Listed buildings and conservation areas
The cottage is in Wales and the particulars quote Historic England. Which body's list should the solicitor actually match the building to?
The solicitor should match the cottage to Cadw's list, not to Historic England. The building is in Wales, and the particulars quote the English body. Cadw explains listing in Wales. Historic England explains list entries in England, which is the wrong list for this cottage. The survey has not matched the building to either list, has not confirmed a grade, and does not grant consent. A sentence in the sales pack is not the Welsh entry. The list the solicitor should actually use is Cadw's.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Buyers who have read English particulars often paste Historic England into a Welsh sale because the words look official. They are official for England. For this cottage the record sits with Cadw, under the Welsh listing system, with its own grades. Quoting the wrong body can attach the wrong entry, or none, to the right building. The home survey may mention that a house appears listed. That mention is not Cadw's entry and it is not a search of it. The survey does not grant it.
Ask the solicitor to match the cottage to the Cadw entry and to ignore the Historic England quotation except as a clue that the pack may be muddled. Use the survey for the condition of roof, walls and damp. Do not ask it to correct the particulars or to say works were consented. If you need the grade and the description, that is the Welsh list, read with the solicitor, not an English printout stapled to the brochure.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Are your comments limited to condition, rather than to which list applies?
- Did you rely on the particulars' Historic England quotation?
- Which defects did you see that sit apart from the listing body?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask the solicitor to match the cottage to Cadw's list.
- Treat the Historic England quotation as the wrong body for Wales.
- Do not treat the survey as consent or as the list entry.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the grades use similar numerals, can Historic England stand in?
No. Similar numerals do not make the English list the Welsh one. The cottage is in Wales. The solicitor should match it to Cadw. The survey has not done that matching and does not grant consent. The particulars quoted the wrong body for a cottage in Wales.
Does the survey regrade the cottage if the particulars look wrong?
No. Regrading is not a home-survey job. A wrong quotation in the particulars is for the solicitor to sort against Cadw's list. The inspection describes condition. It does not rewrite the entry or issue consent. Condition and the Welsh list stay on different pieces of paper.