A MEDIEVAL wall which formed part of Evesham Abbey has been saved after it was taken off the heritage at risk register thanks to repair work.

Abbot Reginald’s Wall, Evesham, has parts that are Grade I and II listed and lies within a conservation area   but had fallen into a state of disrepair. 

Abbot Reginald's wall forms part of the main ecclesiastical complex of Evesham Abbey, built between 1317 and 1344, fragments of which survive to this day.

The rebuilding of the collapsed section and repairs to an adjoining wall have been completed, but sections of wall were still in poor condition.

Historic England offered a repair grant of £166,972 for a scheme of repair and consolidation, part of a wider restoration of the former allotment gardens recently completed by the Evesham Abbey Trust.   

Louise Brennan, Historic England Regional Director (Midlands) said: “After a quarter of a century of the Heritage at Risk Register, we are delighted that important sites such as the Main Mill at Ditherington Flax Mill (now known as ‘Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings’) and Evesham Abbey have been saved. We hope the Register continues to help save more irreplaceable heritage sites and encourages local people to care for and enjoy their heritage.”  

Historic England revealed on Thursday its Heritage at Risk Register 2023. The Register gives an annual snapshot of the health of England’s valued historic buildings and places.  

Over the past year, 19 historic buildings and sites have been added to the Register in the West Midlands because they are at risk of neglect, decay or inappropriate development and 21 sites have been saved and their futures secured.

In total in England, there are 4871 entries on the Heritage at Risk Register in 2023 – 48 fewer than in 2022. 

Across the West Midlands, significant sites added to the Heritage at Risk Register 2023 include: Holbeche House in Dudley, Longton Central Methodist Hall and Priory House at Much Wenlock. 

Significant sites saved and removed from the Heritage at Risk Register 2023 in the region include: Abbott Reginald’s Wall in Evesham and Chetwynd Bridge in Lichfield. 

In 2022/2023, Historic England awarded £515,000 in grants for repairs to 18 historic places and sites, including conservation areas, in the West Midlands, on the Heritage at Risk Register.   

Many buildings and sites have been rescued with the help and commitment of local people, communities, charities, owners and funders including The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Historic England’s expert advice, grant aid and creative thinking has also been key in delivering people’s visions for how these historic places can be used again. However, more work needs to be done as more buildings and places become at risk. 

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of the first national Heritage at Risk Register (previously known as the Buildings at Risk Register).

Over the past 25 years, since it began in 1998, around 6,800 entries have been removed. This equates to around three-quarters of the entries that were on the original Register. 

Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:  "It is heartening to see that so many sites have had their futures secured and have been taken off the Register over the past year thanks to the hard work of Historic England and local people."