Historic England celebrates properties added to Heritage List in 2023

Historic England is celebrating the end of 2023 by recognising the 16 heritage sites added to the National Heritage List for England over the past year.

The new sites feature a rare intact WWII radar station in Northumberland, a manor house in Norfolk and an Iron Age cave. Over the past year, the Heritage List has increased to a total of 239.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive at Historic England, said: “A range of remarkable historic buildings and sites are added to the List each year and 2023 is no exception. We’ve examined and protected some amazing sites this year, which together give us a window into our rick and varied historic environment. The festive period is a great time to find out more about the historic places all around us. I encourage everyone to explore the heritage on our doorsteps and to add what they discover to our Missing Pieces Project for everyone to see and enjoy.”

The sixteen new listings are:

Barkway Carriage Wash, Hertfordshire
Listed at Grade II

The Barkway Carriage Wash has stood in this location since the 17^th century and is thought to have been the earliest example of a car wash. It is only 4 known structures of its kind in England. The carriage wash would be used to clean coach wheels and name plates, as well as soaking the wheels to prevent wood shrinkage. They are set near roads and draw water from an underground channel.

This one was on an important route from London to Cambridge and the north of England during the heyday of the coaching era. It was used into the 20^th Century.

The Railway Tavern, Darlington
Listed at Grade II

The Railway Tavern was one of three pubs built by Stockton and Darlington Railway to serve its customers. The pubs were built next to S&DR’s coal depots and were part of the railway’s source of revenue before passenger services became popular. The Railway Tavern was 350m from the mainline and did not develop into a fully functioning railway, but did thrive as a pub.

Beaconsfield Golf Club Clubhouse, Buckinghamshire
Listed at Grade II

The clubhouse at Beaconsfield Golf Club was built in 1913 and is a largely intact example of a purpose built Arts and Crafts clubhouse from England’s first great period of golf club expansion.

Church of St Nicholas, Lancashire
Listed at Grade II

Built in the early 1960s, this church is an example of church by Lawrence King, one of the leading ecclesiastical architects of the post war era. It was created in an upturned boat design to emphasise the region’s strong maritime connections and was dedicated to St Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors.

The Dome, Doncaster Leisure Park
Listed at Grade II

At one time, the Dome was the largest leisure centre in Europe.

Chain Home Low Radar Station, Northumberland
Listed at Grade II

This WWII radar station remains intact with its original room fittings. It was designed to detect and monitor the movement of enemy ships in the early years of WWII. Though over 200 of these stations existed during the war, only 75 were coastal defence and only 8 service in a complete or near complete condition.

Northwold Manor, Norfolk
Listed at Grade II

Northwold Manor sits on the high street in the medieval village of Northwold. The manor house has interconnecting rooms and a lack of corridors, which is an unusual feature. It was once owned by the family of Howard Carter, the Egyptologist.

Lower Boscaswell Fogou, Cornwall

Fogou is the Cornish word for cave and usually feature underground tunnels, with a long passage and chambers. They were mainly created during the Iron Age and there is some evidence to suggest that they continued to be used into the Roman period. There are only 15 known to survive in England, all of them are in Cornwall. This fogou was first recorded in 1842 and was first scheduled in 1970. Its entry to the Heritage List has been amended to include new information found in more recent excavations.

Swingate Water Tower, Nottinghamshire
Listed at Grade II

Created in the post war period, this concrete Water Tower was built alongside a new reservoir and has a neo-Georgian style.

Cavendish Community Primary School, Manchester
Listed at Grade II

This primary school was built in a Jacobean revival style in around 1904. It has original features throughout including glazed timber partitions and doors, fireplaces, a slate blackboard, service lift and original parquet flooring and wall tiling.

Former Liverpool Furnishing Company Showroom, Liverpool
Listed at Grade II

This showroom was purpose built for a successful company which was operating next door. The Edwardian Baroque exterior includes decorated terracotta and a landmark clock tower. The ghost sign of its lettering still exists, more than 100 years after the company ceased trading and the building was converted into a bank and offices.

Deep Pit Railway Footbridge, Greater Manchester
Listed at Grade II

This unusually long, single-span, wrought iron pedestrian railway footbridge dates from the 1880s.

The Light House, London
Listed at Grade II

The Light House was designed by Ivan Simovic for his family and was built I the 1980s.

Swanwick Common Colliery Headstock and Winding House, Derbyshire
Listed at Grade II

The headstock and winding house are rare survivors of a private, small scale colliery. Coal had been mined here since the 13^th century and the infrastructure of the site shows how miners and equipment would have been lowered and raised out of the pit.

Mickling Barf, Lincolnshire
Listed at Grade II

Mickling Barf was built as a family home and remains mostly unaltered. It offers unusual and interesting spaces and uses simple materials throughout.

Cumberland Basin, Bristol

Cumberland Basin is part of Bristol’s Floating Harbour, which was constructed between 1803 and 1809. Historic England reviewed the Cumberland Basin listings for Bristol City Council to help with the future management of the area.

Lord Parkinson, the Heritage Minister, said: “The striking range of places listed this year is a vivid demonstration of the richness and variety of our national heritage. The great work done by Historic England will ensure that they are protected for future generations to enjoy and to learn about the fascinating people and stories connected with them.”

See the full heritage list here.