Rarely available, here’s your chance to become the new owner of a UK listed building and enjoy history in bricks and mortar. 

Listed building status - what is it?

There are around 500,000 listed buildings in the UK which fall into three categories – Grade I, Grade II * and Grade II - each with a set of classification criteria such as 'exceptional interest' and 'special interest'. A large majority of these properties were built prior to 1945. 

Listing was introduced in the Town and County Planning Act in 1947 to protect the UK’s historically significant or architecturally innovative properties in the aftermath of World War II and the consequent destruction of some of the UK's most important buildings. 

View these unique properties to find out what makes them so special or search for listed buildings for sale across the UK and find your dream home with history.

Four bedroom Grade II listed detached house on the banks of the River Thames, SW14

An exceptional Grade II listed period riverside home with spectacular far reaching river views, on the market for the first time in over 50 years.

Bookended by Barnes Bridge and Chiswick Bridge Thames Bank Cottage has a colourful history having been occupied by the Church and then, in late Georgian period, serving locals as the Star & Garter alehouse.

The house is believed to be built in the late 17th Century, although there is some reference to its origins dating as far back as 1617.

2768 sq ft of living space includes a handsome double reception room and study with sweeping views of the River Thames, four bedrooms and a sizeable open plan kitchen and dining room.

To the rear of the house are landscaped walled gardens and a small walled front garden.

This hugely charming London riverside property further benefits from a number of period features throughout, as well as a private garage accessed via Aynescombe Path.

Thames Cottage is located on a picturesque road along the banks of The River Thames between Barnes Bridge and Chiswick Bridge

Mortlake and Barnes Bridge railway stations provide a frequent service to London Waterloo. There are also frequent bus services towards Hammersmith and Richmond, both of which offer access to underground stations.

Seven bedroom 18th Century Grade II listed townhouse for sale in Clapham Common, London

18th Century Clapham – at the time an expanse of countryside - was largely home to wealthy merchants who built country homes, villas and later grand townhouses around the Common, many of which were later demolished or destroyed during WWII.

Overlooking Clapham Common, the seven-bedroom Archway House is one of the finest examples of early eighteenth-century houses in London.

Original architectural features have been lovingly maintained to include period fireplaces, sash-windows, panelling, staircase and antique parquetry while modern finishes have been skillfully employed to sensitively juxtapose old with new.

Five/six bedroom restored Grade II listed Georgian mansion, SE18

Weighted by a rich naval and military history, Woolwich is home to The Royal Military Academy was founded in 1741 as well as some of the capital's finest historic homes dating back to the 18th  & 19th Centuries; an opportunity has arisen to own one of the most outstanding.

Rush Grove House has been extensively refurbished to offer exceptional accommodation throughout and forms the main part of the original 1816 Georgian mansion which previously was home to the Commander of the Royal Marine barracks.

The home has been fully restored by the current owner who has applied attention to detail in every aspect of this versatile property.

Clocking in at 4,934 sq ft, this property has plenty of room for manoeuvre with the flexilibty to create an additional bedroom. Period features sit cheek-by-jowl with 21st-century mod cons of which there are plenty. 

Accessed at ground floor level, there are three separate reception rooms which provide a grand sense of entrance with the two principal reception rooms having views over the landscaped gardens to the wildlife park and lake in the distance.

The lower ground floor is accessed via a rear stair case that leads to the kitchen/diner, formal dining room and additional games room.

On the first floor are two bedrooms with a further three on the second.

Rush Grove House is located within 0.6 miles of Woolwich Arsenal DLR and National Rail, 0.5 miles of Woolwich Dockyard and 0.8 miles of Woolwich Ferry South Pier. The property is also ideally located within 0.9 miles of the forthcoming Crossrail Station in Woolwich.

Woolwich is a area that is currently enjoying a renaissance with recent high profile development schemes including The Royal Arsenal and a £50 million regeneration of the Royal Military Academy. This combined with the arrival of Crossrail in 2018/2019 make an area of significant interest to anyone looking for a property hotspot. 

One bedroom penthouse for sale in Grade I listed Whitehall Court, SW1A

Conceived in the mid-1880s, storied Whitehall Court was home to the British Secret Intelligence Service until the end of World War I and has since housed various associations including United Nations and the National Liberal Club.

The opportunity to purchase a spectacular one bedroom penthouse in this Grade I listed building will give new owners the cachet of owning a home in one of the capital's most instantly recognisable riverside buildings. 

Sitting on the seventh floor of this Victorian masterpiece, the property offers spectacular views over Embankment, the river Thames and Whitehall Gardens. 

There are roomy ceiling heights throughout this property which includes a spacious reception room with original bay window overlooking the beautiful Whitehall Gardens and iconic London skyline. 

Whitehall Court further benefits from lift access, 24 hour concierge and maid service which can be arranged on request.

Located on Embankment, just south of Trafalgar Square and opposite the landmark London Eye on the river, Whitehall Court benefits from outstanding local transport links, with easy access to neighbouring Mayfair and Covent Garden and quick links to the City and Canary Wharf

An important 1930's six bedroom Grade II listed house for sale on Hinksey Hill, Oxford

One acre of south facing gardens come with the architecturally significant six bedroom family home one mile from central Oxford. 

Overshot is a Modern Movement house, designed in 1937 by Godfrey Samuel and Valentine Harding for the art historian Sir Ellis Waterhouse. Samuel and Harding were founding partners of the Tecton Group established in 1933 by renowned modernist architect Berthold Lubetkin, designer of London Zoo’s iconic Penguin Pool. 

Overshot is their last house, and notable as it marks a move away from the modernist ‘pure white cubes’ and a return to traditional materials of brick and wood, and a pitched copper roof. It was Grade II listed in 2000 in part because of its place in the history of British architecture. 

The ground floor comprises a large hallway with the sitting and dining room enjoying southerly views over the garden to Bagley Wood. A door in the dining room leads to the covered loggia. 

The kitchen retains original fitted units and walk-in larder, a Bulthaup central island with Gaggenau and Miele appliances. This could be extended to form a spacious family dining/living room, subject to planning. 

The first floor has four similar sized rooms overlooking the garden and woods, including one with a balcony, with a further fifth bedroom.

The second kitchen leads into bedroom six, which has a reinforced floor. This space could become a superb master bedroom, a teenager’s bedsit or a games room with its own private terrace.

It is well placed for schools including Chandlings, Cothill and Oxford schools and rail services to Marylebone and Paddington from Oxford Parkway and Oxford.

Grade II listed family home dating back to 1520, Windsor, Berkshire 

The grand name of 'Knights Hall 'seems fitting for a property the owners believe dates back to 1520, built in parts during the reign of Henry VIII.

Although modernised over the years, the property retains many original and interesting features including timber panelled walls, vaulted and oak-beamed ceiling and a minstrel’s gallery - a balcony from which musician’s would perform – now used to enjoy the great views over the gardens and lake. 

Every effort has been made to preserve the architectural and historical importance of this wonderful building but mod cons are, well, made for making life that bit easier with owners installing a swimming pool and underfloor heating to bring this property into the 21st Century. 

Substantial five bedroom period house for sale on The Moor side of Hawkhurst, Kent

Sitting on The Moor side of the charming village of Hawkhurst is this Grade II Listed double-fronted 18th Century family house with wonderful views over 9.72 acres of groomed gardens/land with swimming pool and surrounding Kent countryside. 

Internally, 3,563 sq ft of living space includes well-proportioned reception rooms and family accommodation with many period features including high ceilings, open fireplaces and some original windows. In colder climes, the dining room has just the tonic - an inglenook fireplace with butler's cupboards on either side.

In addition to the main residence there is a one bedroom annexe (above the garage) which consists of a bedroom / sitting room with kitchen area and a shower room as well as an detached studio and garage. This can be used as a home office, creative space or as accommodation for older children flocking back to the nest. 

Outside, a long shared gravel driveway leads on to a gated entrance and private driveway and parking area. The formal gardens surround the property and are laid to lawn with a multitude of mature trees, shrubs and plants as well as a swimming pool.

There are various paddocks, which border either side of the driveway, as well as a manège and a stable yard providing three stables and a hay barn. There are also three ponds, one of which is large and has a bridge, and in all the property extends to just under 10 acres. 

East Heath is located in a rural position on the popular Moor side of the village of Hawkhurst

Nearby Etchingham and Staplehurst both offer mainline services to London, as does Tunbridge Wells which also offers an extensive range of shopping, commercial and educational facilities. 

There are a number of well-regarded schools in the area in both the state and private sectors. The property lies within the Cranbrook School Catchment Area.