This is a broad category which encompasses houses in various states from the newly abandoned to the near-ruinously derelict. Though some houses may be beyond saving, there is still hope - if someone with enough money and sensitivity can be found to undertake sympathetic restoration or reconstruction. If you would like more information on Buildings at Risk please join SAVE Britain's Heritage and get access to their database of over 800 buildings in need of care and restoration.
This is not meant to be a comprehensive list - it's just some that I have come across in my research. Some will just be names, but where there is a page on this website I will link to that but where other people have more appropriate websites, I will link to them. And though this website is primarily about English houses, for this list I'm including those in other areas to help publicise them.
If you have any suggestions for others to be added then please contact me.
Sometimes a house that's even deteriorated to such an extent that it's been listed on the list of lost houses can be rescued.
One case in particular was that of Hellifield Peel, a small fortified manor house/castle, in North Yorkshire. Last inhabited just after WWII it had fallen into serious disrepair and was now listed as a scheduled ancient monument. However, following the brave decision of a local architect to realise a childhood dream of living in a castle, Hellifield Peel has been brilliantly restored to a family home.
To see the transformation, have a look at the castle before restoration, and how it looks now. A real testament to one man's vision and commitment.
Also:
Hill Hall - Theydon Mount, Essex. A Grade-I listed Elizabethan mansion with some of the earliest Renaissance brickwork in England. Largely gutted by a fire in 1969, and nearly demolished in 1974, it remained a ruin until 1984 when English Heritage spent £2m on repairs to make it a viable water-tight shell. In partnership with a private developer the house was subdivided into apartments with some of the most historic areas remaining available to the public via English Heritage.
Worden Old Hall - Chorley, Lancashire
Brougham Hall - Brougham, Cumbria. One of the finest houses of its type it had largely fallen into an advanced state of dereliction before a dedicated team of volunteers started work in 1985. Now, significant sections have been restored and it is open to the public.
