A glass-enclosed walkway crossed a canal to reach a red brick building, with a modern glass building behind.
World of Glass, Chalon Way E, St Helens, Lancashire. Exterior, Jubilee No. 9 Tank House, the best surviving example of C19 glassmaking tank furnace building in England, comprising the building, its cone and furnace. © Historic England Archive. DP371555
World of Glass, Chalon Way E, St Helens, Lancashire. Exterior, Jubilee No. 9 Tank House, the best surviving example of C19 glassmaking tank furnace building in England, comprising the building, its cone and furnace. © Historic England Archive. DP371555

Heritage at Risk in the North West Revealed

Today, Historic England publishes its annual Heritage at Risk Register for 2022. The Register is the yearly health-check of England’s most valued historic places and those most at risk of being lost forever as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development.

Contents
  1. Highlights from sites saved in 2022
  2. Highlights from sites added to the Register 
  3. Heritage at Risk 2022 in brief 

Highlights from sites saved in 2022

Over the past year, 10 historic buildings and sites have been added to the Register in the North West because of their deteriorating condition and 10 sites have been saved and their futures secured. Many have been rescued thanks to heritage partners and dedicated teams of volunteers, community groups, charities, owners and councils, working together with Historic England.

Saved: Moot Hall, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria (Grade II*)

The Moot Hall has stood since 1596 and is one of the few surviving moot halls in England. Extensive work was needed to address damp issues and to enhance its resilience in the face of extreme weather.

Repairs, including the replacement of render and the application of a natural limewash finish, have now been undertaken as part of a large-scale project jointly funded by Historic England working alongside Eden District Council and Appleby Town Council.

Saved: Bank Hall, Chorley, Lancashire (Grade II*)

Bank Hall is a fantastical manor house, last used by the British Army during the Second World War. It lay empty, roofless and abandoned for decades. Vegetation was encroaching, and it seemed the building might be lost.

Now it is transformed, thanks to Next Big Thing Developments. Twelve residential properties have been created in the wings and a meeting room and exhibition space have been created within the Prospect Tower for the use of the community.

Saved: Church of Saints Peter and Paul, and St Philomena, New Brighton, Wirral

A landmark feature on the Wirral peninsular since completion in 1935, the church’s distinctive dome signposts the entrance to the River Mersey. During the Second World War, returning sailors would seek out the distinctive form of the ‘Dome of Home’, a sign they had survived the perils of the Atlantic.

Decades of water penetration which resulted in the Church’s closure in 2008. A dedicated team from the church and the local community galvanised action throughout nine years of restoration work to bring about its painstaking restoration.

Highlights from sites added to the Register 

In the North West, 10 sites have been added to the register because of concerns about their condition. They are at risk of being lost forever as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development. 

At Risk: Parish Church of St Anne, Haughton, Denton (Grade I) 

One of Greater Manchester’s architectural gems, this Victorian gothic 1880 Church is a monument of creativity, individuality and opulence. The church has recently been added to the Register following concern about settlement around the font and central nave walkway due to vibrations from the nearby M67 motorway. 

National Highways has provided a grant for the investigation of the settlement, working alongside the church architect and parish priest Father Jules Mambu.  Investigations have confirmed the extent of settlement affecting the building.  Further grants will be needed to prevent further damage and restore the church.  

At Risk: Christ Church (now known as Christian Gold House Ministry), Kensington, Liverpool

The Grade II listed church with tower, built in an Italian Romanesque style, was previously used as a furniture warehouse. It has now returned to its original use as a church, the Christian Gold House Ministry. The church provides a variety of community uses, including a foodbank for local people. It has been included on the Register following extensive deterioration to the roof and brickwork. The interior is suffering from water ingress and the loss of plaster, and worship is undertaken beneath gazebos in the nave.

At Risk: World of Glass, St Helens (Grade II* and scheduled monument)

The Tank House is a listed building and scheduled monument. It is the best surviving example of a late nineteenth century glassmaking tank furnace building in England.

The museum is popular with visitors providing demonstrations of glassmaking. The building has been added to the Register following the appearance of extensive cracking caused by movement in the west corner of the Tank House. We are working with the Museum and St Helens Council to understand the condition of the building and to ensure its future is secured.

Heritage at Risk 2022 in brief 

The Heritage at Risk Register 2022 reveals that in the North West:

  • 113 Buildings or Structures (Grade I and II* listed buildings and structural scheduled monuments)
  • 137 places of worship
  • 82 Archaeology entries (non-structural scheduled monuments)
  • 8 parks and gardens
  • 70 conservation areas

…are at risk of neglect, decay or inappropriate change.

In total, there are 410 entries across the North West on the 2022 Heritage at Risk Register.

Also of interest

Search the Heritage at Risk Register