Military Structures

This guide outlines our approaches to listing England’s military buildings and structures, some of the most eloquent witnesses to the impact of world events on our national story. Military sites are both offensive and defensive: they include fortifications designed to withstand assaults, and bases from which operations could be launched. To these the twentieth century added buildings designed to protect civilians from various forms of air-attack. Some structures are unique; other types, particularly in the twentieth century, were constructed using standard designs, methods of construction and materials.

Naval buildings are covered in the Maritime and Naval Buildings selection guide. Military hospitals are touched upon in the Health and Welfare Buildings selection guide. There is also cross-over with places of military production in the Industrial Buildings selection guide, and with communications centres in the Infrastructure: Utilities and Communications selection guide. War memorials and other monuments are considered under Commemorative Structures.

This is one of a series of guides which set out some of our approaches to listing buildings. Covering twenty broad categories of building types, they including historical overviews and special considerations for listing, plus select bibliographies. They are primarily intended to develop understanding of listed buildings and structures, and to offer insight into listing decision making.