Historic England has added Dr Edward Jenner’s Grade II‑listed summerhouse, the Temple of Vaccinia in Berkeley, to its Heritage at Risk Register because the thatch, a wall and a chimney need urgent repairs. The hut, built by the Rev Robert Ferryman, is ranked among England’s top 10 scientific buildings. The register added 138 sites this year and removed 129 following restorations. Jenner’s late‑18th‑century cowpox experiments (including his 1796 inoculation of James Phipps) helped pave the way to the eradication of smallpox in 1977.
Jenner’s 'Temple of Vaccinia' Added to Heritage at Risk Register — Iconic Vaccine Hut in Danger
Historic England has added Dr Edward Jenner’s Grade II‑listed summerhouse, the Temple of Vaccinia in Berkeley, to its Heritage at Risk Register because the thatch, a wall and a chimney need urgent repairs. The hut, built by the Rev Robert Ferryman, is ranked among England’s top 10 scientific buildings. The register added 138 sites this year and removed 129 following restorations. Jenner’s late‑18th‑century cowpox experiments (including his 1796 inoculation of James Phipps) helped pave the way to the eradication of smallpox in 1977.
14:03, 06.11.2025Culture
Historic vaccine hut at risk
Dr Edward Jenner’s summerhouse — the small laboratory known as the Temple of Vaccinia at the Chantry in Berkeley — has been added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register after inspectors found it in a poor state of repair.
The Grade II‑listed hut, built by the Rev Robert Ferryman and ranked among England’s top 10 most important scientific buildings, sits at the bottom of the Chantry garden. Historic England reports the thatched roof is almost bare at the ridge and that urgent repairs are required to a wall and a chimney.
Register update
This hut is one of 138 sites added to the register in the latest annual update amid concerns about their condition and future. The organisation also removed 129 places this year after successful restoration projects, highlighting the positive impact of conservation partnerships and community-led reuse.
Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, co‑chief executives of Historic England, said the annual register underlines the benefits of bringing historic buildings back into use and turning them into places of local connection and joy.
Why the hut matters
Dr Jenner, often described as the father of immunology, carried out late‑18th‑century experiments in this hut demonstrating that infection with cowpox could protect against smallpox. In 1796 he took material from cowpox blisters on a milkmaid, Sarah Nelmes (whose cow was called Blossom), and used it to inoculate eight‑year‑old James Phipps. Phipps recovered and later showed no signs of smallpox when exposed.
Jenner tested the method on 23 people in total; the early trials led him to offer vaccinations free to poorer members of his community. His work laid the foundations for vaccination and contributed to smallpox becoming the only human disease eradicated to date, with the last naturally occurring case recorded in October 1977.
What’s next
Historic England’s listing is intended to raise awareness and encourage funding, local action and partnerships to secure urgent repairs and long‑term reuse. Preserving the Temple of Vaccinia would protect a site of immense scientific and public‑health significance while providing a focal point for community engagement and education.