Their stones, bricks, brooks and glades ring with the sounds of our history. But we seem to have stopped listening.

A shocking report on England's iconic landmarks reveals that one in 12 are under threat from neglect, decay and vandalism.

English Heritage, which compiled the register of more than 6,000 threatened sites, recently called on Britons to wake up to the damage being done.

One in five scheduled monuments, registered battlefields and protected wreck sites are in danger, while one in 30 Grade 1 listed buildings are being neglected.

Lord Lockhart, chairman of English Heritage, said: “Everybody must live near, walk past or know of a heritage treasure at risk near them.

“We believe that our Heritage At Risk register will galvanise the nation into doing something about this before it is too late and help us save the best of the past.”

The register includes Victorian schools and town halls, derelict railway stations, unstable remains of abbeys, eroded iron age forts and overgrown country parks.

Other at-risk sites include crumbling World War II pillboxes, neglected 1960s tower blocks and battle sites threatened by housing.

Many of the threatened sites are known only to locals. But others – such as the Eleanor cross outside London's Charing Cross station and the Civil War site of the Battle of Newbury in Berkshire – are world-famous. Some sites are threatened by ploughing and erosion.

Others are at risk because of neglectful owners, poor development, and lack of maintenance.

The report assessed England’s 30,000 Grade 1 and Grade 2 listed buildings, all 20,000 of the most important archaeological sites and monuments, all 1,500 registered historic parks and gardens, 43 battlefields and 45 wrecks.

Top ten threatened sites

Birkrigg Stone Circle, Cumbria: A prehistoric circle of 31 stones between 1700 and 1400 BC overlooking Morcambe Bay. Also known as the Druid’s Circle, the isolated site is a frequent target for paint-spraying vandals.

Uxbridge Lido, London: A Grade 2 listed lido built in 1935, the only remaining 12-sided “star” swimming pool in the UK. Abandoned in 1998 and covered in graffiti.

Battersea Power Station: Built in the 1930s, the former coal fired power station is the largest brick building in Europe. It has distinctive Art Deco towers. Closed in 1983, its future remains uncertain.

Newbury, Berkshire: Site of the first Battle of Newbury in 1643 when Roundheads prevented a large Parliamentary army from marching on London. Under threat from housing developers.

Eleanor Cross, Charing Cross, London: The crumbling Victorian cross stands outside the busy London railway station. Fragments of stone are falling off and it is desperate need of repair and restoration.

Bowes Railway Incline and Springwell Colliery, Gateshead: Part of the 1826 Stephenson rope-hauled colliery railway – one of the world’s first modern railways – it is suffering from severe erosion, storm damage and vandalism.

Lowther Castle, Cumbria: Empty since 1942, the once spectacular 19th Century Gothic castle – is now a derelict shell surrounded by 3,000 acres of grounds.

Snodhill Castle, Herefordshire: Dating from the 11th Century, the castle is a victim of extreme neglect. The castle has been ‘effectively abandoned’ by its owners and parts are in danger of collapse.

Boston Manor House, Hounslow: Three-storey Jacobean manor built in 1623 and surrounded by parkland, parts are in danger of toppling over and are being propped up by scaffolding.

Tynemouth Station: Built in 1882, it is one of the North East’s most impressive Victorian stations. But parts of the station are now unused and its decorative iron canopies are rusting. – (from The Daily Mail, London).