Grantham's former Pest House has received Grade II listing and becomes one of only six rare surviving examples on the National Heritage List for England.

The building is deemed to be of both architectural and historic interest and was built in the late 16th century, largely rebuilt between 1789 and 1790, and altered and extended as a private house around 1880.

Grantham Civic Society was alerted to the possibility of it being listed by South Kesteven District Council Conservation Officer Ian Wright and backed the proposal.

Yesterday (April 1) it was added to the National Heritage List for England - a register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in the country.

John Manterfield, society secretary, told Grantham Nub News: "We are delighted that the Secretary of State has given this building Grade II status.

"The building, although largely rebuilt at the end of the 18th century, is important as a rare survivor of its type.

"Pest houses were a feature of urban settlements in the Tudor and Stuart period when the threat of the spread of the bubonic plague caused much alarm in towns and cities.

"Grantham itself was affected by outbreaks of plague four times in the first half of the 17th century - in 1604, 1617, 1625 and 1637.

"The worst outbreak was in 1604 when over 300 people died out of a total parish population of some 1500-1600 people.

"The aim of a pest house was to isolate those suffering and keep them separate from other households in the town.

"Accordingly Grantham's pest house was located in the then fields of Little Gonerby and Manthorpe outside of the then built-up area.

"The property belonged to the town corporation who leased it to tenants.

"Under the terms of their lease, the tenants had to move out at short notice to allow sick people to be moved in if there was an outbreak of plague."

Mr Manterfield said the present building contains some stone walling which probably dates from the original Pest House.

The Pest House is shown on early maps and is referred to in some of the later 19th century census returns.

"The society is keen to 'Preserve the Good in the Old and Encourage the Good in the New'," added Mr Manterfield.

"There is therefore an opportunity for this building to be incorporated sympathetically into proposals for new housing in this area off Manthorpe Road.

"The society makes periodic design awards for both new and refurbished buildings and this building could be a candidate for consideration for a future award."