CONTEXT 188 : JUNE 2026 13 INFRASTRUCTURE THE LISTING PROCESS IN ENGLAND The hall of King Edward VI School for Girls, Handsworth, Birmingham, designed by Philip Chatwin (Photo: Historic England Archive) Castle, a late medieval dwelling (in character similar to a bastle or fortified farmhouse) in the wild fastness of the Lake District National Park was added to the list at Grade II*. This provided a forceful but pleasant reminder that in what may feel like a densely built country there really are places that the listers have never been, and where discoveries remain to be made. And the listing of the former Girls School at Handsworth (1908–11) at Grade II* shows that sometimes very fine buildings of ‘more than special interest’ are hiding in plain sight. Nevertheless, listing is most effective (and our resources best utilised) when conducted strategically and informed by research. Since the conclusion of the great area surveys in the last decades of the last century, listing has therefore sought opportunities to work on a thematic or project basis, whether by building type, period or even architectural movement. The value of this process was demonstrated by the research programme into postwar buildings of every kind, starting in the 1990s, and confirmed by major national initiatives such as the centenary of the first world war, which led to the designation of thousands of war memorials alone. Elsewhere we can do this through place-based working such as the heritage action zones, in which listing (and especially amendment and updating of listings) can play an important and valuable role in the management of change. Since last year, listing teams have contributed to a designation programme (for ease referred to as a Listing Workplan), that will last for five years and enables projects of varied scale and extent to be proposed, adopted and delivered. Some of these will be specific to priorities in a single region, others to cross-regional projects or those with a truly national focus. In time, this will help achieve a more equitable balance between the reactive and strategic. One priority is addressing some of the socalled ‘old county numbers’ (OCNs), representing some of the oldest schedulings on the NHLE. These present a particular problem in many places where the absence of any information attached to the scheduling entry leaves owners, custodians and planners in the dark not only about what it is, but even where it is and what the designation might cover. There are far too many OCNs to address individually, and the majority present no trouble. However, it is worthwhile prioritising those which fall in areas of sensitivity (such as city walls), which if left unaddressed might pose distinct challenges to planning in the future, by providing the description and mapping so badly needed. It is not all about what is on land. Our tidal, intertidal and coastal zones are places of great sensitivity, and it is particularly gratifying to see the enthusiasm and interest in additions to the list of protected wrecks. Marine is an area of designation that has an important and beneficial relationship with volunteer divers and team members (over 200 nationally) who, operating under diving licences, identify, suggest designation and monitor wrecks. In this century, list entries have developed in
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