**Five Welsh Landmarks Added to Endangered Buildings Register**
The latest annual report from SAVE Britain’s Heritage has cast a spotlight on the precarious future of several notable buildings across Wales. The well-regarded conservation charity, now marking its fiftieth anniversary, has this year placed five Welsh structures onto its infamous “Buildings at Risk” register, underlining the urgent need for concerted action to prevent irreversible loss of the nation’s architectural and cultural heritage.
Now in its 36th year, the register records buildings throughout the United Kingdom that face possible demolition or chronic neglect. SAVE’s list serves both as a warning and a rallying cry, appealing for “heritage heroes” – whether the public, private investors, or local authorities – to champion the cause of preservation before these characterful structures are erased from the landscape. Wales’ latest additions underscore the breadth of the challenge, with a mansion, a farmhouse, a traditional cottage, a factory of major industrial significance, and a historic visitor attraction all now considered highly vulnerable.
Among these, Bontddu Hall in Dolgellau, Gwynedd, stands as a particularly poignant case. Originally built as Bryn Tirion in 1873, this imposing structure once hosted statesmen such as Churchill and Chamberlain. Having been converted into a hotel and more recently a private home, the building suffered a devastating fire in 2020, leaving much of its interior in ruin. While its impressive exterior features – including ornate columns and period tiling – still bear witness to its former grandeur, proposals now being considered could see the building demolished rather than restored. Conservationists are urgently calling for interventions that would breathe new life into the remains.
In South Wales, the British Nylon Spinners plant in Mamhilad, near Pontypool, offers a different but equally compelling case of threatened heritage. Built in 1947 and once employing thousands, this expansive site was famous for its distinctive ‘spinning tower’ and innovative modernist design. Although parts of the site remain in use as offices, redevelopment plans put forward in recent years, including the demolition of significant parts of the Grade II* listed buildings, have encountered legal setbacks. The future for this significant slice of Welsh industrial history remains uncertain, with campaigners advocating for imaginative reuse rather than destruction.
Turning to the heart of Caerphilly County Borough, the Tudor-era Llancaiach Fawr manor house in Nelson, Treharris, has also been placed at risk following its closure and mothballing in late 2024 as part of wider council budget cuts. Renowned as one of Wales’ finest surviving Tudor residences, and once a pioneering ‘living history’ museum, the manor has a colourful history, including a visit from Charles I during the Civil War. While its lease has been offered to potential new custodians, the house’s immediate fate remains unclear, prompting public concern and renewed debate on cultural priorities amidst economic pressures.
Out in rural Powys, the Groeswen farmhouse, perched near the village of Gwenddwr, presents a powerful visual of decay and neglect. The partial collapse of its rear wall in 2000 signalled the beginning of a slow decline for this once-sturdy 19th-century building, despite its protected status as a Grade II listed structure. Its distinctive three nine-pane windows still face westwards, but ongoing deterioration threatens what Cadw praised as a “substantial traditional farmhouse of the late Georgian type”.
Just as haunting is the early 19th-century cottage at Pantau, Powys, described evocatively as “frozen in time”. Once championed for its retained historic features, this whitewashed house with its stone stacks and lean-to bakehouse has lain empty for years, its domestic relics – from the hob to a radio and overcoats still visible through the window – serving as reminders of lives once lived within. Designated as a building of special architectural interest in 2004, it now urgently requires a rescue plan if it is to avoid the fate of so many other rural Welsh cottages.
These new entries to the at-risk register reflect broader trends affecting heritage sites across the UK, as financial pressures, shifting development priorities, and the impact of neglect all come to bear. Conservationists and community groups assert that, while the obstacles are daunting, creative solutions and targeted investment can turn the tide. Many successful case studies demonstrate how historic spaces, if saved, can deliver real cultural and economic value, from tourism to community regeneration.
As the debate continues, SAVE Britain’s Heritage’s register remains a vital instrument in raising awareness, mobilising support, and inspiring action. Campaigners hope that the appearance of these latest Welsh landmarks on the list will prompt a wave of public engagement and perhaps attract new champions with the vision and resources needed to safeguard these treasures for future generations.
For now, their fate hangs in the balance – a poignant reminder that the story of Welsh heritage is not only about the past, but also today’s choices and tomorrow’s possibilities.