Dozens of historic buildings and sites across Wiltshire are at risk of loss or decay according to Historic England.
A host of some of Wiltshire’s most iconic landmarks, churches, and historic houses and estates have been included in the 2023 Heritage at Risk Register.
The annual document lists historic sites that are at risk of being lost through neglect, decay or development, and details what is being done to preserve them.
This year 25 Wiltshire buildings and structures, including places of worship, are included in the register alongside 133 archaeological entries and one park and garden.
The sites are prioritised by their condition and what solutions are in place to prevent further loss.
A list of some of the most prominent properties around Wiltshire that have been included in this year’s register can be found below.
Assize Court, Devizes
The prominent former law courts and police station have been disused since 1985 and is in a “very bad” condition, with the interior gutted.
The building is currently at risk of “slow decay” according to Historic England, but emergency works have been undertaken and plans are in place to convert the building into the new home of the Wiltshire Museum.
These plans received a boost when the museum received over £300,000 in development funding from the National Lottery in June.
Devizes Castle
Another prominent Devizes landmark, the scheduled monument and Grade II building has been described as having “extensive significant problems.”
Lansdowne Monument, Cherhill
The Grade II listed monument remains boarded up to protect people from falling debris, with the cost of repairs reportedly stretching to £2.7 million.
The obelisk, constructed in 1845, is described as “poor” and in decline due to weathering, and is at “immediate risk of further rapid deterioration.”
No proposal has yet been agreed for the restoration and repair of the landmark, but the National Trust confirmed this year that an architect has been appointed to develop improvement plans.
Tottenham House, Great Bedwyn
The formerly rundown country house, built in 1825, is currently undergoing repairs and restorations that will see it removed from the register in the future.
The site, which received planning permission for conversion into a family dwelling in 2018 and is now under new ownership, is in the lowest priority category on the register.
This comes after billionaire owner Chris Rokos submitted plans for the renovation of the country estate, which has been vacant since 2005.
The park and garden area linking the house to Savernake Forest is also included in the register, and is described as having “major localised problems” which are improving.
Malmesbury Abbey
The huge church was constructed in the 1100s and once boasted a spire taller than Salisbury Cathedral’s.
But now the abbey is in “poor” condition and suffers from leaks at both the nave and the aisle roof, with repairs needed.
The church was added to the register last year and remains in “slow decay”, with no solution agreed, after it was reported that the necessary repairs could cost £3.5 million.
Nonsuch House, Bromham
A new entry in this year’s register, the early 18th century country manor was gutted in a “catastrophic” fire in 2022.
The blaze left the vacant building in a “very bad” condition, and the house has now been included in the highest priority category by Historic England.
This means that it is at “immediate risk of further rapid deterioration” and that no solution has been agreed with the owners.
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