Eleven historic sites across Preston and Chorley are officially deemed to be at risk.
Churches, conservation areas and archaeological sites are among those officially placed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, which is updated annually and includes those which are listed and deemed to be either in poor condition or lack adequate management to protect them in future.
Publishing this year’s register, the organisation said that heritage “plays a vital role in the pride people feel about their local place”, adding that “it gives meaning to the places where people live, work and spend time, connects us, inspires creativity, and boosts economic growth.”
Read more: A year on from St Joseph’s Orphanage and Church Street in flames
While no local sites were added to the list this year, none were removed either which means they continue to be considered at risk. Buildings or structures are removed from the register when they are fully repaired or consolidated, and their future secured through either occupation and use, or through the adoption of appropriate management.
Historic England Co-CEOs Claudia Kenyatta CBE and Emma Squire CBE said: “The heritage we see all around us impacts how we feel about our local places. The annual Heritage at Risk Register gives us the opportunity to celebrate the many benefits of bringing our historic buildings back into use.
“The best way to protect our buildings is to reuse them, turning them into places of local connection and joy.”
The following listings are currently included on the register:
Preston
Fishergate Hill
- Assessment Type: Conservation area
- Condition: Very bad
- Vulnerability: Low
- Trend: Deteriorating
- Priority: A – No action/strategy identified or agreed (where trend is declining or unknown)
Church of St Walburge
- Assessment Type: Place of worship
- Condition: Poor
- Vulnerability: High
- Trend: Declining
- Priority: D – Slow decay; solution agreed but not yet implemented
Church of St George the Martyr
- Assessment Type: Place of worship
- Condition: Poor
- Vulnerability: Low
- Trend: Declining
- Priority: C – Slow decay; no solution agreed
Church of St Ignatius, Meadow Street, now known as Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception
- Assessment Type: Place of worship
- Condition: Poor
- Vulnerability: High
- Trend: Declining
- Priority: A – Immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric; no solution agreed
Harris Institute
- Assessment Type: Building or structure
- Condition: Poor
- Vulnerability: High
- Trend: Declining
- Priority: C – Slow decay; no solution agreed
Read more: Preston City Council demands more detail before approving renovation of Harris Institute
Wing of Former Barton Old Hall
- Assessment Type: Building or structure
- Condition: Poor
- Vulnerability: Medium
- Trend: Stable
- Priority: C – Slow decay; no solution agreed
Chorley
Church of St George
- Assessment Type: Place of worship
- Condition: Good
- Vulnerability: Low
- Trend: Improving
- Priority: F – Repair scheme in progress and (where applicable) end use or user identified; or functionally redundant buildings with new use agreed but not yet implemented.
Church of St Michael, Croston
- Assessment Type: Place of worship
- Condition: Poor
- Vulnerability: High
- Trend: Declining
- Priority: A – Immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric; no solution agreed
Ingrave Farm moated site, moated site 100 metres west of Ingrave Farm and connecting channel, Eccleston
- Assessment Type: Archaeology
- Condition: Generally satisfactory but with significant localised problems
- Vulnerability: Medium
- Trend: Declining
- Priority: A – No action/strategy identified or agreed (where trend is declining or unknown)
Buckshaw Hall
- Assessment Type: Building or structure
- Condition: Fair
- Vulnerability: Low
- Trend: Stable
- Priority: E – Under repair or in fair to good repair, but no user identified; or under threat of vacancy with no obvious new user (applicable only to buildings capable of beneficial use)
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