Sites range from a Neolithic burial mound to WW2 defences
As 2025 draws to a close, Historic England is releasing a list of 19 ‘remarkable and unusual historic buildings and places’ that have been granted protection in England over the past year.
The sites range from a Neolithic burial mound dating to 3400 BC in the Yorkshire Dales to an exceptionally rare shipwreck lost in 1903 known as the Pin Wreck in Dorset through to ‘Dragon’s Teeth’ Second World War anti-tank defences in Surrey.
And let’s not forget the rare dockside equipment in Greenwich which are linked to major technological advances in undersea telecommunications.
These paved the way for the foundations in today’s subsea optical cables that transmit internet traffic worldwide.
The newly listed historic gems added to the National Heritage List for England include: the post-war dazzling Renold Building at the University of Manchester, Arts and Crafts gardens – one with a playful gnome garden in North Yorkshire.
And then there’s a school recognised for its’ neoclassical design in Birmingham and Adams Heritage Centre – a former Victorian ironmongers, time capsule of local trade and specialist in Norwegian ice skates.
They’re joined by Victorian guide posts to help drivers in Cheshire, coal duty boundary posts in Essex – a tax on coal to help fund London’s development after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
There’s also a gothic style Garden Chapel in the Midlands, a tin tabernacle church in Essex and the concrete 1980s workshop of architect Sir David Chipperfield.
‘The remarkable diversity of England’s heritage’
Bude Storm Tower, affectionately known as ’the Pepperpot’ in Cornwall is having its’ list entry updated after being moved for a second time in its history due to coastal erosion.
The famous Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral is upgraded from Grade II* to Grade I. And Draper’s Windmill, a rare working smock mill in Kent, has been upgraded from grade II to grade II* – the second highest grade.
‘These newly protected places demonstrate the remarkable diversity of England’s heritage,’ says Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, Co-CEOs of Historic England. ‘They connect us to the people and events that shaped our communities.’
‘From ancient burial sites to shipwrecks and wartime defences to post-modernist buildings, street furniture and Arts and Crafts gardens, these sites reveal the fascinating history that surrounds us all.’
In total, 199 sites were added to the National Heritage List for England in 2025. There are 173 listings which include 21 scheduled monuments and five parks and gardens.
A further 129 amendments were made to existing listings. The List is the official register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England.
‘Britain’s heritage is as varied as it is brilliant, with each of these buildings playing a part in shaping our national story over the centuries,’ says Baroness Twycross,
‘This year alone we have protected 199 heritage sites, from neolithic cairns in the Yorkshire Dales to the fabulous Catholic Cathedrals in the heart of Liverpool. I’m proud that we’re safeguarding our rich history so future generations can continue to enjoy it.’
Breaktime News recently reported on The De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill being awarded just over £7.6 million to complete the first phase of a restoration programme.
