Across England, around 17,000 listed buildings are at risk or vulnerable to neglect and decay. They offer challenges but also potential. They can be acquired more cheaply than other properties and investment in understanding their potential can give you a competitive advantage. Finding the right one for you will always require careful research, but there are ways in which we can help make the process quicker and easier.
Heritage at Risk
English Heritage's Heritage at Risk register includes details of more than 1,200 Grade I and II* listed buildings that are currently at risk. From redundant chapels to surplus naval stores the aim is the same - to find people and businesses willing to invest in their future. Not all the buildings on the Register are for sale but English Heritage are constantly updating and even extending the entries to provide as much information as possible.
This year's edition focuses on the hundreds of disused factories, mills and warehouses that make up England's unique industrial heritage at risk - buildings that have reached the end of their original working lives but which often have huge potential to be adapted to economically viable new uses.
An interactive database provides detailed information on all heritage sites at risk. As well as information about the significance and condition of the building, each entry identifies the English Heritage point of contact who can help explain the development potential of the property.
To make things even easier, English Heritage's local teams have developed lists of their top ten priority sites.
Local authority registers
Outside London our Heritage at Risk register includes about 1,200 threatened Grade I and II* buildings. The best way to find out about Grade II buildings in need of adaptive re-use is to consult the separate registers of local buildings at risk that are maintained by many local planning authorities.
Like English Heritage's register, these lists are designed to raise awareness of the development opportunities of buildings that have fallen on hard times, but that could be given a new lease of life with the right mix of investment, creativity and sensitivity.
SAVE Britain’s Heritage
SAVE is an independent charity that campaigns for the future of endangered historic buildings. For 35 years it has championed adaptive re-use of decaying country houses, redundant churches and chapels, disused mills and warehouses, town halls, railway stations, hospitals, military buildings and asylums.
Once a year SAVE publishes its own catalogue of buildings at risk. Aimed at potential new owners, the catalogue also features spotlight articles on particular building types and has a section focusing on 'successes' and 'scandals'.
This year's catalogue, 'Take a Chance on Me', contains details of over 100 buildings in need of attention. A parallel online register accessible to registered Friends of SAVE contains almost 1,200 further entries.
Listed Property Owners' Club
The Listed Property Owners' Club has a list of properties for sale on their website, which includes domestic dwellings, barns and other buildings.
SPAB
Every quarter, the SPAB compiles and publishes a list of historic buildings in need of repair or new use that are for sale or lease. These range from castles to cottages to churches to industrial buildings and prices range from £50,000 to £10 million.
