Adams Centre in Littleport among unusual buildings Listed

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A former ironmonger's dating back to Victorian times is among 19 unusual historic buildings and places that have been granted protection over the past year.

Historic England is celebrating the addition of the places up and down the country that are now protected for generations to come.

The Adams Heritage Centre in Littleport has been listed at Grade II for its exceptional preservation of Victorian commercial architecture.

Built in 1893 and originally an ironmonger's, the building served the local community for over 100 years and remains a rare example of its kind.   

The shopfront still has many original features, including large display windows, ornate wrought-iron folding gates, etched glass with painted lettering and a recessed entrance.

Inside, tall wooden shelving (relocated from a 19th-century chemist’s shop in Ely) and a steel-framed structure, which was very advanced for its time, give a glimpse into the working life of a traditional shop.   

The business gained a national reputation for fitting and maintaining Hagan Norwegian ice skates, widely used by Fen skaters.

Under owner John Henry Adams, the shop became a hub for the sport, even importing skates from Oslo and distributing them across the UK.   

The interior of the Adams Centre in Littleport, which has led to it being offered protection from Historic England. (Image: Historic England Archive)

The other sites highlighted this year range from a Neolithic burial mound dating to 3400 BC in the Yorkshire Dales to an exceptionally rare shipwreck lost in 1903, known as the Pin Wreck in Dorset.

This year, ‘Dragon’s Teeth’ Second World War anti-tank defences in Surrey have also been protected, as well as rare dockside equipment in Greenwich linked to major technological advances in undersea telecommunications, which laid the foundations for today’s subsea optical cables that transmit internet traffic worldwide.  

Heritage Minister Baroness Fiona Twycross said: "Britain’s heritage is as varied as it is brilliant, with each of these buildings playing a part in shaping our national story over the centuries.

"This year alone, we have protected 199 heritage sites, from Neolithic cairns in the Yorkshire Dales to the fabulous Catholic cathedrals in the heart of Liverpool. I’m proud that we’re safeguarding our rich history so future generations can continue to enjoy it."

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Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, Co-CEOs of Historic England, added: "These newly protected places demonstrate the remarkable diversity of England's heritage.

"They connect us to the people and events that shaped our communities.

"From ancient burial sites to shipwrecks and wartime defences to post-modernist buildings, street furniture and Arts and Crafts gardens, these sites reveal the fascinating history that surrounds us all."

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