A rustic hut in Gloucestershire credited as the birthplace of vaccination is among 138 sites that have been added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register because they are deemed at risk of neglect, decay or inappropriate development.
The father of immunology Edward Jenner performed the first ever vaccinations against smallpox in the hut in 1796, but it now requires urgent works to repair its rear wall, chimney and thatched roof, which is almost bare at the ridge.
Elsewhere, a pair of buildings at Cromford Mills in Derbyshire’s Derwent Valley World Heritage Site have been added to the at risk register and awarded £25,000 for project development work, which will include surveys and a feasibility study of potential sustainable new uses.
The two cottages were constructed around 1780 to house mill workers but are now in poor repair and underutilised despite the wider site being a popular visitor attraction.
And in Sandown on the Isle of Wright, Brading Roman Villa Hypocaust, which boasts a rare underfloor heating system, has been added to the list because the Edwardian building sheltering it is in need of repair or replacement.
There are now 4,891 entries across England on the 2025 Heritage at Risk Register, including 1,460 buildings or structures as well as parks and gardens, battlefields and archaeology entries.
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Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, who were recently appointed as co-chief executive officers of Historic England, 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.”
Historic England also announced that 129 sites had “saved” and removed from the list, thanks to £7.4m in grants for support and repairs.
This includes Edwardian public toilets in Tottenham, London, which have been restored and reopened with an additional cafe and community space.
Papplewick Pumping Station in Nottingham has also been removed following a £500,000 restoration project to repair the ornate building including original features such as machinery and a reservoir.
Rockingham Kiln near Rotherham, a rare survival of what was once an internationally renowned porcelain works, was added to the register in 2022 but has now undergone repairs and changes to its management.
The Heritage at Risk Register 2025 at a glance:
- 1,460 buildings or structures (Grade I and II* listed buildings and structural scheduled monuments across England, plus Grade II listed buildings in London)
- 986 places of worship
- 1,864 archaeology entries (non-structural scheduled monuments)
- 105 parks and gardens
- 3 battlefields
- 4 protected wreck sites and
- 469 conservation areas
