Listed Coventry allotment summerhouses added to Historic England preservation list.

Coventry allotment structures that have endured for more than a century have been placed to a special preservation list.

Stoney Road Allotments has five unusual summerhouses that are Grade II listed and regarded a rare surviving example of Coventry’s late nineteenth and early twentieth-century heritage.

The land was laid up beginning in 1853 and is currently a Grade II* Registered Park and Garden. The Stoney Road Gardens Association (SRGA) still uses the site for allotments and subtenants it.

Historic England has confirmed that the site has been included on its Heritage at Risk Register 2025. The Register provides an annual picture of the health of England’s most valuable historic buildings and locations, assisting in ensuring their preservation and future enjoyment.

In recent decades, the summerhouses have been neglected, vandalised, and decayed. Historic England has awarded Coventry City Council a £250,000 grant for the full renovation of three listed summerhouses.

The restoration includes replacing roof coverings, repairing external fabric and rainwater products, and redecorating the exterior. Working with allotment holders, the original features of these unique survivals were repaired and restored.

Claudia Kenyatta CBE and Emma Squire CBE, Co-CEOs of Historic England, stated that “the heritage we see all around us influences how we feel about our local places.” The annual Heritage at Risk Register allows us to appreciate the numerous benefits of reusing our historic buildings.

The best approach to protect our buildings is to utilise them, transforming them into hubs of community connection and delight.

The properties that have been rescued and removed from the Register this year demonstrate the value of working collaboratively and with communities to effect meaningful, long-term change.

Together, we can preserve our legacy for future generations.”Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross stated, “We are determined to conserve the heritage at the core of our communities.

It is amazing to see so many historical sites preserved for communities around the country.

These are much-loved sites, and it’s wonderful to see them repurposed. This year alone, our £15 million Heritage at Risk Capital Fund has helped to save buildings like these.”

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