William the Conqueror's castle and Dickens' writing retreat among 197 English heritage sites at risk

Historic England, the public body responsible for protecting the country's historic environment, says extreme weather, coastal erosion and deteriorating structures are threatening some of England's best-known landmarks, The Guardian reported on November 5.

Among the additions is Hastings Castle in East Sussex, commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman invasion of 1066 to consolidate his control over England's southern coast.

The castle has stood in ruins for centuries, but its exposed coastal position has left sections of its surviving walls increasingly vulnerable to erosion and extreme weather.

Another addition is Charles Dickens' two-story, Swiss-style writing chalet in Rochester, Kent. Originally located in the garden of his home at Gads Hill Place, the wooden retreat offered the novelist a quiet place to work.

Dickens used the chalet while writing works including Our Mutual Friend and his unfinished final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The building was relocated to Rochester in the 1960s and now requires repairs to its deteriorating wooden structure.

Hall's Croft in Stratford-upon-Avon, the former home of William Shakespeare's daughter, has also been added to the register. The 17th-century timber-framed building needs funding for repairs, including damage caused when a vehicle struck it.

The list also includes Fylingdales Moor in North Yorkshire, where a wildfire in 2025 damaged approximately 25 square kilometers of moorland and forest.

Emma Squire, joint chief executive of Historic England, said changing weather patterns were putting growing pressure on historic sites.

"More extreme weather events and coastal erosion are definitely themes," she said. "Water ingress and subsidence feature more than they have done in the past because of changing weather patterns."

There was some good news for England's historic landmarks: 85 sites were removed from the at-risk register following conservation efforts.

They include Newlyn Harbour in Cornwall and a historic hut in Gloucestershire associated with Edward Jenner, the pioneer of vaccination.

Historic England uses the register to identify heritage sites requiring attention and help direct conservation efforts toward them.