Why heritage sites are really at risk

A new study from the World Monuments Fund argues that the biggest threat to the world’s heritage sites is not the headline-grabbing one. More basic pressures — austerity, shrinking public budgets and the rising cost of repairs — are doing the most immediate damage to buildings, landscapes and landmarks that carry shared history. Looking at 372 nominations for the 2027 World Monuments Watch, the organisation found that 86 per cent named lack of funding and resources as the main reason a site was at risk.

The piece gives that finding some weight with places already under strain: Black Mountain College is described as crumbling through disinvestment; parts of Hurst Castle in England are collapsing as soil erosion takes hold; and severe winds and storms are damaging places including Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria and Fingal’s Cave in Scotland. In Cairo, the abandoned Takiyyat Ibrahim al-Gulshani appears as another example of a site needing sustained care rather than one-off attention.

The report also points to a wider imbalance. In parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, less than $1 per person is invested in protecting historic places, while the UK, France and the US are all dealing with cuts or mounting costs. It is not a travel piece, exactly, but it is a useful read if you care what happens to the places worth detouring for.

Our summary of a story from Wallpaper*, published 30 September 2026. Read the original

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