Two Norfolk churches and a country house built using the remains of a medieval abbey have been added to a list of heritage deemed to be at risk.
However, there is better news for three more of the county's historic buildings which have undergone crucial work to preserve them.
Winnold House in Wereham, near Downham Market, the remains of the parish church of Mannington, in the grounds of Mannington Hall, near Itteringham, and the Church of St John De Sepulchre in Norwich's Ber Street have been added to Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.
However, three other historic buildings – north Norfolk's Wolterton Hall Park, the Church of St Nicholas at Wells and St Peter's Church in Forncett – have all been removed from the list.
Inclusion on the list is often a way to raise awareness of the risks they face and to secure grants, including from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Capital Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, to protect the properties.
Baroness Twycross (Image: David Parry Media Assignments/PA Wire)
Heritage minister Baroness Twycross said: “This year’s register is an important reminder of the pressures facing our historic environment, from ageing buildings and structural deterioration to the impacts of extreme weather.
"I want us to build on our progress to ensure our heritage is protected for generations to come."
THE SITES THAT HAVE BEEN SAVED
St Peter’s Church, Forncett
The Church of St Peter in Forncett (Image: Historic England Archive / Sarah J Lever)
The 10th century church's striking Saxon round tower is considered one of the finest in England.
The church includes a 15th century alabaster tomb, intricately carved pew ends, a rare ancient wooden staircase and a memorial connected to the Wordsworth family.
Poet William Wordsworth's younger sister Dorothy spent her formative years in the village.
St Peter's church at Forncett pictured in 1961 (Image: Newsquest Archive)
The church was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2019 due to deteriorating roofs and masonry and inadequate drainage.
The Church of St Nicholas, Wells
St Nicholas Church in Wells-next-the-Sea has undergone a six-year restoration project (Image: Alison Bowles)
The Grade II* medieval church, which originally dates to at least the 13th century, was saved thanks to community fundraising.
That, along with money from The National Lottery Heritage Fund enabled repair works to secure the long-term future of a much-loved landmark.
Wolterton Hall Park and Garden, Wolterton
Wolterton Hall (Image: Historic England Archive / Sarah J Lever)
The magnificent 500-acre park and 19th century conservatory have been restored to their former glory after they were added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2010.
The Ellis family bought the hall, between Holt and Aylsham, in 2023 and have spent three years restoring the Grade I-listed Palladian mansion and its gardens.
The Peach House at Wolterton Hall (Image: Historic England Archive / Sarah J Lever)
The family has completed major conservation projects, including de-silting the lake, repairing the historic Peach House, and extensive work to the stable block.
THE SITES THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED
Winnold House, Wereham
Winnold House (Image: SHADOW4 / Wikipedia Commons (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en))
Winnold or Winwall House is an isolated former farmhouse in Wereham, near Downham Market.
The Grade II*-listed building incorporates the remains of a 12th century chapel built for the monks of a small priory belonging to the French Abbey of St Saulve and St Guénolé at Montreuil-sur-Mer.
By 1588, the chapel had been converted into a house, with major repairs in the 19th century.
Remains of the parish church of Mannington
The ruins of the parish church of Mannington (Image: Jonathan Neville / Wikipedia Commons (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en))
Also known as the ruins of St Mary's Church, the building is a Grade II* listed roofless medieval church on the Mannington Hall estate, near Itteringham.
It's earliest parts of them may date to around 1100, but it was remodelled in 1350.
It was derelict and disused by the 1730s, but much of its structure was rebuilt in the 19th century, with Horatio William Walpole, the fourth Earl of Orford, laid to rest there, in a sarcophagus, after his death in 1894.
Church of St John De Sepulchre, Ber Street, Norwich
St John De Sepulchre Church in Norwich (Image: Jamie Honeywood)
Parts of St John De Sepulchre, on the corner of Ber Street and Finkelgate, date back to the 11th or 12th century and it was mentioned in the Domesday Book.
The nave, chancel and north porch were rebuilt in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, while the vestry was constructed in 1906.
The church, which became redundant in 1984, has been on the Heritage at Risk list previously.
That led to grants from Historic England and the Norfolk Churches Trust which helped prevent collapse of the medieval chancel, and reinforced the church's buttresses.
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