Bus shelter and Rolls-Royce test hangar among buildings gaining listed status

A thatched bus shelter, a cattle trough and a series of Robin Hood sculptures are among the more unusual heritage places gaining listed status this year.

Highlights from the 952 buildings and sites given new or upgraded protection in 2018 also include the elaborate Crystal Palace pedestrian subway in London and the thatched cricket pavilion at Uppingham School, Rutland.

Government heritage agency Historic England said the year saw 924 new listed buildings and structures, including 638 war memorials to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.

There were also 19 new scheduled monuments, including a rare late prehistoric walled settlement at East Mellwaters, County Durham, and eight new registered parks and gardens, including a rare Arts and Crafts garden laid out in the 1930s, at Kingcombe, Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire.

And one new battlefield was registered, the site of the Battle of Winwick, Warrington, also known as Battle of Red Bank which was fought in 1648 and was the last battle in the Second English Civil War.

Among the more startling heritage to get new or upgraded listed status include a thatched memorial bus shelter, at Osmington, West Dorset, in memory of a 20-year-old killed in the Second World War.

A cattle trough in London that is a reminder of the days of horse-drawn transport and Robin Hood sculptures in Nottingham to mark the visit of then Princess Elizabeth are also among the highlights.

They join Rolls-Royce wing test hangars at Hucknall airfield, Nottinghamshire, the tidal observatory at Newlyn, Cornwall and the sign from a pub called the Cock which stands in Sutton High Street on the list of 23 remarkable heritage sites highlighted for 2018.

Also among the highlights is St John the Baptist Church, and its boundary walls, vicarage and school in Pendeen, Cornwall, whose castle like surrounding walls were described by poet Sir John Betjeman as “like a toy fort”.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England said: “Historic England ensures that England’s most significant places are protected and 2018 has seen some remarkable ones added to the List.

“From an old lifeboat house in Essex to a former railway station in Otterington to the Cock sign in Sutton High Street, our fascinating history and heritage is celebrated through listing.

“We encourage people to understand and enjoy the wonderful range of historic places on their own doorsteps and by listing them we are protecting them for future generations.”

Michael Ellis, Heritage Minister, said: “Our historic buildings and places help us to make sense of our past and to understand the world we live in today.

“Protecting our heritage ensures that future generations can enjoy, and learn about, our rich history and I am pleased to see that a large number of important places have been added to the National Heritage List in 2018.”