Historic England Advice Helping to Preserve Rural Heritage for the Future

This late 18^th century to early 19^th century lodge gateway incorporates a Tudor-style arch providing a formal access to a historical parkland setting. It was originally flanked by single-storey wings providing accommodation for the lodge gate keeper.

The arch is important to the local community as it stands at the entrance to Badby Woods on one of the former carriage drives to the Fawsley Estate. With permission of the Estate by way of a permissive path, it is regularly used by the local community allowing them to access circular walking routes within Badby Woods.

 The condition of the arched gate has deteriorated significantly over recent years requiring it to be fenced off due to Health and Safety concerns. The Arch is presently at danger of collapse. The feasibility study will allow for the arch to be safely propped and in turn lead to a capital grant for repair works allowing the public to enjoy this picturesque feature once again.

Scadbury Medieval Moated Manor, located within Scadbury Park Nature Reserve, was first settled in the 13th century. Today, the site includes the remains of a brick 16th-century manor house associated with the Walsingham family, who had close connections with the Tudor court.

King Henry VIII appointed Sir Edmund Walsingham as Lieutenant of the Tower of London, responsible for prisoners held there including Queen Anne Boleyn; his nephew Sir Francis Walsingham became Queen Elizabeth I’s ‘spymaster’.

Queen Elizabeth I knighted Sir Thomas Walsingham at Scadbury in 1597. Thomas Walsingham was an associate of the playwright Christopher Marlowe, who is thought to have been staying at Scadbury when being sought for arrest on a charge of blasphemy. The brick house was demolished in 1738 but was partially repaired in the early 20th century. These repairs are causing problems for the original structure, which now needs conservation and stabilisation.

The project, supported by Historic England, involves the London Borough of Bromley and is supported by the Orpington and District Archaeological Society (ODAS), who have carried out archaeological work at the site since 1986 and the Friends of Scadbury Park. The feasibility study will guide the next phase of conservation work, focusing on the moat walls.

The Limekiln and an undesignated access bridge over the River Gilpin, are 1.2km apart along the Lyth Valley in the Lake District National Park.  The landowners do not have the resources or specialist knowledge to carry out this restoration without the grant, and considerable support from the Countryside Stewardship Heritage Service team.

The limekiln is set within a triangular enclosure and thought to be 18^th century or early 19^th century. The kiln survives reasonably well having previously had work to rebuild one of the side walls, albeit 20^th century. However, the kiln is covered in vegetation and tree growth and is suffering from decaying stonework.  

The bridge was thought to have been installed sometime in the 19^th century while the river was diverted to its current course. Each landowner was afforded a small access bridge for the movement of livestock. At present, the bridge is in a declining condition and other bridges nearby are either collapsed or have been replaced with metal/concrete structures.

The feasibility study will enable the landowners, who have owned this land for generations, to further understand and preserve these two features for future generations.

During 2025, the Countryside Stewardship Heritage Service has advised on two feasibility studies which have now been awarded to support work to improve the condition and management of the historic environment at Lyscombe Nature Reserve.

Dorset Wildlife Trust are the managers of 335 hectares of land at Lyscombe, 10 miles north-east of Dorchester. The Countryside Stewardship Heritage Service has enabled a better understanding of the historic environment and how it can fit with the sites aspiration to create more space for people to enjoy nature and to restore nature across the landscape.

The site is within the Dorset National Landscape with designations including a 50-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI), and several Scheduled Monuments, including Lyscombe Chapel. 

The Grade II listed Priest’s cottage is also adjacent to the chapel. Urgent consolidation works are now required as the repairs to the ruined priest’s house have started to fail leading to loss of flint and brick walling as well as leaving features such as walls, fireplaces and remains of staircases vulnerable.

These studies have deepened our understanding of the archaeological features at Lyscombe, helping to preserve them for future generations. Crucially, by supporting investment in the restoration and careful management of this site, its cultural heritage can be safeguarded while also supporting biodiversity and landscape resilience for generations to come.  

The Fog Battery is a nationally significant feature that forms an integral part of Lundy's rich maritime history. Built to warn ships of the island’s presence during foggy conditions, it was operated by Trinity House personnel who lived on-site with their families. The sound of the guns served as a vital navigational aid, echoing across the Bristol Channel to safeguard passing vessels.

Today, this historic site faces increasing threats from severe storms and prolonged wet weather, which have accelerated the erosion and loss of stone from the ruins. Through this grant funding, essential consolidation work will be undertaken to stabilise and protect the Fog Battery, which is a scheduled monument and currently considered vulnerable in its exposed position, ensuring its survival for future generations.

Beyond its historical importance, this project also supports the natural environment. In recent years, the natural repopulation of a puffin breeding colony on the Battery headland has brought ecological success and renewed interest in the area resulting in a significant increase in visitor footfall, placing additional pressure on the fragile historic structure and its setting. Careful management is now essential to balance the needs of wildlife conservation with the protection of Lundy's cultural heritage. By preserving the structure and managing the surrounding landscape sensitively, the work will help reduce the risk of further environmental degradation caused by unmanaged erosion. 

This is a vital step in safeguarding both Lundy's cultural heritage and its unique natural setting.

Once the home of renowned gardener Ellen Willmott, Warley Place showcases her horticultural expertise and pioneering garden design, including rare features like the Alpine Gorge and Filmy Fern Grotto. 

Since leasing the site in 1977, Essex Wildlife Trust and its volunteers have worked tirelessly to uncover and conserve the remains of Willmott’s Garden. Their efforts have revealed paths, planting schemes, and architectural elements that show the garden’s rich past.

A new feasibility study, supported by the Countryside Stewardship Heritage Service, will ensure that the next phase of the garden’s conservation continues to be informed, sensitive and sustainable.

The study will explore conservation options for the Alpine Gorge and Filmy Fern Grotto as well as the cold frames associated with Willmott’s extensive plant propagation. This study marks a significant step toward the conservation of one of Essex’s most enchanting, designed landscapes.

Warley Place is open to visitors at any time of year. There is a small car park on site open from dawn to dusk.

Whitley Castle (Epiacum Roman Fort) is one of the best examples of a Roman fort with multiple ditches in England. This ancient site holds a wealth of archaeological and environmental evidence that can deepen our understanding of Roman military strategy, settlement patterns, and interactions with communities in Northern England.

The fort is known to be located along the Roman road known as the Maiden Way and can be appreciated in the context of nearby remains from a range of time periods up to the present day. The site is looked after by the farm through sympathetic management practices, including by establishing the Epiacum Heritage Charity. There is permissive access to the monument and interpretation, including a children's trail.

Undertaking a feasibility study offers significant benefits, not just for archaeological conservation, but also for protecting the natural environment. The study will help identify long-term conservation strategies for this nationally important Scheduled Monument, including ways to mitigate the impacts of climate change on its fragile archaeological deposits, and from animal burrowing and erosion from livestock.

Importantly, the study will also explore practical solutions to current land management challenges, including visitor access, ensuring safe and sustainable farm vehicle routes, flooding and farm water supply management.

Chillingham Park and the Chillingham Wild Cattle are both of national significance. The former has Grade II status on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest (Historic England), and the latter is a Native Breed At Risk (Defra).

This globally unique landscape-livestock partnership is protected by its owners, the Chillingham Wild Cattle Association (CWCA). The Chillingham cattle are totally wild, and a closed herd, with no human contact, and the oldest recorded Herd Book in the world, having lived in the park for 700-800 years. They are the only pure-bred survival of Europe’s indigenous prehistoric wild cattle.

This feasibility study supported by the Countryside Stewardship Heritage Service will update and refresh our knowledge of the extent, condition and significance of the archaeology on this land. Through the Countryside Stewardship Heritage Service, the landowners are having guidance produced to inform future management of heritage assets.