Feature Assessment: Built Environment / Listed buildings
# Listed buildings [we need to add the map in]
Overall vulnerability |
# Feature assessed:
- Listed buildings
# Special qualities:
- Characteristic settlements with strong communities and traditions
# Feature description:
A listed building is one that has been designated as having special architectural or historic interest and is given extra protection in recognition of its importance to Britain’s heritage.
The PDNP has some 2,900 listed buildings.
There are three grades of listing: Grade I for the finest buildings of most importance. Grade I listed buildings in the Peak District include Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall.
Grade II* for buildings of exceptional quality or containing special features. Ilam Hall and Eyam Hall are examples of Grade II* buildings within the National Park.
Grade II is for buildings of special interest. Around 94% of listed buildings come under this category.
# How vulnerable are listed buildings?
Listed buildings in the PDNP have been rated ‘moderate’ on our vulnerability scale. This score is due to high sensitivity and exposure to climate change variables, coupled with a reasonable overall current condition, and a high adaptive capacity.
Only one property in the PDNP is currently on the national Heritage at Risk register that provides information on those under threat, however it only includes Grade I and II* buildings. The PDNPA holds its own list of buildings at risk, which includes 160 listed buildings (156 Grade II and 4 Grade II*). Climate change may increase damage to these buildings from extreme weather events such as flooding and storm damage. Greater fluctuations in temperature may also damage building structure as well as foundations. The designation of listed building status does provide some protection but the very nature of the properties means that changing them to make them more thermally efficient or modifying their rainwater goods for example, may be detrimental to what makes them special.
The buildings that are likely to be most vulnerable are those which are uninhabited, or those in private ownership that have limited resources available.
Overall potential impact rating | |
Overall adaptive capacity rating |
# Current condition
There is currently only one listed building in the PDNP on Historic England’s 'Heritage at Risk' register: Critchlow Monument, Sheen in the Staffordshire Moorlands which is recorded as being in “very bad” condition. However there are likely to be many Grade II listed buildings "at risk", but only Grade I and Grade II* are on the register. The PDNPA holds its own list of buildings at risk, which includes 160 listed buildings (156 Grade II and 4 Grade II*). The condition of these listed buildings may have changed however as some of the listings data is old.
There are stricter planning controls in place for listed buildings. While these help to safeguard buildings they can also make it more difficult for protective measures, such as flood proofing, to be put in place due to the more stringent planning requirements for alterations.
There is a pressure to increase the thermal efficiency of buildings, and develop alternative power sources such as solar energy and ground source heat, whilst retaining historical features. However, such changes could be detrimental to the function and aesthetics of the buildings and the townscapes and landscapes beyond them, and therefore creative approaches are needed.