Three historic Berkshire sites, including a royal cemetery, are at risk of being lost forever, heritage patrons have warned.

On November 4, Historic England released its latest Heritage List in Danger, which shows nearly 5,000 sites most at risk of being lost due to neglect, degradation or “inappropriate” development.

These include three sites in and around Windsor and Maidenhead.

No historic site in Slough has been identified as being at risk.

There has, however, been a change to this year’s list and we are listing the three Windsor and Maidenhead Historic Sites that Historic England has identified as ‘at risk’.

Read more: Reshuffle sees Slough Council deputy chief lose job

The royal mausoleum

The Grade I listed mausoleum of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert is still on the list, located in the Frogmore Estate within Home Park in Windsor.

Albert, who died in 1861, was buried in the mausoleum in 1871 after its completion. Victoria was buried on February 5, 1901 after her death at the end of January.

But Historic England says moisture issues endanger historic fabric both externally and internally, including internal paintings, and that the original rainwater drainage was inadequate and poorly designed.

Repair work began in 2018, with the aim of creating a dry moat around the building and replacing its roof, protecting it from the long-standing problem of water infiltration. It is expected to be completed in 2023.

An approved repair program was completed in 2019 to make the exterior weathertight and prevent moisture from entering the building through the raised perimeter paving.

Despite regular monitoring and signs of severe drying out, it will be years before the building is dry enough to allow interior conservation work.

Noah’s boathouse

The Grade II * listed building at Stonehouse Lane, Cookham, is one of the oldest works of architect Colin Lucas, a pioneer of reinforced concrete construction in Britain.

But Historic England says the building is regularly flooded and abandoned. The roof is leaking and the concrete is “chipping”.

The public body urged that a project be agreed so that work to resolve these issues begins as soon as possible.

It has been estimated that it could cost £ 50,000 to restore the boathouse, half of which could be covered by a grant from Historic England.

According to the BBC, the 1930s building was dubbed an ‘ugly horror’, where its owners intended to demolish the listed site and replace it with a new, damp boathouse.

the pitt rooster

There is, however, one addition to the list and that is the Grade II * listed The Cock Pitt restaurant on 47-49 Eton High Street, which has received planning permission to be used as a residential while retaining the unit. commercial ground floor in 2016.

The consent was to provide four two-story townhouses, a three-bedroom apartment on the first floor and two closed shops.

The village of Thameside is already littered with historic buildings, just a short walk from Windsor, and home to the prestigious Eton College.

According to Historic England, work started on the site but then came to a halt, leaving the building partially stripped and in a state of “degradation” due to the developer’s “financial difficulties”.

The 6,514 square foot site was on sale but has since been taken down by the developer.

Last year Beenham’s Heath in Waltham St Lawrence was on the list because Historic England identified the conservation area as “seriously deteriorating”.

However, this has since been removed and replaced by the Cock Pitt this year.