Charles Dickens' beloved church, and the one featured in Little Dorrit, is in endangered, according to the latest Heritage at Risk list published on Thursday.
Along with the world's oldest gasholder, a five and a half thousand year old megalithic tomb and a number of other iconic places of worship, the Church of St George the Martyr in Bermondsey, London, has been named among 328 new entries in the last year.
The building is next to Marshalsea debtors' jail where Dickens' father, mother and siblings were imprisoned for three months when Charles was 12. It is suffering from 'slow decay', with leaks from gutters and damage to cornices and parapets.
The same church, clearly leaving a deep impression on the author, was where the character of Little Dorrit was christened and later married in the novel.
Other churches including St Anne's, Limehouse, built by Nicholas Hawksmoor, a contemporary of Christopher Wren, are also named on the list.
But more cheerful news came out of Liverpool as St Luke's – commonly known as the Bombed Out Church – was officially removed from the list after 18 years and a £500,000 restoration by the council.
A 'dynamic' new lighting system means the building can change colour at the touch of a button with the effects meaning they 'can be set to provide static colours, flame flicker effects or rolling colour change, among many others', according to the Liverpool Echo.
Mayor Joe Anderson said: 'It's been a personal goal of mine that we restore St Luke's to its rightful place as one of the city's crown jewels and I'm delighted that, as of today, it is no longer on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.
'This is a landmark moment that heralds an exciting new chapter in its illustrious history. This amazing new lighting scheme gives St Luke's a whole new dimension to be part of citywide celebrations.'
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, which produces the list, said: 'We're quite good at saving the places we focus on, but more and more places are coming under threat.
He added: 'When it's gone, it's gone, so it's important we work with owners and local communities to save as many of these historic sites as possible. Having that connection with the past is important for all of us and enhances our quality of life – most people recognise that.'
