Historic England has announced that two historic and significant sites in England have been given protected status to ensure their survival.
One of the sites is a former dance hall and cinema located in St. Ives, which was purchased by renowned artist Dame Barbara Hepworth in 1961 and used as a studio and workshop. Although it was built as a stone cottage in the late 18th century, the building has had a varied history, which includes use as a navigation school, cinema, dance hall, auction house and ballet school.
The now Grade II listed building was eventually used by Dame Barbara Hepworth to develop several of her signature works, including a 21-foot 'Single Form' created for the UN in 1963. Ultimately, the historical and architectural interest in the building has resulted in being protected in accordance with the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
The second site comprises the remains of a rare 19th century dock on the River Roach near Paglesham, which has been designated as a scheduled monument. The dock once accommodated the now-famous HMS Beagle when it served as a Coastguard Watch Vessel in Essex. The Beagle was famously used by Charles Darwin in order to travel and make observations so support his theory of natural selection. After three long voyages, the Beagle was refitted and became a static watch vessel in Essex to curb smuggling.
The mud dock was constructed around 1851 to accommodate the static Beagle after complaints were made that the ship was blocking the river. In 1870, the Beagle was sold and likely dismantled within the mud dock. Whilst the upper portion of the ship may have been carefully removed and re-used, the lower timbers, such as the keel, would have been very difficult to remove from the mud, leading to a theory that it may still be there. However, no archaeological investigations are planned to confirm this. For now, the site can enjoy protected status as a scheduled monument hopefully ensuring its survival for many future generations to enjoy and learn from.
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