Listed Buildings

Listed Buildings make up a small but immensely important part of the building stock of the District. They serve as examples of local building types from the twelfth century to the present. Included are buildings of the evolved vernacular tradition, and of national or international styles such as Gothic, Jacobean, Classical, Victorian as well as Twentieth Century designs. Listed Buildings provide examples of technology and innovation in construction. A unifying theme is the use of local materials; limestone and ironstone, long straw thatch and Stonesfield slates, lime mortars, renders and limewashes. Despite historic imports of brick, tile and slate, local materials predominate.

The listing of buildings of special architectural or historic interest is the responsibility of English Heritage, not the District Council. Proposals for new listings should be made to English Heritage at:

Heritage Protection Operations Department, Room 202, English Heritage, 23 Saville Row, London, W1S 2ET.

Detailed information about the purpose and process of 'listing' can be found by reading 'Listing has changed' on the downloads section the the right of this page. Links to the relevant web sites can be found under 'Related Links' section.

There are about 3,200 buildings listed of special architectural or historic interest in West Oxfordshire.

They are in three categories:

GRADE I, are buildings of exceptional national interest. There are 43 in West Oxfordshire, including Blenheim Palace, Cornbury Park, Chastleton, Kelmscott Manor and many of the ancient Parish Churches.

GRADE II* buildings are of outstanding interest. There are 211 in the district, including many of the best examples of the local variety of Cotswold architecture. Our agricultural and industrial heritage is also well represented by Church Enstone Tithe Barn, The Blanket Hall in Witney and Bliss Tweed Mill in Chipping Norton.

GRADE II includes 2934 structures which are key elements in the historic character of the settlements and landscape of West Oxfordshire. These range from grand houses to simple cottages, farm buildings to factories, telephone boxes to milestones.

A copy of the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest is available for inspection at planning reception.

LISTED BUILDING CONSENT

Listed Building Consent is required for work that affects the character or appearance of all listed buildings, regardless of grade, inside or out. Demolition, extensions or internal or external alterations, all require Listed Building Consent. Applications should be made on forms available from the Planning Service. There is no fee for this type of application, but accurate drawings showing the existing building and the building as proposed will be necessary. Planning permission may also be required for external alterations and extensions, and for changes of use. A fee is payable for planning applications. We aim to deal with applications for Listed Building Consent and Planning Permission in less than eight weeks.

Unauthorised work

Unauthorised work to a Listed Building, inside or outside, is a criminal offence that may lead to prosecution. There is no time limit within which the Council can begin legal proceedings, and liability for unauthorised work may pass to new owners.

If you suspect that unauthorised work is or has been carried out to a Listed Building, please contact our Planning Enforcement team.