With the routine of modern life, it’s easy for Brits to forget that we live in a country filled with ancient monuments and rich history.
In fact, England alone has around 400,000 listed buildings, scheduled monuments, protected parks and UNESCO World Heritage sites.
And they’re not just nice to look at, as new research from Historic England shows that daily encounters with these places improve wellbeing and ‘life satisfaction’.
Now, an incredible interactive map from the organization shows where the closest ones to you are located in the country.
It includes the famous Stonehenge, the Roman defensive fortification, Hadrian’s Wall and the Jurassic Coast, known for its rich stores of geological history and dinosaur remains.
Historic England’s interactive map demarcates the many listed buildings in England, Scotland and Wales with small blue pins, as well as parks and gardens, listed monuments and World Heritage sites. Illustrated and listed buildings in London
Historic England’s interactive map demarcates England’s many listed buildings with small blue pins.
There are so many that if you go to the stores, you might come across one on your way.
All three categories are included – Grade I (buildings of the greatest importance), Grade II* (particularly important buildings of more than special interest) and Grade II (buildings of special interest).
There are hundreds of thousands of listed buildings in England, but some of the most famous Grade I examples are Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace and Tower Bridge.
Meanwhile, those in the Grade II* category include Battersea Power Station, the Coliseum Theater and Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, while Grade II includes treasures like Abbey Road Studios and the BT Tower.
All of these buildings are considered to be of national importance and therefore have additional legal protection, although not all of them are preserved as museums and people live in them.
Most owners of listed buildings are likely to live in a Grade II building, as these make up 92% of all listed buildings, according to Historic England.
Hadrian’s Wall is a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, stretching 73 miles from coast to coast.
The Jurassic Coast between Devon and Dorset (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is known for its rich reserves of geological history and dinosaur remains.
Hampton Court Palace, on the outskirts of London, was built by Cardinal Wolsey in the early 16th century for Henry VIII.
Battersea Power Station is pictured following its recent £9 billion refurbishment. The iconic building was decommissioned in 1983
Meanwhile, listed monuments – archaeological sites or historic buildings of national importance – are shaded red on the map.
Examples include Stonehenge in Wiltshire, Cranmore Castle in Devon and even Surbiton railway station, known for its striking modernist facade.
The map also shows that heritage-listed parks and gardens – such as Richmond Park in London and Philips Park in Manchester – are shaded green.
In the same way that historic buildings are listed, English parks and gardens are listed I, II and II.
Finally, World Heritage sites – a special global designation given by the UN for places that have “outstanding value to humanity” – are shaded yellow.
There are 33 World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories, including Stonehenge, the Tower of London, the Lake District, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire and the entire city of Bath.
The map does not include heritage sites in Wales and Scotland, as these are overseen by two different organizations respectively: Cadw and Historic Environment Scotland.
As with the positive impact of green spaces on well-being, the very presence of historic places nearby improves quality of life, the new study from Historic England reveals.
In the same way that historic buildings are listed, English parks and gardens are listed I, II* and II. The map shows Bradgate Park in Leicestershire
Stonehenge in Wiltshire is both a scheduled monument and a World Heritage Site. There are also Grade II listed milestones on the site
Bath (pictured) in Somerset is the only city in the UK to be fully listed as a World Heritage Site.
Using a mechanism designed by the Treasury, the study put a monetary value on this wealth benefit, called the ‘welfare value’, at £29 billion each year in England.
“For the first time we have strong economic evidence to show that heritage makes a significant contribution to people’s quality of life,” said Lord Neil Mendoza, chairman of Historic England.
“We all appreciate the role that green spaces play in ensuring well-being.
“This groundbreaking new research shows us that the everyday local heritage found in towns and villages across England plays a comparable and valuable role.”
THE interactive map and the new study are available on the Historic England website.