Historic England

Hidden in Kent, this wooden building is a unique relic of the 1948 Olympic Games in London. It was brought over by the Finnish Olympic team and moved to Aylesford after the Games. It's considered the oldest surviving purpose-built sauna in England in continuous use and possibly the earliest surviving Olympic sauna in the world. 🧖♂️

This former church in London is nicknamed 'Queen Anne's footstool'. 🦶 The name comes from a story about the Queen who, when asked how it should look, impatiently kicked over her footstool saying, 'Like that!'. It certainly has a bold and unusual design, but it probably reflects the architect’s experience of seeing Baroque architecture in Europe rather than the instructions of an irritated queen. Built between 1713 and 1728 as the Church of St John the Evangelist, it was decommissioned and transformed into a concert venue in the 1960s following bomb damage during the Second World War. Now home to Sinfonia Smith Square, it hosts musicians from across the world. Unfortunately, a recent survey has shown that some concerning cracks are developing in the corner towers and elsewhere and the building has been added to our Heritage at Risk Register.

When you love your house, but not your neighbours. 😮 In 1972, Ballingdon Hall, a 16th-century house, was moved 200 yards when the A131 road was improved. Hallam Ashley, a Norfolk-based photographer, recorded the move. Ashley was a professional photographer who carried out commissions for the National Buildings Record (a forerunner of the Historic England Archive) between 1945 and 1983. He was particularly interested in recording threatened buildings, landscapes, and rural crafts and industries.

Fantasy writer J.R.R. Tolkien was born on this day in 1892. 🎈 Some fans believe he drew inspiration from this medieval passageway in Stow-on-the-Wold. In Tolkien’s depictions of The Doors of Durin in 'The Lord of the Rings', 2 trees stood as sentinels. The similarities to the northern entrance of St Edward’s Church, where yew trees frame either side of the 13th-century door, are hard to overlook. Learn more about the historic sites in England where you can experience a glimpse of Middle-Earth. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eceW2Rfb 📷 Paul Weston // Alamy Stock Photo.

'It's always handy when a building dates itself'. 😄 We joined Professor Janina Ramirez for a tour of Gloucester and discovered some of the key architectural features found on 19th-century buildings. Thanks to our High Street Heritage Action Zone, buildings in Gloucester's Cathedral Quarter have been revived. 📽️ Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full film. #HistoricHighStreets

The community-led restoration of the Saltdean Lido building is now complete 🙌 Here are some before-and-after images. The striking 1930s concrete building has been structurally restored and renovated inside and out, preserving its unique features whilst introducing new and improved facilities.. 13 years after being added to the Heritage at Risk Register it can now be removed.  👏 Saltdean Lido is an example of ‘streamline moderne’ architecture and was inspired by contemporary ocean liner and aircraft design. Local residents spearheaded a campaign to save the lido in 2010 when the site faced redevelopment after years of neglect. While the swimming pool was reopened in 2017, the main building needed further investment, made possible thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund with additional grant support and specialist advice from Historic England, Brighton & Hove City Council, and others.

The Hoover Building on Western Avenue in London was built in 1932 by Wallis Gilbert and Partners. It contained offices and the company's factory. The factory was built in the Art Deco style. Although the rear has been demolished, the front facade remains virtually unchanged. 🤩

There’s no skipping leg day in Whitby. 🦵 Next to the iconic 199 steps to Whitby Abbey is this Grade I listed steep cobbled path, also known as Donkey Road. 📷 This photograph was taken in 1954 by Hallam Ashley.

Brownsea Island, the largest island in Dorset's Poole Harbour, is teeming with plants and wildlife. 🌴 At its heart is Brownsea Castle, a grand country house transformed from the ruins of a Tudor blockhouse (a defensive fortification), surrounded by an idyllic garden landscape. The landscape is a testament to centuries of evolving garden design. It started as a small pleasure ground and expanded in the 19th century to extend over most of the island, with lakes, trees and a network of walks. Brownsea Island also hosted Lord Baden-Powell's experimental scout camp in 1907 and is now known as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. Today, the landscape provides one of southern England's few refuges for red squirrels, a historic site that doubles as a tranquil sanctuary for wildlife. It has been registered at Grade II, protecting it for future generations.

Have you ever heard of a ‘crinkle-crankle’ wall? 🧱 This walled garden at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, dates from the late 18th or early 19th century. This distinctive curved design uses fewer bricks and was often employed as a response to the Brick Tax, which was introduced in 1784 and abolished in 1850. ‘Crinkle-crankle’ walls are a feature found predominately in East Anglia and Suffolk in England.