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Folly and post office get listed status in South West

Historic England Kit Hill follyHistoric England
The remains of Kit Hill folly consist of a platform with bastions at each corner, designed to represent a castle

A Georgian folly on top of a hill and a town post office are some of the 13 places to have been listed in Devon and Cornwall this year.

Historic England said its annual round-up showcased "intriguing" examples of the country's varied heritage.

The sites which include the folly at the top of Kit Hill have all been either listed or scheduled on the National Heritage List for England.

Rebecca Barrett from Historic England said they showed rich diversity.

She said: "Places like this help to make us proud of where we live.

"Listing recognises their value so they are protected for the future and everyone can continue to enjoy them."

Historic England manages the National Heritage List for England on behalf of the government and Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Historic England Sorting office CullomptonHistoric England
Cullompton sorting office in Devon was described it as "palatial" when it opened in 1939

It identifies buildings, monuments, sites and landscapes for listing, meaning they receive special protection, so they can be enjoyed by people now and in the future.

The folly at the top of Kit Hill in Cornwall was built in 1780 by Sir John Call, a local landowner and MP. He intended it to be the setting for his tomb but he was eventually buried in London.

As the Duke of Cornwall, King Charles gifted Kit Hill to the people of the county to mark the birth of his son Prince William, in 1982.

Ukraine Cross
Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston said the Ukraine Cross at Mylor Bridge was an "important symbol of Britain's solidarity" with Ukraine

Other places in Cornwall that have been listed include the Ukranian Cross at Mylor Bridge, built by refugees in 1948 and Wheal Betsy, an Edwardian house once at the heart of an artistic colony in Newlyn.

In Devon, Cullompton post office and sorting office, opened in 1939, was added to the list as "an example from the golden age of post office architecture".

Payhembury War Memorial in east Devon and two farm houses were also given the status.

AFP Wheal BetsyAFP
Wheal Betsy inspired artists Thomas Cooper Gotch and Caroline Burland Yates.

Ms Barrett said in England 99% of people"lived less than a mile from a listed site and the festive season is a great time to find out more about the historic places on our doorsteps".

She said the public was being asked to help "enrich the list" by sharing their knowledge and pictures of listed places to "perhaps even unlock some of the secrets of the past".

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