Heritage at Risk Register 2023: See Wirral's full list

The Heritage at Risk Register gives "an annual snapshot of the health of England's valued historic buildings and places", according to the public body.

The public body revealed its annual list  on November 8, which has seen 159 historic buildings and sites added, and 203 sites removed after being rescued in the past year.

Historic England regional director Tony Calladine said: "It is truly inspirational to see communities coming together to help save historic buildings and places and find new uses for them."

Arts and heritage minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: "It is heartening to see that so many sites have had their futures secured and have been taken off the register over the past year thanks to the hard work of Historic England and local people."

This year’s list marks its 25th publication, having begun in 1998 as the Buildings at Risk Register.

Historic England said since the inception of the list, 6,800 entries have been removed, which equates to around three-quarters of the entries that were on the original Register.

In total, there are 4,871 entries on the Heritage at Risk Register in 2023 – 48 fewer than in 2022.

The Register includes:

• Buildings and structures
• Places of worship
• Archaeology entries
• Registered parks and gardens
• Registered battlefields
• Protected wreck sites
• Conservation areas

Wirral has 14 entries for 2023. Here is a look at the full list:

Thornton Manor, Manor Road

Country House and the original principal residence of Viscount Leverhulme. Built 1840 in Jacobean style and expanded up to the 1920's. Decorative stonework with pierced balustrades and mullioned windows. A house and estate designed to impress; with extensive external parterre gardens along the entire southern facing elevations; outdoor dining area; fernery off the Renaissance style music room with Henry Willis organ. Devastated by a fire in 2022 which has badly damaged the interior. 

Condition: Very bad

Fort Perch Rock, Marine Promenade, New Brighton

Coastal fort 1826-9 with later additions, built to defend the approach to Liverpool. Used as a museum until recently but now closed. Corner towers are missing render. Stone to gateway is weathering and coat of arms rusting. Balconies to the seaward side are corroding. An overall strategy to address condition is required for the long term and a considerable amount of concern regarding the poor condition has been expressed by the local community.

Condition: Poor

Fort Perch Rock (Image: Creative Commons)

Storeton Hall, Red Hill Road

Remains of C14 house with high-quality architectural details incorporated into farm buildings. Planning permission for repair and conversion to two dwellings granted. Consolidation and repair of envelope of building almost complete. Following completion of envelope repairs, and conversion of the interior, the building will be removed from the Register.

Condition: Good

Church of St Mary, Liscard

Victorian Gothic style church dating to 1877 by local architect EW Nobbs with subsequent tower of 1882 and vestries in 1907. The rear roofs are complicated and prone to periodic water ingress. This has caused several outbreaks of dry rot. The latest outbreak is substantial and a re-roofing project is being planned whilst scaffolding supports the primary roof timbers.

Condition: Poor

Church of St James, Victoria Road

Gothic Revival church of 1854 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, with elaborately painted canted chancel, five bay north and south arcade. Soaring landmark five-stage tower which has undergone extensive restoration with funding support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. A further phase of stone restoration work is required to the window tracery before the church can be removed from the Register.

Condition: Poor

St James's Church, New Brighton (Image: Creative Commons)

Church of St Paul, Church Crescent, Wallasey

Mid C19 Gothic style church, extended in 1859 and 1891. Two phases of work have been recently completed to reinstate the spire top and to repair the west elevation and stair turret. Several further phases of reroofing works are needed to all the main roofs and the concealed valley gutter.

Condition: Poor

Church of St Nicholas, Newport Avenue, Wallasey

Gothic style church built in 1910 from locally sourced rockfaced Storeton sandstone. Located close to the coast, the overarching problem with the fabric is the erosion of the soft sandstone by a combination of wind and rain. The inner brick core of the wall has been exposed in places, leading to problematic ingress of water.

Condition: Poor

Roman Catholic Church of St Michael and All Angels, Woodchurch

Modern church constructed in 1965 by RIBA Gold Medal winning architect Richard O’Mahony. Located on the axial road through the Woodchurch housing estate. The design is dominated by the tall tent-like metal clad roof which springs from the corners of the worship area and rises to 83 feet above the sanctuary floor. The 50 year old roof has now been partially replaced to alleviate the worst of the water ingress problems, with the support of a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant. A further phase of roof replacement is required.

Condition: Poor

Moated site 400 metres north east of New Hall, Wirral

Condition: Extensive significant problems

Flaybrick Memorial Gardens

A public cemetery opened in 1864 and extended in the late C19 and early C20. The layout was designed by Edward Kemp and the buildings by Lucy & Littler. Historic England match funded a local authority scheme to repair and consolidate the ruined chapels, which are now being maintained. A Conservation Management Plan has been adopted by the local authority. There is a positive relationship with the local authority and Friends Group through regular steering group meetings. The Friends have raised money for interpretation and improvements and run popular tours.

Condition: Generally satisfactory but with significant localised problems

Thornton Manor Park, Bebington

Park and gardens designed by Thomas Hayton Mawson in collaboration with the industrialist and philanthropist William Hesketh Lever, later first Viscount Leverhulme. This privately owned property, which is used for exclusive events, has longstanding conservation and repair works required both in the house and grounds. Gardens around the house are maintained but the pergola is in an advanced state of decay and the lake and woodland are in poor condition. Numerous structures require conservation repairs throughout the landscape.

Condition: Generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems

Clifton Park, Tranmere

• Designation: Conservation Area, 22 LBs
• Condition: Poor

Flaybrick Cemetery, Bidston

• Designation: Conservation Area, 7 LBs, part in RPG grade II*
• Condition: Very bad

Hamilton Square, Birkenhead

• Designation: Conservation Area, 43 LBs
• Condition: Very bad

To see the full list, visit here.