Skateboarders' Park From 1970s Is Given Heritage Status in U.K.

A 1970s skateboarders’ park was been given special protected status Wednesday by the government agency responsible for England’s ancient castles and stately homes. Dating to 1978, the Rom skate park in suburban London was built using pressurized concrete. It was inspired by prototypes in California where the trend began.

English Heritage, whose properties include Stonehenge, said it wanted to protect the 86,000 sq ft park to “preserve the legacy of one of the most distinctive and enduring strands of modern British youth culture.” The agency, which owns and operates hundreds of historic sites, also grants "listed” status to thousands of other buildings and places worthy of public protection. The skate park in Hornchurch, east London, will have Grade II status, meaning it is “of special interest warranting every effort to preserve it” in the future, the agency announced. “It gives the whole idea of heritage an extra twist,” English Heritage designation director Roger Bowdler said.

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