Medieval church among South East buildings at risk

St Botolph's Church in Hardham, West Sussex, is one of the buildings which has been added to the list

A Medieval church which has some of the oldest wall paintings in the country is among the buildings which have been added to the heritage at risk register.

St Botolph’s in the village of Hardham, near Pulborough, has paintings depicting Christian figures including St. George, the Annunciation, and also Adam and Eve.

But the 900-year-old murals are slowly crumbling and fading away, heritage campaigners say.

The church is one of 13 sites in the South East which have been added to Heritage England’s register - while 18 sites have been taken of the at risk list.

Former church warden Michael Ryan told BBC Radio Sussex: “If we lose the paintings, we will lose the general arrangement that the building provides."

Mr Ryan hoped that the church being put on the heritage at risk register would help raise awareness and secure funding to stop the paintings deteriorating more.

He believes they are fading due to moisture in the church.

He added: “I’ve seen an enormous change in the time I’ve been here. The paintings are fading rapidly because of the loss of pigment.”

St George can be seen riding a horse holding a spear in one of the paintings

Historic England said the paintings were some of the earliest and most complete examples to survive in England.

Another site added to the the body's register is the Roman Painted House in Dover, which is the remains of a mansion building from the early 3rd Century AD.

It would have provided accommodation in Roman Dover – known as Dubris – to travellers on official business.

The Roman Painted House in Dover is covered by a protective building

The site was unearthed in the 1970s and Historic England said it was added to the register because the protective building around it is rapidly deteriorating.

Among the 18 sites which have been taken off the register is Saltdean Lido near Brighton, East Sussex.

The 1930s art deco style building was crumbling and could have been demolished for flats back in 2010 until the community stepped in to save it.

Now, the building has a café, library and events spaces for people to use.

There are still 446 entries on the heritage at risk register in the South East.