Talk:List of oldest buildings in the United Kingdom

Tinkinswood?
Any reason why Tinkinswood Burial Chamber is not included? According to the wiki article it is 6000 years old and as far as I can see it meets the definition of a building. --Wikipediun2000 (talk) 19:44, 4 June 2022 (UTC)

New inclusions?
There are several old buildings and churches in Kent that could be included on this list, for example Holy Trinity Church in Dartford was built in 1080, understandably with many additions since, and St Margaret's in Darenth is one of the oldest in the country.

Possible inclusions from Dorset
Christchurch Priory

Sherborne Abbey

pevensey castle
pevensey castle is a huge roman fort that had some additions made to it in the middle ages. Why isn't it included?? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A00:23C4:7896:FE00:19A:9F81:947:1D7F (talk) 20:32, 3 May 2018 (UTC)

Limit for inclusion
Firstly the limit for being included on this page should be set. I suggest 1349 as it marks the black plague which effectively ended feudalism in Britain. Rambling77 (talk) 13:31, 2 May 2008 (UTC)

Extant- clarify?

Extant in a biological sense means surviving. Are we counting ruins? In what state, does one wall count? They seem to at the moment. Doesn't seem like a building to me? Rambling77 (talk) 13:31, 2 May 2008 (UTC)

What counts as a building?
I've just found this list & can add loads of buildings from Somerset but I was wondering how building is defined? My examples would include Tarr Steps & the Sweet Track?&mdash; Rod talk 15:24, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

How/where to add buildings where only the century is known?
How should a building where only the century it dates from is known be added to this list - an example Church of St Michael the Archangel, Compton Martin was built in the 12th century - but no further info available?&mdash; Rod talk 21:15, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

More from the north
Template:Broch and Template:Prehistoric Orkney provide several more candidates. Knap of Howar may be the oldest. Ben  Mac  Dui  18:53, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Possible inclusions
I'm confused by "Howley Fort" - it has no article, and a Google search doesn't seem to produce anything at all about it - does it exist? It was added by an IP editor two years ago. Curious... -- Bobyllib (talk) 15:17, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Can someone look at wimborne minster. The church was originally started in 703 ad but was rebuilt in around 1103.

Definitions
If this list to make any sense some of the above questions need to be answered. In the absence of any other suggestion I'm happy with 1349 as the "latest date" for an entry.

"Building" and "extant" also need to be defined. According to Building, the former includes:
 * "Any human-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy".

This includes a great deal, but it then goes on to state a more detailed definition in which a building is:
 * A structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place; ...
 * To differentiate buildings in the usage of this article from other buildings and other structures that are not intended for continuous human occupancy, the latter are called non-building structures or simply structures."

This would certainly exclude roads, and probably bridges, (although I am tempted to suggest the latter are included here as Tarr Steps looks interesting, and there must be very few other examples).

"Extant" can only be defined fairly arbitrarily. It should clearly exclude ruins that barely reach above ground level, but I don't think a building needs to have a roof to be "extant", (as opposed to "in use"). Furthermore, in many cases, any existing roof will not be as old as the main structure. I note that at Knap of Howar "the walls still stand to an eaves height of 1.6m" and suggest this as a minimum height above ground level to qualify. Ben  Mac  Dui  11:44, 13 June 2010 (UTC)


 * On the basis that Tarr Steps is a listed building, I'd say it would count. Similarly, the Sweet Track does not qualify as a listed building, so it shouldn't be included here. The longevity of buildings is remarkable since they are prone to collapsing if not maintained. Something like the Sweet Track would simply stay there whatever happened. Extant should therefore be linked somehow to "recognisable". So if it looks like a building it can go in. If it looks like a pile of stones it's out. Sorry if thats a bit vague, best I can come up with just now. Jonathan Oldenbuck (talk) 16:02, 14 June 2010 (UTC)


 * Attempted a lead based on the above. Brochs are an interesting test case. There are at least 100 candidate sites, although the difference between a ruin and a building may prove tricky. The photos at Broch are indicative. I'd say Kilphedir and Feranch were ruins even if they reach 1.5 m in height, but Dun Telve a building and fortunately (for this list if not for archaeologists) there are only a few in the latter camp. Ben   Mac  Dui  07:53, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Northern Ireland and Wales
Fairly poorly represented, especially the former. Surely there must be more? --MacRusgail (talk) 17:32, 4 March 2012 (UTC)
 * Maybe there are good reasons. Different building methods may have meant older buildings did not survive. The Romans, Saxons and Normans seem to have been proficient stone builders, but they barely encroached into the further reaches of Britain and Ireland, as far as I understand. Sionk (talk) 19:06, 4 March 2012 (UTC)

Bath?
Do the remains at Bath qualify? --MacRusgail (talk) 17:32, 4 March 2012 (UTC)

More severn-cotswolds longbarrows
If West Kennet is included, several other barrows surely qualify: Stoney Littleton, Hetty Peglar's Tump & Belas Knapp to name but 3 from a list of 7 or 8. --92.42.145.164 (talk) 11:30, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

Inclusions for Lincolnshire
Intact Saxon tower at St Mary le Wigford in Lincoln. Church tower has roman gravestones embedded on it, as it was constructed on a Roman site. One of the stones is still readable. Probable date of construction, 980 AD.

Pre Norman conquest church tower at All Saints Church, Branston. Church tower is late Saxon, but an earlier Saxon tower appears to have been included in the church structure and makes up the south western part of the nave. No dating available sadly.

All Saints Church, Harmston. Late Saxon tower, mid-11th century. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.200.226.176 (talk) 23:26, 30 October 2014 (UTC)

St Helen's Colchester
The idea that this church is a 3rd century foundation seems purely legendary. More plausible is the suggestion that it was built by Offa of Mercia in the mid 8th century. Myopic Bookworm (talk) 21:32, 9 July 2017 (UTC)

This building is entered out of place chronologically, unless it's there for a reason? --Andromedean (talk) 20:41, 19 April 2019 (UTC)

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Cardiff Castle
We list Cardiff Castle as 'c. 1140'. However, the the curtain wall was built on the remains of the wall of the third-century Roman fort. Should the building be listed as third-century? Verbcatcher (talk) 19:15, 22 March 2019 (UTC)


 * See also Cardiff Roman Fort. Standing Roman masonry is shown in File:Cardiff Castle (Roman wall).jpg. Verbcatcher (talk) 19:20, 22 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Your suggestion of the earlier date...if it passes the be the rule ..."incorporate features of building work from the claimed date to at least 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in height and/or be a listed building" seems to be right. (I have no idea why that height was chosen or whether it is kept to) ~ BOD ~ TALK 21:09, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

✅. Should we add Cardiff Castle Keep, which is a stand-alone building within the boundary of Cardiff Castle? Verbcatcher (talk) 00:33, 23 March 2019 (UTC)

Colchester
How can Holy Trinity Church in Colchester be the 'Oldest building in Colchester' dating from 1020 when Saint Helen's Chapel, also in Colchester, is 8th century?146.200.40.89 (talk) 08:10, 20 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia is written by volunteer editors if you know better then contribute, especially if you have reliable citations to support your additions .. however .. Historic England officially lists the current St Helen's Chapel as '2. Rebuilt in circa 1290 but probably of C12 or earlier origin.' While parts of the church tower of Holy Trinity are Anglo-Saxon, believed to date from about 1020.  ~ BOD ~ TALK 08:38, 20 May 2021 (UTC)

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