Historic England has announced the protection of 17 remarkable historic buildings and places across England in 2024, showcasing the diverse architectural and cultural heritage of the nation. These new listings are part of a broader effort that saw 256 historic places added to the National Heritage List for England this year.
Revolutionary Healthcare Design
The former maternity ward at Princess Royal Community Hospital in Huddersfield stands as a testament to advancing maternal care in the early 20th century. Built in 1928 following the 1918 Maternity and Child Welfare Act, this Arts and Crafts style ‘bungalow ward’ revolutionized healthcare with its focus on infection control and patient welfare. The ward’s innovative design featured well-ventilated single occupancy rooms instead of traditional communal wards, significantly reducing the risk of fatal ‘childbed fever.’ The facility served as a maternity hospital for 56 years, with its last baby delivered in October 1984.
Brutalist Architecture Meets Worship
Bristol’s Broadmead Baptist Church, built between 1967-1969, represents a unique approach to religious architecture. Known as the ‘church above the shops,’ this Brutalist structure was designed by Ronald H Sims as the ‘Baptist cathedral of the West.’ The building cleverly incorporates retail space on the ground floor to generate income, while its upper levels feature bold structural forms including a distinctive roof with white V-shaped beam ends resembling doves in flight. The interior’s journey from a muted lobby to bright upper floors symbolizes spiritual ascent.
Historic Tombs with Literary Connections
The churchyard of St Clement’s Church in Leigh-on-Sea houses three remarkable 17th-century chest tombs. The earliest, from 1609, belongs to Mary Ellis, reportedly a 119-year-old woman whose unmarried status and longevity challenged contemporary gender norms. The tomb of William Goodlad, dating from 1639, commemorates a significant figure in British maritime history who served as admiral of the Muscovy Company’s London whaling fleet. Perhaps most intriguingly, Mary Haddock’s 1688 tomb connects to modern pop culture – her son, Admiral Richard Haddock, inspired the character of Captain Haddock in Hergé’s ‘Adventures of Tintin’ comics.
Industrial Heritage
Cromford Mills in the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site has received an updated Grade I listing to better reflect its pivotal role in industrial history. As the birthplace of the modern factory system, Richard Arkwright’s 1771 mill complex pioneered water-powered cotton spinning and became the blueprint for factory production worldwide.
Early Infrastructure
A rare 1895 electricity junction box in Huddersfield serves as a fascinating reminder of Britain’s electrical revolution. This blue-painted iron box, with its pyramid top and detailed Victorian engineering, represents one of the earliest pieces of electrical infrastructure in the country.
Military History
The Browndown First World War practice trenches in Gosport offer one of England’s best-preserved training grounds. Rediscovered via aerial photos in 2011, these trenches provided crucial training for troops before deployment to the Western Front. The site includes opposing frontlines and support trenches separated by ‘no-man’s-land,’ offering a realistic training environment for the Royal Marines Light Infantry and Hampshire Regiment.
Public Houses and Social History
The Mitre Inn in Stourbridge, built between 1932-1934, exemplifies the ‘improved’ pub movement of the interwar years. Its Tudor-inspired ‘Brewer’s Tudor’ design aimed to elevate drinking establishments’ status, featuring black-and-white timber beams, embellished glass windows, and ornate interior fittings designed to attract a more respectable clientele.
Gardens and Outdoor Spaces
Brownsea Castle’s gardens in Poole Harbour showcase centuries of evolving English garden design. The landscape includes an Italian walled garden with a central sundial and circular gazebo, terraced gardens with exotic plants, and spectacular harbor views. The island gained additional historical significance as the site of Lord Baden-Powell’s first scout camp in 1907, marking the birth of the Scouting movement.
The unusual hexagonal Ashby Walled Garden in Lincolnshire stands as an early example of a detached walled garden predating the mid-19th century spread of such designs. Its innovative features included heated walls, Victorian glasshouses, and sophisticated ventilation systems.
Educational Heritage
Wallasey Central Library, opened in 1911, represents one of the best-preserved Carnegie libraries in the country. The building showcases impressive Edwardian Baroque architecture with aquamarine tiles and retains many original features. Its attached former Earlston House became one of the earliest separate children’s libraries in 1915, marking a significant development in children’s library services.
Modernist Architecture
16 Warley Way in Frinton-on-Sea, designed by Oliver Hill in 1934, exemplifies early modernist domestic architecture. This International Modern style house features curved walls, pine block floors, and built-in cupboards, representing an ambitious attempt to bring modernist design to ordinary people.
Transportation Infrastructure
The rare Inglis Portable Military Bridge near Aldershot is one of only ten manufactured during World War I. Designed by War Office engineer Charles Inglis, this lightweight steel bridge proved crucial during the war and influenced future military bridge design.
Religious Architecture
Wonersh United Reformed Church in Surrey, built in 1880, showcases striking free Gothic Revival architecture with distinctive needle-like spires. The church began humbly in a butcher’s kitchen before evolving into its current impressive form, designed by William Howard Seth-Smith.
The timber-framed St Mary’s Church at Crossway Green, Worcestershire, built in 1882, represents a rare surviving mission church. Its lychgate features a mosaic plaque by renowned Venetian glassmakers Salviati and Co., commemorating Bishop Henry Philpott.
Heritage Minister Sir Chris Bryant encouraged public engagement with these historic sites: “Like all ‘best of’ year lists worth reading, I implore you to pour over these 17 wonderful places and go and experience some of them for yourself in the new year.”
Historic England has also launched the Missing Pieces Project, inviting the public to contribute their own stories, photographs, and memories of these and other listed places, helping to build a more complete picture of Britain’s architectural and cultural heritage.
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