From the Guardian · · 2m
Nearly 200 heritage sites added to at-risk register
Hastings Castle, Dickens' writing chalet and fire-damaged moorland join Historic England's list as climate change and extreme weather threaten England's treasured places.
In brief
Hastings Castle, Dickens' writing chalet and fire-damaged moorland join Historic England's list as climate change and extreme weather threaten England's treasured places. Historic England added 197 sites to its heritage at risk register, citing climate change and extreme weather as growing threats to England's…
Nearly 200 sites join at-risk list
Historic England has added almost 200 historic places to its heritage at risk register, including Hastings Castle, Charles Dickens' writing chalet and fire-damaged moorland.
Norman castle threatened by erosion
Hastings Castle in East Sussex was commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman invasion of 1066. Coastal erosion and extreme weather events have recently made sections vulnerable.
Dickens' writing retreat needs repair
The wooden two-storey chalet in Rochester, Kent where Charles Dickens wrote has been added because it is fragile and needs repair. It originally stood in his garden at Gads Hill Place in Higham.
Wildfire devastates North Yorkshire moor
The Fylingdales Moor wildfire in 2025 damaged about 25 square kilometres of moorland and forest. Historic England said it affected thousands of people and had major impact on the natural environment.
Climate change driving heritage threats
Emma Squire, joint chief executive of Historic England, said more extreme weather events and coastal erosion are definite themes. Water ingress and subsidence feature more than before because of changing weather patterns.
“More extreme weather events and coastal erosion are definitely themes. Water ingress and subsidence feature more than they have done in the past because of changing weather patterns.”
Other notable additions to register
Hall's Croft in Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare's daughter's home, was added after being hit by a vehicle. The 18th-century Bidston windmill in Wirral, Merseyside also joined the list.
85 sites removed from at-risk list
Historic England removed 85 sites from the register, including Newlyn harbour in Cornwall, restored by local specialists. Edward Jenner's hut in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, described as the world's first vaccination clinic, was also saved.
5,000 sites still at risk
Historic England spent more than 12 million pounds on grants for repairs to 135 sites during 2025-26. Almost 5,000 sites remain on the list, including 1,500 secular buildings and 1,000 places of worship.
The key point
Historic England added 197 sites to its heritage at risk register, citing climate change and extreme weather as growing threats to England's historic places.
