Uncover the hidden stories behind London’s heritage
Across the country Historic England is crowdsourcing knowledge and photographs for the official list of the nation's 400,000 most significant historic places. This is the first time in history the list has been opened up for public contributions and your chance to get involved.
Here in London we are asking you to share your images and information to discover the hidden history of this great city. To help inspire you:
- Kensal Green Cemetery, London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, just one of the 'Magnificent Seven' cemeteries in London, has a number of individual monuments and structures on the Heritage at Risk Register. Perhaps not so well known are the number of circus performers who are buried at Kensal Green such as Alfred Cooke (Grade II) and Andrew Ducrow (Grade II*). There are many other listed monuments at Kensal Green, and in other 'Magnificent Seven' cemeteries, and we'd love to hear your stories about these too!
- London has its equal share of grand houses and country estates, with all their associated buildings, structures and landscapes, many of which were listed years ago. Gunnersbury Park House (Grade II*) in the London Borough of Hounslow, is just one example, with numerous associated buildings, such as the East Lodge (Grade II) and the Gothic ruins (Grade II).
- You may also be surprised to know some world famous sites in London, such as the British Museum (Grade I) and The Monument (Grade I) have very old list descriptions, so take a look at The List and help write your story of London.
Some 99% of people in England live within a mile of a listed building or place and you can discover your nearest by searching the list using a postcode. With around 18,936 listed buildings and 309 other places on the List in London, one is bound to be near you! By sharing your photos, old or new, and by telling the story of the people and events which have shaped the places we live in, you'll be part of a growing community of people getting involved in their local heritage.
Once you've added your information please let us know. You can share your entries with us on Twitter @HistoricEngland where you can also keep up to date with all the latest news and pictures from the region.
