East Lancashire heritage sites 'at risk'

A survey of England’s Grade I and II buildings, monuments, parks, gardens and landscapes by English Heritage has revealed a number of historical gems in the county whose future is under threat from “neglect, decay and change”.

Entitled Heritage At Risk, the project's first annual report was made public this week, and the register of buildings, battlefields and shipwrecks identifies 29 sites in total in Lancashire.

With five at risk, Burnley has the most sites in East Lancashire: Extwistle Hall and attached garden wall in Briercliffe; The Holme in Cliviger; an arched gateway and garden wall attached to south front of Shuttleworth Hall, Hapton; Shuttleworth Hall: barn on north east side of the road opposite Hurstwood Hall, Worsthorne.

Also on the register are the Canal Basin and Coke Oven in Hyndburn; Parkers Farmhouse in Cow Hill Lane, Rishton; Townhead in Slaidburn; Whalley Abbey (west range); a weaving mill power unit at Grane Mill, Lane Side Road, Haslingden; and a summerhouse east of Turton Tower, Chapeltown Road, North Turton.

Of these, Extwistle Hall, The Holme and Whalley Abbey are in the worst state of repair, according to English Heritage.

English Heritage is also in the process of identifying parks and landscapes at risk, including Woodfold Park in Mellor, which was laid out in the 1790s to accompany a country house designed by James Wyatt for Henry Sudell, a local cotton magnate.

A spokesperson said: “We are not yet publishing the full list of parks because we are still in discussion with owners, but there will undoubtedly be more in East Lancashire.

"Woodfold Park is just one case study we wanted to highlight.”

English Heritage, the government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment, is hoping Heritage At Risk, which shows one in 12 sites are at risk, will “galvanise the public into action before it’s too late”.

Do you know of any special sites in East Lancashire that need protecting? Add your comments below.