Historic sites to be treasured

AN ancient car wash” for coaches and a church designed in the shape of an upturned boat are just two of the unusual sites listed by Historic England in 2023.

- Jan Disley

A rare Iron Age cave and a pub that was a prototype for an early railway station are also among 227 historic buildings and sites added to the National Heritage List.

Also making the cut are a purpose-built golf club and Second World War radar station, a primary school, a furniture showroom, a footbridge, and a water tower.

They will all receive special protection so they can be enjoyed for future generations.

And Historic England is celebrating 16 of the most remarkable by inviting the public to share memories and pictures of them as part of its Missing Pieces project.

Barkway Carriage Wash in Royston, Hertfordshire, has stood in the same location since the 17th century and is believed to be the earliest known example of a modern-day car wash”.

During the coaching era, it cleaned the wheels and name plates of coaches to prevent the wood from shrinking and it was an important stop-over en route from London to Cambridge and the North.