefields and shipwrecks, and helps identify places that need support.

Chalet and former home need care

The additions include Charles Dickens’s writing chalet, Hall’s Croft in Stratford-upon-Avon and Hastings Castle. Dickens’s chalet was moved to the garden of Eastgate House in Rochester in the 1960s and is now too fragile for public access, The Art Newspaper said.

Hall’s Croft, built in 1613, was the home of William Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna and her husband John Hall. It had already been closed for several years for extensive conservation when a car reversed into its facade in October 2025, causing further serious damage.

Playwright Ken Ludwig has donated £1 million toward the work, but major fundraising is still needed.

Sites removed and work ahead

The removals include two Georgian houses in east London that Tottenham Hotspur Football Club converted into artists’ studios, galleries and a cafe, with help from the Lottery Heritage Fund.

Hastings Castle, built by William the Conqueror, remains vulnerable to storms and coastal erosion. Urgent work has already been undertaken to stabilize its ruins, and future plans include a new visitor center and cafe.