Understanding the List Entry

This section shows which heritage category the list entry belongs to:

• Listed Building
• Scheduled Monument
• Registered Parks & Garden
• Registered Battlefield
• Protected Wreck
• Certificate of Immunity from Listing (COI)
• Building Preservation Notice (BPN)
• World Heritage Site

The location section provides location information, usually including address details and map references, which can be essential for finding and correctly identifying the entry, particularly in remote or densely built-up areas, such as a grave within a cemetery.

The grade of a listed building, registered park, or garden is intended to indicate its special interest in a national context.

• Grade I buildings are of exceptional special interest
• Grade II* buildings are particularly important buildings of more than special interest
• Grade II buildings are of special interest

Scheduled monuments, registered battlefields and protected wrecks are not graded.

Every list entry has a unique seven figure reference number. You can use the list entry number to find an entry when searching the list, which ensures you don’t bring up duplicate entries (there might, for instance, be more than one St Mary’s Church in Birmingham if you use those search criteria).

The date first listed is the date the entry was added to the List.

The date of most recent amendment shows when a list entry was last updated. These updates can be quite significant, such as a change of grade or revisions to update an older list entry and bring it into line with current standards. Fuller List entries only became the norm in the early 2000s.

In newer entries, this generally includes the type of building or site, date/period and architect (if relevant). This will be contained in a single sentence, for example:

‘Eel, pie and mash shop, opened 1900 and refitted in the 1930s. The shop forms part of a mid-C19 terrace with residential accommodation above.’

‘Former mustard seed drying shed built for Colman's of Norwich, dated 1890 and extended in the early-C20.’

‘Road bridge crossing the River Yarrow, early- to mid-C18.’

‘Hull of the Lady Alice Kenlis, an iron ship designed and built by Hercules Linton in 1867.’

If the List entry has been generated from one of our legacy systems it will say ‘Legacy Record – This information may be included in the List Entry Details’. This means that the record has been created from one of our older databases so all the information we have can be found under the Details section.

Since 2005, ‘Reasons for Designation’ have been added to new list entries. These explain the main reasons why the building or site was added to the List (how it meets the criteria used to assess that type of entry) and, if applicable, at what grade.

Listed buildings, for example, are assessed against the criteria of ‘Special Architectural Interest’ and/or ‘Special Historic Interest’ and so the ‘Reasons for Designation’ will include a bullet point explanation of how the building meets either or both criteria.

As with the section above, if the List entry has been generated from one of our legacy systems then all the information we have is likely to be contained within the Details section.

Newer list entries with a history section usually set out a brief history of the building or site, beginning by introducing its origins and how it developed. It might include information on the architect or designer, and other people who were connected to the building or site. It might also include a summary of that type of heritage, for example a list entry for a cabman’s shelter might summarise the development of cabmen’s shelters. Details of later alterations or the excavation history of the site might also be included here.

It is not intended to be a full history. For further information you should refer to the selected sources (below) as well as the relevant Selection Guide and our Introductions to Heritage Assets series.

As with the section above, if the List entry has been generated from one of our Legacy Systems then all the information we have is likely to be contained within the Details section below.

The Details section is not an exhaustive description, but a summary of the main features of the building or site. 

• For listed buildings, this section will usually include the building type, date, architect, materials, plan, exterior and interior details and subsidiary features.
• Entries for scheduled monuments tend to be broken down into the principal elements that are scheduled, description, indication of survival and sources.
• For parks and gardens, the details section of the entry will focus on the principal elements of the site. These will be laid out in a logical sequence: for formal landscapes, these will start with the main building or structure and then continue outwards. For cemeteries and parks the elements will be described working inwards from the main entrance.
• For battlefields, this section will generally focus on the topography, features and archaeological potential of the site.
• For protected wrecks, the details section of the entry will usually provide a general description of the site along with the designation history. 

This section will sometimes contain information on any less significant changes that have been made to a list entry, such as a change to the address. 

This section is intended to be a helpful reference. It is not an exhaustive list of every source used in researching the list entry and in some cases sources may go out of print or be superseded by more recent editions. Please refer to any relevant Selection Guides or Introduction to Heritage Assets, which should contain a helpful summary of the asset type, as well as other sources for further reading.

The map within the List entry is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. For a copy of the full-scale map, you should follow the link provided on the record. 

Buildings listed before April 2011 are generally denoted by a small blue triangle. The triangle may not be positioned in the centre of the building or buildings. Buildings added to the List after April 2011 are denoted by a blue polygon. 

Scheduled monuments have a defined protected area denoted by a red polygon. Some sites include an additional 2-3 metre buffer zone around the monument (where this is the case, it will be stated in the list description). 

Registered parks and gardens have a defined area denoted by a green polygon. 

Registered battlefields have a defined area denoted by a brown polygon. A polygon is a shape drawn onto a map to show a specific location such as a building or protected area.

Protected wreck sites have a defined area generally denoted by a blue circle.

Older records will contain information showing which database the entry has been drawn from, such as the LBS (Listed Building System) or RSM (Register of Scheduled Monuments), and the legacy reference number. 

This refers to the relevant Act that protects this building or site on the List, such as the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.