Why Not Contribute to the Missing Pieces Project?

Different types of contributions

• If you have some social history that you can add, we love to hear from you.
• It might just be a photo, we love these! They can add current context, especially to older descriptions.
• Sometimes the List entry can be succinct, so you can add pertinent information, but not into the official list entry. Your contribution will be in our special contributions section of the National Heritage List for England record.
• If you spot a mistake in the List entry, please contact the Minor Amendments team using this form. 

More about the Missing Pieces Project

A picture is worth a thousand words

We can describe a building, location, or site in words. But sometimes a picture just helps. It sets the scene and gives the viewer an impression of what makes the historic place special or beautiful.

Here we see an ancient Anglo-Saxon monastery building in its surroundings, with the sun setting, and we can imagine the last few rays disappearing. 

Adding your history and memories

There may be buildings that mean something to you because they've played a part in your or your family’s lives, as well as being part of our shared heritage. Perhaps they hold special memories that are unique to you and you alone.

Memories of the warmth of a family home can comfort us emotionally and remind us of times gone by. These personal memories and photos add a layer of emotional connection. Equally, you can share your emotional connection to a historic place in the present day.

Adding information

These contributions are by people who have a deep knowledge of the building or site or are documenting evidence that supports special and architectural interest.

Askett Green, Princes Risborough

Peter Aldington, who designed Askett Green, added the comment below:

It isn’t just the architect of the listed building who can add specific and pertinent, and lesser-known information. Anyone with small bits of information can really add to the picture.

Old Lifeboat Station, Rye Harbour

The List entry for the Old Lifeboat Station states that:

But it's the RNLI contribution that explains why the disaster was so devastating for Rye:

I think this extra piece of information demonstrates just how impactful this disaster was.

We just don’t know everything about a building

If I said that we listed a 4 feet high cast iron cod weighing 17 stone, you might need to see a photo? 

The weird and wonderful (as above) or sometimes a poignant hidden connection is just under the surface.

The List entry for The Ship Inn in Medway talks about the partly panelled walls, but the Missing Pieces contributions tell us that it is one of the country’s oldest gay bars.

For Holocaust Memorial Day and LGBTQ+ History Month in 2021, The Ship Inn and the Chatham Memorial Synagogue came together for the ‘Closer Than You Think’ project.

We’d love to hear more of the stories and pictures that help us understand what these places mean to you.

Your view of a place is as unique as you are, so every snapshot and story you add is an important piece of the picture.

And the more pieces of the picture we have, the better we can work together to protect what makes these places special.

Let’s bring these List entries to life.