Are you the owner of a scheduled monument or historic landscape at risk? English Heritage wants to contact all owners of scheduled monuments and historic landscapes at risk so it can  (1) find out what are owners' plans to repair them and (2) to compile its Heritage at Risk Register, to be published on 23 June.

English Heritage’s last national Heritage at Risk survey, last July, shows that one in five sites is at high risk from threats such as tree and scrub growth, burrowing animals and ploughing. And, as owner, it's your job to look after them, be they scheduled monuments, ancient burial sites and standing stones, Iron-age hill forts, medieval stone crosses or ruined abbey.

England’s historic parks, gardens and landscapes, valued for their beauty and diversity and for the story they tell of our national obsession, are also under threat, says English Heritage/ The Heritage at Risk survey found that one in 14 is at high risk. Threats range from properties being divided, from developments on their perimeter impinging on important views, to the difficulty of maintaining garden buildings and finding and employing qualified staff.

Rosslyn Stuart, territory director east for English Heritage, says: “We urge owners to work with us to secure a future for their scheduled monuments or historic landscapes. Our staff are contacting all owners of sites we originally assessed as at high risk of loss, in order to work with them to find solutions. If you own or manage a site and are having problems with it, please do contact your regional English Heritage office. We’re here to help!

“There is no catch-all solution but sometimes the amount of effort will be minimal and inexpensive and grants may be available from a number of sources even for minor works such as removing bracken, re-routing a footpath or protecting against rabbits.

“Where the only solution is a lot of work and significant amounts of money, we hope to be able to help unlock sources of funding, advise on the best and most economical methods of repair and in some cases, encourage other organisations to become partners to the solution.”

Edward Harley, President of the Historic Houses Association, said:  “Most of England’s historic environment is privately owned and everyone has a stake in helping owners to invest because of the wider public benefits which derive from it such as education, recreation and a more varied public realm.  A fraction of the costs of major repairs to privately owned historic houses are funded by public grant and many owners are struggling to find the resources for conservation and maintenance.   We therefore welcome English Heritage’s offer of practical help for owners and urge this to be accompanied by restoration of its grant in aid which has dramatically fallen away over the last 10 years.”

NFU countryside advisor Andrea Graham said: “The NFU recognises the importance of our heritage in promoting visitors to the countryside and their impact on rural economy and tourism.  Farmers want to conserve these sites, but scheduled monuments and historic landscapes can be an expensive activity to support, especially if their ability to use land productively is curtailed.  Therefore we welcome a realistic approach to partnership working to ensure the continued conservation of these sites”.

Jonathan Thompson, the Country Landowner Association’s Heritage Adviser, said: “CLA members care deeply about heritage – many are families or charities that have owned parks or monuments for generations.  But heritage is very expensive to look after, and this can be challenging where, as is often the case, it does not produce much, or any, income.  Many owners struggle to find the resources to carry out maintenance.  We therefore welcome realistic and practical approaches from English Heritage, helping owners to find low-cost solutions and involving heritage and other grants where appropriate.”

To arrange a visit or ask for more information, owners should call their nearest English Heritage regional office or their usual English Heritage contact.

Find out more about the English Heritage Heritage at Risk register here.