National Findings

• The main threats to historic landscapes, parks, gardens and battlefields come from either neglect or from unsympathetic development – 6% of parks and gardens and 16.3% of battlefields are currently at risk.
• The main threats facing wreck sites are from the forces of the sea and natural decay, and wreck sites have the highest proportion at risk (19.6%) of all asset types.
• The relatively low proportion of listed buildings at risk is also the result of work that has been put in by individuals and agencies over many years to identify them and then secure their future. English Heritage began assessing the condition of listed buildings in the 1980s, publishing the first annual register of Buildings at Risk in London in 1991, and the first national register of Grade I and II* listed buildings and structural scheduled monuments at risk in 1998. 

The registers have enabled English Heritage and its partners in local authorities, building preservation trusts and funding bodies, as well as owners, to understand the extent of the problem and to prioritise action and resources. As a result, the proportion of England’s highest-graded (I and II*) listed buildings at risk has fallen steadily from 3.8% in the baseline year of 1999 to 3.1% this year. Of the Grade I and II* listed building and structural scheduled monument entries on the baseline register, 48% have now been removed. 

While the condition of the nation’s Grade I and II* listed buildings has improved, this year’s Heritage at Risk registers show that England’s other nationally designated heritage assets face much greater levels of risk, and highlight the scale of the challenge and the resources needed, both at a national and local level.  Working with property owners and our partners, we aim to achieve similar progress in reducing risk to other heritage assets. This will be challenging in the current economic climate, given the high proportion of heritage sites that do not, even in more prosperous times, generate an income. Their importance as part of our heritage is nevertheless immeasurable, and their urgent needs must not be ignored. Inclusion of sites on this register does not imply criticism of their owners, many of whom are actively trying to secure their future.  While we have tried to ensure that the information included is accurate, we will correct any errors or omissions brought to our attention.