SEVENTEEN BRISTOL BUILDINGS ON HERITAGE ‘AT RISK’ REGISTER
MORE than a dozen historic sites across Bristol, from churches to ancient lodges, are at risk of being lost forever.
A total of 17 iconic sites across the city are named on Historic England’s Heritage At Risk Register.
The list is updated each year and provides a snapshot of the UK’s most valued historic places and those which are at most risk of being lost.
Sites on the 2020 list include the swing bridge at Cumberland Basin, the Church of St Peter’s in Castle Park and Ashton Court Mansion in Long Ashton.
In total this year, 71 sites across the South West have been added to the register because of concerns about their condition.
But 53 have also been saved and removed from the list and, over the past year, Historic England has offered £1.58 million in grants to help some of the region’s historic sites.
Historic England’s regional director in the South West Rebecca Barrett said: “In challenging times such as these, heritage can provide a sense of continuity and bring us solace. We also know that investing in historic places can help boost our economic recovery.”
However, it is not all bad news in the Bristol area, as some sites have been protected from an uncertain future.
One of these is the heavy antiaircraft battery at Rockingham Park in the city.
This scheduled monument forms part of the war defences which sprung up in and around Bristol from 1939, to protect the city, its industrial fringe and the docks at Avonmouth – all heavily targeted by Luftwaffe throughout the Second World War.
By 1943, 20 heavy anti-aircraft batteries could be counted in the area along with many other mobile guns. Of those, only a handful still exist today.
The battery at Rockingham Park was decommissioned in 1945 and has slowly deteriorated.
In 2014, the owner initiated the long process of recovering the site but by then it was mostly hidden under invasive vegetation.
The project, recently completed, has included the stabilisation of the structures and the creation of a pathway to access the structures.
The site is once again open to locals and visitors alike and new interpretation panels help to tell the story of this important monument.
Also removed from the list is the Church of St Peter’s in Bishopsworth, Bristol.
The much-loved and well-used church was built in 1842 to a design by Samuel Charles Fripp.
Its distinctive Norman Revival style and slightly elevated position makes St Peter’s Church a landmark in the area.
Sadly, a combination of weathering, weak building materials and some poor past repairs led to some significant problems.
The community raised almost half of the £185,000 needed to carry
out the most urgent repairs to the building and was awarded the remaining amount by charitable foundations.
The project was successfully completed in 2019 and included not only full masonry repairs but also the restoration of the tower clock face, which won an award by the Bristol Diocesan Advisory Committee.
Mrs Barrett added: “The 53 places rescued from the register this year show us that real progress is being made – sites lovingly rescued and brought back into use as new homes, businesses and community spaces.
“But there is still a long way to go and many more historic buildings and places need the right care and attention, funding, partnerships and community support to give them a brighter future.”