Our heritage is crumbling THREE historic buildings in Oxfordshire have been named on a new English Heritage list of monuments in urgent need of repair through decay or neglect.

Thame Park in Thame, Hampton Gay Manor House in Hampton Gay, near Bicester, and the Tythe Barn at Waterside House, Drayton St Leonard, are all 'at risk' according to leading conservationists.

They are among 1,500 Grade I and Grade II listed buildings on English Heritage's first ever At Risk Register, a four-year study aiming to focus attention on neglected ancient monuments.

Thame Park, a Palladian mansion and former Cistercian Abbey, has not been lived in for 20 years and has long concerned local councillors and conservationists.

It has been used as a set for the Oscar-winning film The Madness of King George and costume drama The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and was the subject of an English Heritage action plan last year.

The present owner, a business consortium fronted from the Channel Islands, is trying to sell it for around £6m - but has been embroiled in a legal battle with a Japanese partnership also claiming to part-own the building.

A spokesman for South Oxfordshire District Council's conservation department said: "As far as we are concerned the condition of the mansion is not a major cause of concern. The worst thing is that when a building is left empty it does not receive the attention it deserves.

"Once ownership has been sorted out we hope there will be someone who will take it on as a single family residence."

Thame Park is described as being in a state of "slow decay", while the other two sites are named as category A priorities in "immediate risk of further rapid deterioration".

However, the Tythe Barn, a medieval agricultural barn west of Waterside House in Drayton St Leonard, could be completely restored if ambitious new plans are given the go-ahead.

The Aston Martin Owners' Club has submitted a planning application to convert the barn, which dates to the 15th century, into a national administrative centre with exhibition space. Martin Brooks, planning manager for South Oxfordshire District Council said: "It is a perfectly sound building. It just needs someone to look after it."

The 16th century manor house at Hampton Gay has been unoccupied since it was destroyed by fire in 1897. In 1989, the then owner Christopher Buxton, of Kirtlington Park, found his plans to restore the ruins rejected by Cherwell District Council.

English Heritage has announced that £5m will be made available for grants and other help in line with the At Risk Register.

Sir Joceyln Stevens, chairman of English Heritage, said: "Until now English Heritage has been responding to the applications for grant aid we receive. Now we will be able to target our resources on those buildings in greatest need."

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