Local List of Historic Features
April 2026 Update – Help protect St Ives’ heritage – coming soon!
St Ives is compiling a local heritage list of buildings, places, and features with guidance from English Heritage that play an important role in its identity. The Civic Society of St Ives, together with St Ives Town Council, asks residents to help identify buildings, landmarks, green spaces, and other elements worthy of recognition on the town’s Local Heritage List. Although these may not be nationally listed, they are valued for their unique character, history, or significance to our community. These assets should be taken into account when planning decisions are made.
What can be nominated?
- Historic buildings or shopfronts
- Public artworks or memorials
- Parks, gardens, or green spaces
- Bridges, street furniture, or archaeological sites
- Any place that contributes to St Ives’ unique identity
Why is it good for St Ives?
- Ensures that important but unlisted assets are taken into account in planning applications
- Protects the town’s unique character
- Supports thoughtful, sympathetic development
- Encourages community involvement in heritage
- Builds trust and transparency in local planning
A local Heritage Panel will soon be formed, including historians, planners, architects, and community members. This group will establish criteria for choosing buildings in St Ives, considering aspects like historical value, architecture, community significance, and rarity. Workshops will be organised to support and discuss building nominations, and information such as photographs, resident stories, and maps will be collected. The Panel will review each nomination using the agreed criteria before submitting them for approval.
Be on the lookout for upcoming workshops and drop-in sessions—these are opportunities to share your stories, photos, and knowledge about buildings that could join the St Ives Local Heritage List.
Once the Panel is up and running, more details and a nomination form will be available both here and on the St Ives Town Council website.
The Old Quay and warehouse structures (Riverport history)
Town Hall and former Corn Exchange
The Octagon (St Ives market town history)
About The Local List
The Local List of St Ives Cambridgeshire is an open-ended schedule of unrecognised built or environmental features found in the different neighbourhoods across St Ives, identified by their residents during the town’s Neighbourhood Planning process as needing recognition and conservation.
The List will be incorporated in that Plan, which will give the named features a level of protection against careless or unscrupulous property developers. In this way, future generations of townspeople will also enjoy understanding the back stories of these features and how they represent the story of the town’s development. As you would expect, it includes an eclectic range of items such as sign boards, boot scrapers and even back doors.
Click on the magnifying glasses below to learn more about sites of interest that residents have asked to be conserved. Do you recognise these features and know their history?
Don’t hesitate to let us know any additional facts about St Ives features by using the Contact Form – we look forward to hearing from you.
16TH CENTURY OAK BEAM CARVED WITH THE ARMS OF RAMSEY ABBEY
CARVED LINTEL AT NO. 7 THE PAVEMENT (M&CO SHOP FORMERLY THE BELL INN)
The building dates from 1719 when Pettis tells us that it was rebuilt. It had closed by 1785 when the Manor Court book says that it was “formerly an inn”. A bell that was carved in the brickwork of the top storey is still visible, while over the doorway is a 16th century oak beam carved with the arms of Ramsey Abbey. It was brought to No. 7 The Pavement from the Old Salutation in Crown Street when it was demolished in 1887 and was originally installed down the side of the building but was moved over the door in 1992.
ST IVES CATTLE MARKET
THE CATTLE MARKET
The Cattle Market was originally a bullock market held in The Broadway in St Ives. In 1886 the new cattle market opened at the other end of town in Market Road.
The development of the new market was under direction of the Mayor of St Ives with support from the Duke of Manchester at a cost of £15,000 (today £2m).
The two handsome buildings on either side of the entrance gates were erected to accommodate cattle dealers.
WW2 PILL BOXES
PILL BOXES – OVER
18,000 pillboxes were constructed across the British Isles to resist invasion during World War II. During 1940 a branch of the British War Office produced 7 basic pillbox designs to be constructed at defensive locations.
The use of common designs with standard sizes for doors, loopholes and flat sides made mass production easier and speed of construction. Often bricks were used for shuttering on the outside however closer examination reveals the integral reinforced concrete ‘back-bone.’ St Ives currently has two pill boxes, one situated on The Waits and one on Harrison Way alongside the guided bus route.
A third pill box was constructed near the marshalling yards has since been dismantled and would have been in the Waitrose car park area.
THE OCTAGON BUILDING
Located within the market site is an unusual green wood cladded building which was originally the cattle market auctioneer’s ring.
It is believed the Octagon was constructed during the 1940s. The market cattle pens were finally closed for business in 1976 and the area incorporates a bus station and car park.
BOOT SCRAPERS AROUND ST IVES
Boot scrapers started to appear in England in the 18th century when town streets and pavements became improved and promenading became a fashion.
Many houses were accessed directly from the street and had a boot scraper adjacent to the front door. St Ives followed the trend with its own interesting collection of boot scrapers.
An array of metal boot scrapers were installed around town.