Statue of pioneering Paralympics founder in Aylesbury among monuments to get heritage status

A statue of Sir Ludwig Guttmann, whose competitions involving people with spinal injuries are credited with being the inspiration for the Paralympic games, is among 1,466 new heritage assets in Buckinghamshire.

It is located in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where the neurologist developed his pioneering spinal treatment methods.

Another popular structure that has been added is the Mushroom Tree Shelter in East Claydon. Located on St Mary's Road, it has been described as a key local landmark and a favourite place for cyclists to rest and take in the views, on the local heritage list website.

Bucks Council has created the list to protect important sites that are linked to the overall character of the county.

Since the authority asked for suggestions, 3,440 were made by Bucks residents. Both council staff and volunteers helped to compile the list of successful nominations, which now stands at 2,237.

Sites identified in the council’s long list include: houses, chapels, agricultural and industrial buildings, plus archaeological sites, formal gardens, public spaces, and works of art monuments, and street furniture.

Bucks Council’s list is separate from statutory listing and designations, that gives buildings Grade I, II or III listings, which is carried out by Historic England.

Bucks Council has highlighted some of the sites that have been added to its latest list:

-Amersham Railway Station and platforms

-Benjamin North & Sons former furniture factory, Piddington

-Oakley Airfield bomb storage area

-Hedsor House, Hedsor

-Rawlings Dell Borehole

-Anul gana miku uchi murugan kovil temple

“I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to progress our Local Heritage List and adopt a further 1,466 sites today,” said Steve Bambrick, Buckinghamshire Council’s corporate director for planning growth and sustainability.

“This is thanks to the hard work of our heritage and archaeology team, who have collated and assessed the hundreds of sites nominated by local communities. I must also thank the many volunteers who have worked (and continue to work) on this project, bringing their enthusiasm and passion for Buckinghamshire’s historic environment to this project.”

The full list can be accessed online here.