Historic sites across Keighley remain on 'at risk' register

Dalton Mills, Whinburn, Low Mill and the Devonshire Park and Cliffe Castle Conservation Area are all included in Historic England's latest Heritage at Risk register.

The organisation, which champions and campaigns to protect the country’s historic sites, produces the register to spotlight buildings and areas deemed to be in danger of being lost due to decay or neglect – or in some cases, inappropriate development.

It is seen as a snapshot of the health of some of England’s most valued historic places.

Dalton Mills' condition is described as "very bad" and "at immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric".

Built as a worsted mill between 1866 and 1877, it is partly occupied.

The complex comprises Tower Mill, Genappe Mill and New Mill.

There are also several ancillary buildings, a chimney and surviving machinery.

Genappe Mill was gutted in a huge blaze in 2022, which resulted in the collapse of the roof and floor structure.

Low Mill, in Low Mill Lane, has been derelict for years.

The late-18th-century cotton mill is also described as being in a “very bad” condition.

Whinburn is listed in the register’s parks and gardens category.

Its condition is said to be "generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems".

And the Devonshire Park and Cliffe Castle Conservation Area is described as being in a poor state.

Also on the register is the Catstones Ring, Catstones Hill, Cullingworth. Described as a late prehistoric enclosed settlement, its condition is also said to be "generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems".

But St James' Church, Cross Roads, is among 129 sites across the country removed from the list after being deemed to be no longer at risk.

Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, joint chief executive officers of Historic England, said: "The heritage we see all around us impacts how we feel about our local places. The annual Heritage at Risk register gives us the opportunity to celebrate the many benefits of bringing historic buildings back into use.

"The best way to protect our buildings is to reuse them, turning them into places of local connection and joy. The sites that have been saved and have come off the register this year really highlight the benefits of working together in partnership – and with communities – to create positive, sustainable change."