The Victorian Society today reveals that Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare is one of 2015’s Top Ten Most Endangered Victorian and Edwardian Buildings in England and Wales. The Society urges the Council to work with the pier’s owner and the Birnbeck Regeneration Trust to quickly establish a planning brief for development before it is too late.

Inclusion in the Society’s Top Ten often leads to national exposure and new interest in the buildings selected which can help save them. Griff Rhys Jones, The Victorian Society Vice President, launching the Top Ten, said “These are buildings that need help, and we need your help.”

Designed by the leading Victorian pier designer, Eugenius Birch, Birnbeck Pier is Britain’s only pier leading to an island. The pier was damaged by a mine during the war while used by the Admiralty as ‘HMS Birnbeck’. After years of neglect the Pier closed in 1994 and successive owners’ restoration plans have come to nothing. Even the RNLI’s lifeboat station closed after 131 years as the pier had become too dangerous. The Pier’s new owner, CNM Estates, says it is committed to fixing the pier and is working with the Birnbeck Regeneration Trust. However, storms earlier this year have left one walkway on the verge of collapse. North Somerset Council must now help all parties to quickly establish a planning brief for development to secure the pier’s future.

Director of the The Victorian Society, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘We’re grateful to everyone who nominated Birnbeck Pier. Like all the buildings included in this year’s Top Ten, the Pier is a listed building meaning that the Government has recognised its national importance. Birnbeck is one of a kind and deserves better than simply falling into the sea. I urge the public to share the Top Ten list, and Griff’s message, to help raise awareness of these buildings and help them to find the investment they desperately need.’

Details of the work of the regeneration Trust are here www.birnbeckregenerationtrust.org.uk.

The post Weston-super-Mare’s Birnbeck Pier on Top Ten Most Endangered Buildings list appeared first on The Victorian Society.

The Victorian Society today reveals that St Luke’s Church, Wolverhampton, is one of 2015’s Top Ten Most Endangered Victorian and Edwardian Buildings in England and Wales. The Society urges the Church to redouble its efforts to find someone willing to take on the building before formally closing it and leaving it empty indefinitely.

Inclusion in the Society’s Top Ten often leads to national exposure and new interest in the buildings selected which can help save them. Griff Rhys Jones, The Victorian Society Vice President, launching the Top Ten, said “These are buildings that need help, and we need your help.”

St Luke’s is a major local landmark with its extraordinarily detailed tower and polychromatic brickwork. This is matched by an exceptionally well preserved Victorian interior – becoming increasingly rare as churches try to attract new audiences by removing pews and other fittings to allow ‘flexible worship’. Sadly the church closed in 2013, largely as a result of enormous repair bills for dry rot and the poor condition of the brickwork. In 2012 English Heritage offered a £150,000 grant towards (66%) of the cost of the restoration work at that time. Inexplicably, the parochial church council (PCC) refused this offer. The PCC consists of clergy and churchwardens of the parish, together with representatives of the laity. The Church’s future is now extremely uncertain as formal closure procedures are ongoing. Wolverhampton cannot afford to lose a building of this quality. A new community or commercial use must be found to give the building a sustainable future.

Director of the The Victorian Society, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘We’re grateful to everyone who nominated St Luke’s. Like all the buildings included in this year’s Top Ten, St Luke’s is a listed building meaning that the Government has recognised its national importance. It deserves better than being closed and lying empty indefinitely. I urge the public to share the Top Ten list, and Griff’s message, to help raise awareness of these buildings and help them to find the investment they desperately need.’

Pictures of St Luke’s can be found here photos of ther interior can be found here.

The post Wolverhampton’s St Luke’s Church on Top Ten Endangered Buildings list appeared first on The Victorian Society.

The Victorian Society today reveals that Sheerness Boat Store is one of 2015’s Top Ten Most Endangered Victorian and Edwardian Buildings in England and Wales. The Society urges the owners of the Grade I-listed building seek inspiration from the way former naval buildings are re-used at Chatham Dockyard to find a future use the building.

The national exposure from inclusion in the Society’s Top Ten often leads to new interest in the buildings which can help save them. Griff Rhys Jones, The Victorian Society Vice President, launching the Top Ten, said “These are buildings that need help, and we need your help.”

The disused boat store is the world’s earliest surviving example of a multi-storey iron-frame and panel structure following the destruction of the Crystal Palace and the first South Kensington Museum. The all-metal frame, made rigid by portal bracing, was pioneering. It was subsequently adopted by early skyscrapers in Chicago, and universally used for modern steel-framed buildings. Without the techniques demonstrated at Sheerness boat store, today’s architectural world might be very different. But the boat store is in desperate need of a use. The Isle of Sheppey is one of the South East’s more remote areas but the not too distant Chatham Dockyard shows that historic buildings such as the boat store can have a future.

Director of the The Victorian Society, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘We’re grateful to everyone who nominated Sheerness Boat Store. Like all the buildings included in this year’s Top Ten The Boat Store is a listed building meaning that the Government has recognised its national importance. But the Grade I listed Boat Store has worldwide importance – it is an architectural pioneer. It deserves better than its current anonymity. I urge the public to share the Top Ten list, and Griff’s message, to help raise awareness of these buildings and help find the solutions they so desperately need.’

Pictures of Sheerness Boat Store can be found here.

If the Top Ten has inspired you to help us fight to save great Victorian and Edwardian architecture you can join us here, click the ‘donate’ button at the very bottom of this page or just text VICT00 followed by either £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to 70070. 100% of your donation will be received by the Society to help us to help us continue our campaigns.

The post Sheerness Boat Store, Kent, on Top Ten Most Endangered Buildings list appeared first on The Victorian Society.

Photo credit: Bill Bolton

The Victorian Society today reveals that Overstone Hall, Northampton, is one of 2015’s Top Ten Most Endangered Victorian and Edwardian Buildings in England and Wales. The Society urges the Hall’s owner to take action to ensure the building survives- selling for less than £1 million if necessary.

Inclusion in the Society’s Top Ten often leads to national exposure and new interest in the buildings selected which can help save them. Griff Rhys Jones, The Victorian Society Vice President, said in a video launching the Top Ten, ” Share the list around. These are buildings that need help, and we need you to help them.”

Overstone Hall was highly advanced when new, built with double walls, giving it the earliest known cavity wall insulation. It also had a central heating system, gas lighting and a butler’s lift. However, Lord Overstone is said to have disliked the design and never lived there. Today, the building remains unloved – around half is a burnt out shell after a fire in 2001. The New Testament Church of God put the hall up for sale in 2010 for £1million but it remains unsold at that high price. The Church was reportedly ordered to carry out work to ensure public safety in June after severe vandalism. The owners should face up to the responsibility of owning a historic building and take action to ensure it survives – potentially by selling it a more realistic price.

Director of the The Victorian Society, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘We’re grateful to everyone who nominated Overstone Hall. Like all the buildings included in this year’s Top Ten, Overstone Hall is a listed building meaning that the Government has recognised its national importance. Overstone deserves better than its current situation. I urge the public to share the Top Ten list, and Griff’s message, to help raise awareness of these buildings and help them to find the investment they desperately need.’

The post Overstone Hall, Northampton, on Top Ten Most Endangered Buildings list appeared first on The Victorian Society.

The Victorian Society today reveals that Ladywell Baths in Lewisham, London, is one of 2015’s Top Ten Most Endangered Victorian and Edwardian Buildings in England and Wales. The Society urges Lewisham Council to redouble its efforts to find a developer able to bring the building back to life.

Griff Rhys Jones, The Victorian Society Vice President, launching the Top Ten, said “These are buildings that need help, and we need your help.” Inclusion in the Society’s Top Ten often leads to national exposure and new interest in the buildings selected which can help save them.

When Ladywell Baths opened, newspapers reported that cleanliness was next to godliness as the baths were so close to the parish church. The building must have made an impact with its gothic arches, huge circular tower with turret, stained glass and decorative ironwork. Innovatively, to avoid paying the water company, the baths sunk a 270ft well yielding 8,000 gallons of water an hour. A fountain in baths grounds was topped with the coping stones of ‘ye well of our ladye at Lewisham’ which gives its name to the area and which was said to have been credited with ‘healing virtues’. The baths have long since lost their turret and other decorative features and have lain empty for many years. Lewisham Council, which owns the Baths, carried out repairs to keep the building water tight several years ago but says it has struggled to find anyone to take the building on which has suffered internal vandalism. With a property boom across London the baths have lots of potential for reuse – surely the time is right for someone to come to its rescue.

Director of the The Victorian Society, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘We’re grateful to everyone who nominated Ladywell Baths. Like all the buildings included in this year’s Top Ten, Ladywell Baths is a listed building meaning that the Government has recognised its national importance. What was once a hub of the community deserves better than lying empty half obscured by trees. I urge the public to share the Top Ten list, and Griff’s message, to help raise awareness of the building’s situation and help it find the investment is so desperately needs.’

Plans of the building when new can be found here.

The post London’s Ladywell Baths on Top Ten Endangered Buildings list appeared first on The Victorian Society.

The Victorian Society today reveals that the Hunslet Mill and Victoria Works in Leeds are one of 2015’s Top Ten Most Endangered Victorian and Edwardian Buildings in England and Wales. The Society urges the owners, who have left the site unused for nearly twenty years, to propose a development scheme before it is too late.

Griff Rhys Jones, The Victorian Society Vice President, launching the Top Ten, said “These are buildings that need help, and we need your help.” Inclusion in the Society’s Top Ten often leads to national exposure and new interest in the buildings selected which can help save them.

The Hunslet Mill and Victoria Works is a huge multi storey complex of red brick mill buildings. Hunslet Mill is thought to be the last, and individually the largest, of Leeds’s great flax-spinning mills. William Fairbairn who designed Hunslet was a leading designer of mill buildings and also was responsible for the world heritage site at Saltaire Mill. Sadly, the buildings have been unused for decades – the west was range demolished in 1986. The Mills are partly sheeted over but decay must be serious inside. The developers who have owned the Mills for around 20 years state development remains unviable. Hunslet Mill is being treated as a priority case by Leeds City Council and Historic England but if the developer doesn’t take action soon there will be little left to develop.

Director of the The Victorian Society, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘We’re grateful to everyone who nominated the Hunslet Mill and Victoria Works. Like all the buildings included in this year’s Top Ten, it is a listed building meaning that the Government has recognised its national importance. The Council are to be commended for prioritising the building but the owners need to act soon. I urge the public to share the Top Ten, and Griff’s message, to help raise awareness of the situation and help the mills find the investment they so desperately need.’

The post Hunslet Mill and Victoria Works in Leeds on Top Ten Most Endangered Buildings list appeared first on The Victorian Society.

The Victorian Society today reveals that the Tolly Cobbold brewery, Ipswich, is one of 2015’s Top Ten Most Endangered Victorian and Edwardian Buildings in England and Wales. The Society urges the owners to come forward with a development scheme before this important building is lost.

Griff Rhys Jones, The Victorian Society Vice President, launching the Top Ten, said “These are buildings that need help, and we need your help.” Inclusion in the Society’s Top Ten often leads to national exposure and new interest in the buildings selected which can help save them.

The large, red brick, Tower Brewery’s architect was William Bradford who designed or altered over seventy breweries. The site has been abandoned since 2002 when Tolly Cobbold merged with Ridley’s brewery. It is now in a poor condition suffering from copper thefts and water ingress, with much of the exterior covered in green algae. Pigeon Investment Management was granted outline planning permission to turn the former Tolly Cobbold site into a mixture of flats, businesses and leisure use back in 2013. However, as yet no work has started and the building continues to deteriorate. The owners are understood to be considering a planning application. However, the building cannot afford more delay – urgent works are needed now.

Director of the The Victorian Society, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘We’re grateful to everyone who nominated the former Tolly Cobbold Brewery. Like all the buildings included in this year’s Top Ten, it is a listed building meaning that the Government has recognised its national importance. It deserves better than being closed and lying empty indefinitely. I urge the public to share the Top Ten list, and Griff’s message, to help raise awareness of these buildings and help them to find the investment they desperately need.’

Pictures of the former Tolly Cobbold brewery can be found here.

The post Ipswich’s Tolly Cobbold brewery on Top Ten Most Endangered Buildings list appeared first on The Victorian Society.

The Victorian Society today reveals that Conwy’s Kinmel Hall is one of 2015’s Top Ten Most Endangered Victorian and Edwardian Buildings in England and Wales. The Society urges Acer Properties Limited, Kinmel’s British Virgin Islands registered owner, which has owned the building since 2011, to come forward with firm plans for Kinmel’s future.

Griff Rhys Jones, The Victorian Society Vice President, launching the Top Ten, said “These are buildings that need help, and we need your help.” The national exposure from inclusion in the Society’s Top Ten often leads to new inerest in the buildings which can help save them.

It is understandable why Kinmel Hall, with a façade around 500ft long, has been called the ‘Welsh Versailles’ or ‘discount Downton’. In fact, Kinmel Hall is said to have been inspired by Wren’s Hampton Court and the 17th century Chateau de Balleroy. The present house was paid for by Hugh Robert Hughes, heir of a huge copper mining fortune. Country Life noted in 1969 that ‘Kinmel is an amazingly palatial house for a commoner to build himself, even a Victorian commoner and a very rich one.’ Queen Victoria herself is believed to have stayed at Kinmel in 1870 when she presented carved wooden panels. Sadly these were stolen in 2013. The owner, British Virgin Islands registered Acer Properties Limited, is since said to have stepped up security but the house remains unused and neglected with plans for a hotel seemingly no closer to implementation.

Director of the The Victorian Society, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘We’re grateful to everyone who nominated Kinmel Hall. Kinmel Hall is a Grade I-listed building meaning that the Government has recognised its national importance. It is very sad that what is perhaps the greatest surviving Welsh country house is left lying unused and neglected. I urge the public to share the Top Ten list, and Griff’s message, to help ensure a strong scheme is brought forward soon to ensure its future survival.’

The post Kinmel Hall in Conwy on Top Ten Most Endangered Buildings list appeared first on The Victorian Society.

The Victorian Society today reveals that the Central Plaza Hotel, Carlisle is one of 2015’s Top Ten Most Endangered Victorian and Edwardian Buildings in England and Wales. Investment is desperately needed to save this important city centre building currently languishing in the hands of the Queen’s Crown Estate Solicitors.

Griff Rhys Jones, The Victorian Society Vice President, launching the Top Ten, said “These are buildings that need help, and we need your help.” Inclusion in the Society’s Top Ten often leads to national exposure and new interest in the buildings selected which can help save them.

Can a building survive without an owner? The handsome former Great Central Hotel is constructed from contrasting sandstones with stone panels decorated with the city arms, the date and scenes from Aesop’s Fables.

Today little is visible as the building is shrouded by scaffolding. The hotel closed in 2004 and the company that bought it ceased to exist shortly afterwards. The ancient law of escheat meant that it fell into the hands of the Queen’s Crown Estate solicitors, who, though disinclined to manage or market the building, are open to a sale. The Council has spent £77,000 on the building in recent years but has been unable to find a developer willing to take it on. New sources of funding are desperately needed to restore this important city-centre building.

Director of the The Victorian Society, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘We’re grateful to everyone who nominated the Central Plaza Hotel, Carlisle. Like all the buildings included in this year’s Top Ten, it is a listed building meaning that the Government has recognised its national importance. The Council are to be commended for spending money on a building which the Crown Estate Solicitor will not market. I urge the public to share the Top Ten, and Griff’s message, to help raise awareness of the Central Plaza Hotel and help it to find the investment it so desperately needs.’

Pictures of the Central Plaza Hotel, Carlisle can be found here.

The post Carlisle hotel on Top Ten Most Endangered Buildings list appeared first on The Victorian Society.

The Victorian Society today reveals that Brighton’s Madeira Terrace is one of 2015’s Top Ten Most Endangered Victorian and Edwardian Buildings in England and Wales. Brighton Council has stated that it must entirely replace what has been said to be the world’s longest cast iron structure. The Society urges the Council to make its survey public and to retain as much of the original structure as possible.

Griff Rhys Jones, The Victorian Society Vice President, launching the Top Ten, said “These are buildings that need help, and we need your help.” The national exposure from inclusion in the Society’s Top Ten often leads to new interest in the buildings which can help save them.

The 2,837 foot long Madeira Terrace has been said to the longest continuous cast iron structure in Britain or even the world. Although the seafront is an integral part of Brighton, the entire length of the structure was recently closed and businesses forced to leave because of the risk of collapse. Brighton Council has statedthat repairs cannot be made and a ‘like for like’ replacement is required. It seems unlikely that nothing from the entire length of the terrace can be repaired or salvaged. The Society has submitted a Freedom of Information request for a copy of the survey, but believes that Brighton Council should make it public immediately to ensure that as much of this historic structure as possible is preserved.

Director of the The Victorian Society, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘We’re grateful to everyone who nominated Madeira Terrace. Like all the buildings included in this year’s Top Ten Madeira Terrace is a listed building meaning that the Government has recognised its national importance. What is the seaside without a promenade? I urge the public to share the Top Ten list, and Griff’s message, to help ensure as much of Madeira Terrace as possible is preserved for future generations.’

Pictures of Madeira Terrace can be found here.

If the Top Ten has inspired you to help us fight to save great Victorian and Edwardian architecture you can join us here, click the ‘donate’ button at the very bottom of this page or just text VICT00 followed by either £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to 70070. 100% of your donation will be received by the Society to help us to help us continue our campaigns.

The post Brighton’s Madeira Terrace on Top Ten Most Endangered Buildings appeared first on The Victorian Society.