What Grants A Building Listed Status?
Most people are aware of the concept of a listed building, and that it conveys some form of historic or architectural importance, but fewer people are aware of the specifics and the implications for listed building restoration.
Essentially, each country in the United Kingdom has a statutory list of protected buildings and structures (updated and tracked by Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Cadw in Wales).
These buildings each have some form of special heritage to them that makes it important to preserve them as much as possible for future generations, with three grades (Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II) of importance.
However, the exact criteria for what grants a building listed status can vary, as it is largely dependent on the decisions of the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to ultimately decide with the help of recommendations from the four statutory agencies.
Typically, there are two main criteria that will affect whether a building receives listed status or not. The first is time, and the second is a set of characteristics that make it important to keep.
The general rule is that the older a building is that is in close to its original condition, the more likely it is to make the list of protected buildings, as there are often fewer examples of a particular type of architectural style that survive intact through the ages.
Typically, the priority list for listed status is:
Any surviving building built before 1700, providing it has some resemblance to its original character.
The vast majority of buildings built between 1700 and 1840, although the organisations tend to prioritise unique examples and examples of endangered architecture.
The major works of architects and architectural movements between 1841 and 1914.
Any historically important, high-quality buildings built between 1915 and 1939.
Limited, unique, often endangered outliers made after 1940.
The other forms of important characteristics are divided by DCMS into four specific groups:
Buildings of architectural interest that have important design or decorative characteristics or signs of particular heritage craftwork.
Buildings which provide insight into the UK’s history, be it cultural, economic or social.
Buildings linked to major people or events in history.
Buildings that are less historically important on their own but form a vital part of a group.