Neglect and decay threaten Britain's heritage sites

This week, English Heritage has raised the alarm on the thousands of historical sites which are at high risk from decay and neglect. Of the 70,000 heritage sites assessed so far, they say that one in twelve are threatened - that's well over 5,000 listed buildings, ancient monuments, battlefields, gardens and landscapes which face an uncertain future.

Thanks to protective legislation, demolition is no longer an option, but as Times columnist Richard Morrison points out, listed buildings which have been abandoned because they're no longer 'fit for purpose' are now deliberately left to decay in the hope that someone else will pick up the restoration bill.

You can read more about this here or go to the Heritage at Risk section of the English Heritage website to find out what can be done to ensure our heritage is preserved for future generations.