17 Remarkable Historic Places Listed in 2024

Listed at Grade II | Read the List entry

Birth of modern neo-natal and post-natal care: changing the lives of countless mothers and their babies from 1928 onwards.

The former maternity ward at Princess Royal Community Hospital is a rare example of a relatively unaltered maternity ward from 1928. Built following the 1918 Maternity and Child Welfare Act, which greatly improved care for expectant mothers and children, it reflects a pivotal moment in the development of public healthcare for women.

This 'bungalow ward', designed in the Arts and Crafts style, was built as part of Huddersfield Municipal Maternity Hospital. Its original floor plan, designed with infection control, sanitation and care of new mothers at its heart, has remained unchanged over the years.

The focus is on well-ventilated single occupancy rooms – a progressive departure from the traditional communal wards of the era. This design reduced the risks of contagious diseases as well as potentially fatal 'childbed fever' also known as puerperal fever, a bacterial infection affecting women after childbirth.

Alongside communal pavilion rooms and patios to enhance the wellbeing of recovering mothers, the ward represents a revolutionary progression in British healthcare, at a time when mortality rates for new mothers were very high.

The success of this new form of maternity care resulted in new buildings on the site being opened in July 1939 by Princess Mary, the then Princess Royal, and in 1940, the complex was given the new name of the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital.

It remained a maternity hospital for 56 years. The last baby born at the hospital was in October 1984, after which it became the Princess Royal Community Hospital.

Listed at Grade II | Read the List entry

Before the advent of sat-nav in Britain, drivers relied on signposts or fingerposts, especially at crossroads to help them find their way. Once a common feature of road junctions, 19th and 20th-century fingerposts are now becoming increasingly rare. Erected between 1902 and 1921, this early 20th-century signpost predates the 1922 requirement for direction fingers to display road classification numbers, a reflection of the rise in importance of well-marked transport routes at the time.

Unlike many surviving examples, the Toddington Fingerpost is not built to a standardised design. Designed in the tradition of folk art and likely crafted by a local blacksmith, it features pointing hands at the ends of 3 painted direction arms.

It is thought to have been influenced by the late 17th-century, Grade II listed Teddington Hands guidepost nearby, an echo of much earlier road signage.

Over the years, many of these quirky, functional historic structures have been replaced by high-visibility street signs. The rare survival of the Fingerpost at Toddington stands as an important reminder of a time when Britain's road networks were developing, transforming both work and leisure travel.

List amendment at Grade I | Read the List entry

Cromford Mills saw the invention of the factory system of production and has been dubbed the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Built in 1771 by Sir Richard Arkwright and expanded in the 19th century, the mill complex contains a number of buildings covered by 9 Grade I list entries on the National Heritage List for England.

It was at Cromford in the 1770s that Richard Arkwright harnessed water power to drive his 'water frame' cotton spinning machines. He built a series of imposing mill buildings which were to become a blueprint for factory production, the forerunner of the textile mills and mill towns of the midlands and north of England, and also across the world.

The mill complex was first listed in 1950 and at that time was covered by a single Grade I List entry. The List description for the whole mill complex has now been updated to better reflect the site's history and exceptional special interest. Cromford Mills is on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register and The Arkwright Society is working to bring the buildings back into use.

Listed at Grade II | Read the List entry

The Mitre Inn in Stourbridge, built between 1932 and 1934, is a remarkable example of the nationwide movement to transform public houses into more respectable drinking establishments. Its Tudor-inspired design, known as 'Brewer's Tudor', was aimed at elevating the status of pubs through a more refined architectural style.

Designed by Scott and Clarke of Wednesbury, accomplished local architects who designed many high-quality pubs in the inter-war years, the Mitre Inn boasts a bold exterior reminiscent of a medieval pub, with striking black-and-white timber beams on the first floor and embellished glass windows. The interior of the pub retains its original fittings, including intricate stained glass, bespoke fireplaces and an ornately decorated ceiling.

This Brewer's Tudor-style pub stands as a hallmark of the 'improved' pub movement during the inter-war years. With its bold exterior and richly decorated interior, the Mitre Inn represents a turning point in British pub culture to attract a more respectable, middle-class audience, leaving behind the reputation of drunkenness of Victorian pubs.

Listed at Grade II | Read the List entry

The Wallasey Central Library opened in 1911 and is an exceptional example of a pre-First World War library supported by the Carnegie Trust, a prominent charity supporting education for all. The building stands out as one of the best-preserved Carnegie libraries with symmetrical facades in the country, showcasing the vision of Andrew Carnegie, who was perhaps the most prolific benefactor of English libraries, funding around 3,000 of them across the globe.

The library's architectural interest lies in its impressive Edwardian Baroque exterior showcasing bold contrasting colours and decorated terracotta, with a well-preserved interior featuring rich aquamarine tiles along the lower walls and staircase. A rarity for libraries of this age, it retains much of its original features, including shelving, radiators, and adjustable fresh-air vents.

The library is attached to the former Earlston House, which has been in continuous use as a library since 1899 and became one of the earliest separate children's libraries in 1915. This was a significant moment in the development of children's library services in the early 20th century. Despite having to be remodelled after bomb damage during the Second World War, it continues to be a much-valued community library for children of all ages.

Listed at Grade II | Read the List entry

Dating back to the early 19th century, the Ashby Walled Garden stands as an early example of a detached walled garden that predates the spread of walled gardens in the mid-19th century. This rare survivor was built as a later addition to Ashby Hall, an estate constructed in 1595 as a private residence for the King family and briefly served as a girls’ school between 1814 and 1835.

The garden’s distinctive hexagonal shape was designed to impress visitors to the estate and is an unusual feature for a walled garden. Enclosed within the red brick walls of the garden are remnants of multiple Victorian glasshouses, which were heated to create an ideal microclimate for nurturing plants. With brick arches that provided heat sources, a boiler house with a chimney for heating the walls, and ventilation mechanisms, the walled garden was an innovative system that allowed for precise environmental control when gardening.

Listed at Grade II | Read the List entry

A distinctive silhouette against the Surrey Hills, Wonersh United Reformed Church is a striking example of free Gothic Revival architecture in the late 19th century, when church design took a turn for the unconventional. Built in 1880, the church showcases the bold vision of accomplished architect William Howard Seth-Smith, with an impressive roofscape featuring a pair of needle-like spires stretching up from its steeply sloped roofs. Its spacious interior boasts a well-crafted, dignified design, with pointed arches framed by austere cream brick walls.

The church is a testament to the long history of worship of the Congregationalists, and later the United Reformed Church, in Wonersh. Its origins can be traced back to a wealthy Guildford butcher, William Colebrook, who initially hosted services for his workers on his estate. As the congregation grew, the need for a dedicated place of worship led to the church's construction, built on land donated by Seth-Smith's father.

With features remaining largely intact for over 140 years, the church is a tangible link to its Nonconformist past, a remarkable reflection of the expanding social role played by Nonconformist churches in late-Victorian Britain.