Eighteen more sites added to London’s heritage at risk register

The annual update to the list of heritage sites at risk in London has seen 18 sites added to the register over the past year, although in good news, 32 sites were removed as they are no longer considered to be at risk of further decay.

Historic England’s annual Heritage at Risk Register is being published today, and although inspections were hampered by the lockdown, they were still able to compile a list of changes to the at-risk register.

Over the last year, 32 historic buildings and sites in London have been removed from the Register, including Battersea Power Station which had been on the Register for a staggering 30 years on the Heritage at Risk Register.

Some other sites that were removed from the register include a former public convenience at Guilford Place, Bloomsbury which has been converted into a wine bar, the Royal Arsenal estate in Woolwich, and following the supply of dehumidifying equipment, the section of Roman wall in the basement of a hairdresser in Leadenhall Market.

Roman Wall – photo taken earlier this year

Historic England gave £1.75 million in grants to historic places in London throughout the past year, plus another £450,000 for lifeline grants from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund. These emergency grants totalling £2.2 million kick-started repairs and maintenance at many historic sites during the pandemic and helped protect the livelihoods of the skilled craft workers.

Sadly though 18 sites had to be added to the Register as their condition has deteriorated during the pandemic lockdown and are at risk of being lost forever as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development. This includes Streatham Hill Theatre – a grand theatre turned bingo hall – which is in need of major repairs.

Streatham Hill Theatre (c) Historic England

Emily Gee, Regional Director at Historic England said: “The 32 sites saved this year in London show what’s possible with strong partnerships, dedicated individuals and funding support. But there is always more to do to give our cherished historic places the attention, investment and secure future they deserve.”

Across London, there are 634 entries on the 2021 Heritage at Risk Register, made up of 425 Buildings or Structures, 99 places of worship, 26 Archaeology entries (non-structural scheduled monuments), 11 parks and gardens, and 73 conservation areas.

Added to the Heritage at Risk Register 2021

• Parish Church of St Mary, Church End, Hendon
• Base of the Southern Crystal Palace Water Tower
• Wickham Court, Layhams Road
• Former Hampstead Police Station, Rosslyn Hill NW3
• Gazebo in the grounds of Shrewsbury House, Bushmoor Crescent
• Church of the Ark of the Covenant, Rookwood Road, Stoke Newington
• Forecourt Wall, Gates and Railings to Church of the Good Shepherd, Rookwood Road N16
• Harwath Mausoleum, St Thomas Of Canterbury Churchyard
• The Rom Skatepark
• World War II Bofors gun tower and ancillary building, Ruislip HA4
• Wall and gate piers at St Martin’s churchyard entrance, Church Road, Hillingdon UB7
• Streatham Hill Theatre, 110, Streatham Hill SW2
• Olympia Convoy’s Wharf, Prince Street SE8
• Baring Hall Hotel and Stable Block, Baring Road, SE12
• Church of England Cemetery Chapel, Grove Road, Richmond Cemetery
• Essex County Cricket Pavilion, Leyton High Road
• Metal Railing to Chingford Mill Pumping Station, Lower Hall Lane, E4
• Church of St Peter, Eaton Square, Westminster

Removed from the Heritage at Risk Register 2021

• Fire Station Cottages, West End Lane NW6 NW6
• Drinking fountain in St James Gardens, Hampstead Road NW1
• Ladies and gentlemen’s public conveniences, Guilford Place WC1
• Roman wall in basement of 90 Gracechurch Street EC3
• Crossways, 134, Church Road, Hanwell W7
• Hanwell Station, main up side building and down side island platform, Station Road, Hanwell W7
• 1, Greenwich South Street, Woolwich SE10
• Royal Arsenal Woolwich SE18
• Enderby House, 100, Christchurch Way, Greenwich SE10
• Royal Arsenal Building 41 and 41a Royal Laboratory Square, Plumstead Road SE18
• Walls to St Leonard’s Churchyard, Shoreditch High Street and Boundary Street E1
• Marlow House, 160, Dalston Lane E8
• 10 and 12, Clapton Terrace E5
• Premises of Testi and Sons Millwrights, Waterworks Lane E5
• White Lodge, Springfield Park E5
• Front garden wall, The Beeches, High Street, Cowley
• The Cedars, 66, High Street, Uxbridge
• Monument to Joseph Allmond Cropper, Harrow Road, Kensal Green Cemetery W10
• Mausoleum of James Morison, Harrow Road, Kensal Green Cemetery W10
• Tomb of Major General Sir William Casement, Knight Commander of the Bath, Harrow Road, Kensal Green Cemetery W10
• Tomb of Frederick Tillson, Harrow Road, Kensal Green Cemetery W10
• Blumberg Mausoleum, Harrow Road, Kensal Green Cemetery W10
• Mausoleum of Martha Ross, Harrow Road, Kensal Green Cemetery W10
• Old Paradise Gardens, walls of former graveyard, Lambeth High Street SE11
• Reliance Arcade, Brixton Market, Market Row SW9
• Gate Piers to former Naval Dockyard, Grove Street SE8
• Dovecote adjacent to pond to south east of The Canons, Madeira Road, Mitcham
• Gate lodge at Abbey Mills Pumping Station, Abbey Lane E15
• Stores Building at Abbey Mills Pumping Station, Abbey Lane E15
• 2, Woods Road
• Battersea Power Station, Cringle Street SW8
• Bow Street Magistrates Court and Police Station, Bow Street WC2