HISTORIC England has unveiled a list of iconic buildings it deems 'at risk' of being lost.

It includes historic houses, churches, agricultural buildings and a range of unique buildings across the county.

The list includes Maiden Street Methodist Church in Weymouth, Sturminster Newton Castle, The Icehouse at Ringstead, Manor Farm barn at Winterborne Clenston, the Tithe Barn at Sydling St. Nicholas, Barn and outbuilding range at Tarrant Abbey Farm, the Royal Naval Cordite Factory at Holton Heath and a stable block immediately south east of Little Toller Farm.

The former Maiden Street Methodist Church, a grade II listed building, is, however, subject to a proposed redevelopment plan.

It was partially destroyed by a fire in January 2002 and has been decaying ever since despite several proposals for its redevelopment over the years, including plans for flats and a restaurant.

The condition of the church has been described as “very bad” by Historic England which is why it features on its Heritage at Risk Register, which “gives an annual snapshot of the health of England’s valued historic buildings and places”.

However, there is some hope for the derelict church, as plans were revealed last year to transform the building into 24 modern apartments.

Trustee of the Weymouth Civic Society James Farquharson says the society is currently waiting to see if the planned development of the church goes ahead.

He said: “We want to see that building put to good use and revitalise that part of the town.

“It is in very bad condition, it doesn’t have a roof and its internal features are all gone. However, the planning application is a good use of the building. I think most people will appreciate what it is planned to look like once it is finished, but it is a big project.”

The register shows there were 207 historic sites in Dorset listed as heritage at risk of neglect, decay or inappropriate development as of November 2023, when records were last updated.

These included 13 listed buildings, 193 monuments and one park.

The condition at Kingston Maurward Park and Gardens is described as “Generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems”.

Principal Luke Rake said: “We’ve always worked to maintain the C18 nature of the parkland, and in our 2019 masterplan and ongoing estate management strategies it’s clear that part of our aim is to remove the parkland from ‘at risk’ status.

“We’ve worked to do this by removing unsightly postwar fencing to improve vistas of and from the main house, reinstated tree avenues and also maintained higher level stewardship grazing on the farmed estate.

"We have not had contact from Historic England for some time and would welcome their views on progress.”

Sandsfoot Castle, located in picturesque Sandsfoot Gardens at Old Castle Road, Weymouth, was originally built by Henry VIII in 1539 to protect his kingdom from foreign invasion but was later abandoned by the military in 1665.

The cliffs on which Sandsfoot Castle stands are constantly eroding, putting the structural integrity of the castle under threat and leaving the castle at risk of crumbling into the sea.

In January 2021, the castle was fenced off and closed to the public after cracks appeared on its walls, and health and safety concerns were raised.

A spokesperson for Dorset Council said: “We agree with Historic England’s assessment of the castle. The castle remains closed for safety reasons and we will continue to monitor for signs of movement.”

In total, there were 4,871 heritage buildings and sites across the country considered at risk.