listed building

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In Britain, a building officially recognized as having historical or architectural interest and therefore legally protected from alteration or demolition. In England the listing is drawn up by the secretary of state for the environment under the advice of the English Heritage organization, which provides various resources for architectural conservation.

There are about 500,000 listed buildings in England and around 1 million in Britain as a whole, the largest number in Western Europe. Over the last 25 years the number of listed buildings has increased fivefold. In England they are divided into categories I, II*, and II and in Scotland A, B, and C. Grade I buildings, which are defined as being of ‘exceptional interest’, constitute less than 2% of entries on the list. Grade II* buildings constitute about 4% of entries. The listing system incorporates all pre-1700 buildings that have not been substantially altered, and almost all those built between 1700 and 1840.

The bright blue field stands for the Pacific Ocean. The shield is taken from the coat of arms. Effective date: 10 October 1970. >>