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Jerusalem cottage among buildings on 'at risk' register

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William Blake's cottageImage source, PA Media
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William Blake's West Sussex cottage is suffering from a number of problems

The thatched cottage where poet William Blake wrote the lyrics to the hymn Jerusalem is one of several historic sites at risk of being lost forever.

But, the world's tallest three-sided obelisk has been saved, according to this year's Heritage at Risk Register.

The Wellington monument, in Somerset, has been saved by repair work.

Blake's grade II-listed West Sussex cottage is suffering from decay, thatch and masonry problems and joins the at risk list.

Image source, National Trust/PA Media
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The monument was first built to mark the Duke of Wellington's victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815

The building, in Felpham, was placed into trust for the nation in 2015, while a fundraising appeal was started for its restoration.

Historic England said that among the places at risk were 1,459 buildings or structures, 2,001 non-structural archaeological locations, 923 places of worship, 104 parks and gardens, 491 conservation areas, three battlefields and four protected wreck sites.

Battersea power station

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Battersea power station once famously featured on the cover of a Pink Floyd album

The famous structure which was built from 1929 and had been on the at-risk register for 30 years, is one of those to have been taken off the list.

The site of the once derelict station, which became vacant by 1983 and once supplied a fifth of London's electricity, has been revamped with new retail, leisure and dining venues alongside housing and office space.

Simon Murphy, chief executive officer at the Battersea Power Station Development Company, said he was "delighted" that "several years of careful and complex restoration" had resulted in the site's removal from the register.

Bourn Mill, South Cambridgeshire

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Bourn Mill was an inspiration for the work of architect Lord Norman Foster

This is one of England's oldest windmills but it faces collapse due to its rotting central supporting beams.

The main post of the Grade 1 listed mill is believed to be from a tree felled after AD 1515.

The site was an inspiration for the work of architect Lord Norman Foster, who prepared drawings of the mill while studying at Manchester University.

Plumpton Rocks in Harrogate

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Plumpton Rocks was painted by JMW Turner

This is one of a collection of gardens across Yorkshire painted by JMW Turner in the late 18th Century.

The silting of the lake and tree growth had threatened the site - but it was restored after 拢700,000 was raised.

The lake has been dredged, repairs have been made to the dam and work was done to manage the trees and vegetation growth.

Restoration work is also being carried out on the parkland.

The site was used as a location in the 2016 film Swallows and Amazons, starring Rafe Spall, Andrew Scott and Kelly Macdonald.

Warley Place, Essex

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Action is needed to repair ruined structures at Warley Place in Essex

The remains of a natural garden created by influential horticulturalist Ellen Willmott are at risk.

Urgent action is needed to fund and introduce a conservation plan to repair ruined structures, uncover hidden architectural features and help enhance the nature reserve, Historic England said.

More than 60 plants have been named in honour of either Warley Place or Ellen Willmott.

She transformed the grounds into one of the most celebrated gardens in the country after moving there with her parents in 1875.

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