Hurrah for Heritage! The Local Heritage List
Buckinghamshire is a county steeped in history, with a wealth of fascinating buildings, landmarks, and places of interest scattered throughout the area. The region is known for its Wychert buildings, Rothschild architecture, archaeological remains, historic landscapes, and picturesque towns and villages, which are valued by locals and visitors alike.
In 2021, Buckinghamshire Council were one of 21 local authorities to be awarded funding from central government, in order to produce a Local Heritage List, celebrating those heritage assets which didn’t quite meet the criteria for national designation (such as Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments) but which were deemed to be of local importance.
After 18 months of development, research and recording, in January 2023, Buckinghamshire Council announced the completion of Phase 1 of the new county-wide Local Heritage List that recognizes and protects the county's unique and cherished heritage assets. 956 nominations were assessed in Phase 1, and 771 were considered to be of significant historical and cultural value to the region and were put forward for inclusion on the list.
The list of nominated sites currently comprises approximately 3000 heritage assets, including buildings and structures, parks and gardens, artworks and landmarks, and archaeological sites.
The creation of the local heritage list could not have happened without the hard work of the project team and dedicated and hardworking volunteers, who recognised the importance of safeguarding the county's cultural heritage and ensuring that the unique character of Buckinghamshire is preserved for generations to come. Their contribution has been invaluable and will be celebrated at a summer celebration in their honour.
In addition, as part of the council’s celebrations, two bespoke pieces of art have been created by two local artists, using Local Heritage List candidates as inspiration. These were achieved as a result of a collaboration with Bucks Culture and were sponsored by Farnham maltings, in association with the Rothschild Foundation.
Section of artwork by Keziah Furini
The Buckinghamshire Local Heritage List will ensure that the local importance of the adopted heritage assets is recognised and considered in the planning process, but it will also offer a valuable resource for researchers, historians, and anyone interested in exploring the region's rich history and traditions. If you are interested in researching or contributing to this resource, further information can be found here:
Home - Buckinghamshire's Local Heritage List (local-heritage-list.org.uk)