Victorian Society News Archive: 2023
Griff Rhys Jones launches 2023 Top Ten Endangered Buildings list
The Top Ten Endangered Victorian and Edwardian Buildings list 2023 has been revealed by the The Victorian Society’s President. The full list is here. All the buildings in the Top...
Waterloo Hotel and Grill
Smethwick, West Midlands Grade II*-listed, 1907, Wood and Kendrick Built by Wood and Kendrick in 1907 as a showcase for brewers Mitchells & Butlers, the Waterloo was always intended to...
Wingfield Station
South Wingfield, Derbyshire Grade II*-listed, 1839, Francis Thompson This small, spartan and pleasing railway station, which fell victim to the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, has suffered for decades at...
Corn Exchange/Former Town Hall, Swindon
The Grade II-listed Corn Exchange/Former Town Hall in Swindon was built in 1852-54 by Sampson Sage & E Robertson with additions by Wilson and Willcox. Grade II-listed, 1852-54, Sampson Sage...
Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff, Grade 2 Listed, Oatley and Skinner, 1902-1908
The hospital first opened in 1908 as ‘Cardiff Lunatic Asylum’, in the typical style for medical facilities – with a spine of central administrative blocks, and to each side, five-storey...
Oldham Equitable Cooperative Society (Hill Stores), Oldham, Grade 2 listed, Thomas Taylor, 1900
This legacy of the Oldham cooperative movement is in need of urgent repairs. Grade II-listed, 1900, Thomas Taylor The Oldham Equitable Cooperative Society consolidated its presence in Oldham in 1900,...
Minley Home Farm, Hampshire, Unlisted, Arthur Castings, 1896
This innovative model farmstead is facing calls for demolition. Unlisted, 1896, Arthur Castings Minley Home Farm was completed circa 1896 to designs by Arthur Castings, then an associate to George...
Jones & Higgins Department Store, London, Unlisted, Henry Jarvis & Sons, 1894
Once a key part of a ‘Golden Mile’, this department store is in a terrible state. Unlisted, 1867, Harvey Jarvis The Jones and Higgins Department Store opened at the intersection...
Indoor Market, Burslem, Stoke on Trent, Unlisted, Architect Unknown, (1897)
The market tells the story of Burslem’s rise and subsequent decline, with its ghost signs and fading advertisements from the Victorian era that still adorn several closed shops attached to...
Icknield Street School, Birmingham, Grade II* Listed, by J.H. Chamberlain of Martin and Chamberlain, 1883
Icknield Street School is in urgent need of repairs. Water leaks from the slate roofs and gutters are now causing damage to both the roof and walls. Grade II*-listed, 1883,...
Healings Flour Mill and Warehouses, Tewkesbury, Grade II, by W H James of Tewkesbury for Samuel Healing and Son, 1865-6
Operations ceased at the mill in 2006, and the complex of buildings is now derelict. Grade II-listed, 1865-6, architect unknown The former Healings Flour Mill was started in 1865 and...
The Winter Gardens, Great Yarmouth
The Winter Gardens in Great Yarmouth are Grade II-listed and were built between 1878-81. Grade II*-listed, 1878-81, John Watson & William Harvey It seems incredible to think that this striking...
Church of St Helen, Biscathorpe, Lincolnshire, Grade II* Listed, W. A. Nicholson, 1847
The Church of St Helen, Biscathorpe stands nearly alone, its former village having long since disappeared. Rebuilt on the site of the old church in 1847 by W. A. Nicholson...
Coal Drops, Halifax, Grade II, Architect unknown, 1874
This rare survival continues to deteriorate. Grade II-listed, 1874, architect unknown The Halifax Coal Drops, built for the Ovenden and Halifax Junction Railway in 1874, is a rare and large-scale...
Horncliffe House, Lancashire, Grade-II listed, Architect Unknown, 1869
An ornate exterior is almost all that remains of this once grand residence Grade II-listed, 1869, architect unknown The former Horncliffe House was built for Henry Hoyle Hardman, the owner...
St Peter and St Paul
Birch, Essex Grade II-listed, 1850, S.S. Teulon The interior of this Grade II-listed church, built by SS Teulon in 1850, exudes great atmosphere, but the building has since been abandoned...
St Mary’s Convent Church, Leeds
Grade II*-listed,1852, Joseph Hansom St. Mary’s Convent Church was designed by Joseph Hansom, architect of Plymouth Cathedral, in 1852, and the nave and side aisles were built later that year,...
Revealed: nation’s Top Ten most endangered buildings 2012
A shocking legacy of neglect and mistreatment The top ten include Ipswich’s blighted and vandalised former County Hall and an atmospheric Essex church abandoned twenty years ago and left to...
Shadwell Court, Norfolk
The Grade I-listed Shadwell Court in Norfolk was initially built in 1715, but was extended and remodelled out of all recognition in 1840 by Edward Blore and again in 1857-60...
Samaritan Hospital for Women in London
A former hospital on Marylebone Road, currently lYING derelict dilapidated. Grade II-listed, 1889-90, W.G. Habershon & J.F. Fawkner This purpose-built hospital, designed by W.G. Habershon and J.F. Fawkner, and constructed...
Queensbury Tunnel, Yorkshire
The currently unlisted Queensbury Tunnel in Yorkshire was built between 1874-78 by John Fraser. Unlisted, 1878, John Fraser Queensbury Tunnel is one of several major engineering feats on the Great...
Plas Alltran in Holyhead, Wales
This doctor’s house and surgery is in need of a remedy. Grade II-listed, 1890-91, Arthur Baker Plan Alltran is a former doctor’s house and surgery built between 1890 and 1891...
Pelican Works, Birmingham
The Grade II-listed Pelican Works in Birmingham, built c.1868. Grade II-listed, 1860-70, architect unknown Pelican Works was commissioned by Thomas Wilkinson of Sheffield in 1868 for use as an electroplating...
Northgate Malt House Building in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
An historic malt house faces an uncertain future. Grade II-listed, 1864, T & W Bradley The Northgate Brewery maltings were constructed in 1864 using local bricks from the Cafferata company...
Oldway Mansion, Devon
The Grade II* Oldway Mansion in Paignton, Devon was built in 1873 and modelled on Versailles. Grade II*-listed, 1870, G.S. Bridgman, remodelled 1900-04 Oldway Mansion was commissioned by the American...
Merseyside Centre for the Deaf, Liverpool
The Merseyside Centre for the Deaf in Liverpool is Grade II-listed and was built in 1887. Grade II-listed, 1887, E.H. Banner The idea of an accessible place of worship for...
Mechanics Institute
Swindon, Wiltshire Grade II*-listed, 1853, Edward Roberts A striking sight from the railway, the Mechanics’ Institute is a grand, Tudor Gothic building of truly national significance. It was built as...
Liverpool Street Station listing revisions should spell end for demolition plans
Liverpool Street Station and the Great former Eastern Hotel now have revised listings that include most of the 90s redevelopment The Victorian Society is delighted that Liverpool Street Station’s list...
Langton Dock Pumphouse
Bootle, Merseyside Grade II-listed, 1879, G.F. Lyster This ornate redbrick building once played a significant role in the local economy, housing the steam engine to operate the locks at Langton...
John Summers Steelworks, Shotton, Wales
The John Summers Steelworks in Shotton, Wales was built in 1907 and is Grade II-listed. Grade II-listed, 1907, James France Originally based in Staylbridge in Manchester, John Summers & Sons...
Ipswich County Hall
Ipswich, Suffolk Grade II-listed, 1836, W. McIntosh Built in 1836-37 by W McIntosh Brooks, East Suffolk County Hall was originally the area’s gaol and law court, but following extensions for...
Langley Maltings, West Midlands
Langley Maltings in Sandwell, West Midlands was built in 1870 and is Grade II-listed. Grade II-listed, 1898, Arthur Kinder Langley Maltings was commissioned in 1898 to supply malt to Crosswells...
Hartley’s Village, Aintree, Liverpool
The Grade II-listed Hartley’s Village in Aintree, Liverpool was built between 1886-95. Grade II-listed buildings, 1886-95, architect unknown Hartley’s Village was built in phases between 1886 and 1895, when the...
Hendrefoilan House
Swansea, South Wales Grade II*-listed, 1853, William B. Colling Commissioned by the Welsh industrialist Lewis Llewellyn Dillwyn, Hendrefoilan House was constructed in 1853 on the site of a medieval farmhouse...
Holborn Circus
Holborn, London Grade II-listed, 1874, Charles Bacon Holborn Circus, meeting point of six highways, was designed by engineer William Haywood in 1867 as a commanding and visually striking junction. The...
Hulme Hippodrome, Manchester
The Grade II-listed Hulme Hippodrome in Manchester was built in 1901 by J. J. Alley. Grade II-listed, 1901, J.J. Alley Hulme Hippodrome was constructed in 1901, to designs by J.J....
Former Leslie Arms Public House, London
The Grade II-listed former Leslie Arms Public House in Croydon, London was built in c.1850. Grade II-listed, 1900, architect unknown The Leslie Arms was built and managed by Croydon brewers...
Former Legat’s School of Ballet, East Sussex
The Grade II Former Legat’s School of Ballet in East Sussex was built in 1865. Grade II-listed, 1865, George Goldie and E.W. Pugin Whilst perhaps best known as the place...
Former Church of St Luke, Cheshire
The Grade II* former Church of St Luke in Warrington, built in 1892 by Bodley & Garner. Grade II*-listed, 1892-3, George Frederick Bodley The former church of St Luke was...
Former Captain Cook Pub in Teesside, Middlesbrough
The former Captain Cook Pub has been left empty for more than ten years. Grade II-listed, 1893, Robert Moore The Captain Cook was built in the Jacobethan style in 1893,...
Former Bavaria Place Police Station in Bradford
This unusual Bradford police station has been left vacant for decades. Grade II-listed, 1877, Eli Milnes and Charles France Bavaria Place was commissioned by the Bradford Borough Police Force in...
Former Anglo-Bavarian Brewery in Shepton Mallet, Somerset
This Italianate brewery – the first in Britain to produce lager – faces an uncertain future. Grade II*-listed, 1864, architect unknown The former Anglo-Bavarian Brewery was built in 1864, for...
Fison’s Fertiliser Factory in Bramford, Suffolk on 2017 Top 10 Endangered Buildings list
Urgent work needed to save important part of Victorian industrial history Grade II-listed, 1858-60, architect unknown Fison’s Fertiliser Factory was commissioned by Joseph Fison in 1858 to take advantage of...
Ex-Prudential Assurance Company Offices in Oldham, Greater Manchester
This fine office building by Alfred Waterhouse is now at risk. Grade II-listed, 1889, A. Waterhouse & Son The Prudential Assurance Company was wildly successful in the second half of...
Defeat for Bath’s heritage as Abbey pew removal is permitted
The Chancellor of the Diocese of Bath and Wells has granted permission for Bath Abbey to permanently remove its fine nave pews, despite opposition from The Victorian Society. This follows...
Darlington Street Methodist Church in Wolverhampton
Uncertainties surround Wolverhampton’s most unusual Baroque church Grade II*-listed, 1900-01, Arthur Marshall Darlington Street Methodist Church, which was built between 1900 and 1901, was designed by the noted architect of...
Everton Library, Liverpool
The Grade II-listed Everton Library in Liverpool was built in 1896 by Thomas Shelmerdine. Grade II-listed, 1896, Thomas Shelmerdine Everton Library was built in 1896, to designs by Thomas Shelmerdine,...
Cowbridge School, Wales
Cowbridge School in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales is currently unlisted. It was built in 1896 by Robert Williams. Unlisted, 1896, architect unknown Cowbridge School was built in 1896 as...
Chatterley Whitfield Colliery, Staffordshire
The Chatterley Whitfield Colliery in Staffordshire was built in the C19 & 20 and is Grade II*-listed and a Scheduled Monument. Grade II*-listed, 1860 onwards, various architects Chatterley Whitfield Colliery,...
The Victorian Society’s 2019 Top 10 Endangered Buildings
An overview of 2019’s Top 10 Most Endangered Buildings National architecture charity the The Victorian Society has released their annual Top 10 Most Endangered Buildings List, which highlights the most...
Butterley Spillway
Marsden, Yorkshire Grade II-listed, 1891, T. & C. Hawksley & Co. Resembling an immense staircase, this reservoir spillway is one of our most unusual endangered buildings. It was designed to...
Bromley-by-Bow Gasholders, London
The Grade II Bromley-by-Bow gasholders in East London were constructed in 1872. Grade II-listed, 1872, Clark & Kirkham The site now occupied by the Bromley-by-Bow gasholders was historically marshland on...
Brighton Hippodrome in Brighton
Brighton, Sussex Grade II*-listed, 1901, Frank Matcham Brighton Hippodrome was adapted from a former ice rink in 1897, to designs by the Frank Matcham, who specialised in the design of...
Brandwood End Cemetery Chapels, Birmingham
The Brandwood End Cemetery Chapels in Birmingham are Grade II-listed and built in 1898. Grade II-listed, 1898, J Brewill Holmes The twin chapels at Brandwood End Cemetery were designed and...
Bracebridge Pumping Station in Worksop, Nottinghamshire
A former pumping station in Worksop stands marooned in an overgrown site, at risk of collapse. Grade II-listed, 1881, John Allsop Bracebridge Pumping Station was designed and built by the...
News
Complete list of news items LISSCA sends letter to the Editor of The Times 10 May 2023 Could you be our next Chair of the Board of Trustees? 05...
Agecroft Chapel
Salford, Manchester Grade II-listed, 1903, Sharpe & Foster Built in 1903 by Sharpe & Foster, Agecroft Chapel is listed on account of its curious and idiosyncratic architecture, as well as...
Griff Rhys Jones and heritage campaigners to ask Michael Gove to decide Liverpool Street Station’s future
The campaign to Save Liverpool Street Station (LISSCA) will ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, to ‘call in’ plans to partially demolish Liverpool...
Former Office for the Board of Guardians of Walsall Poor Law Union features in The Victorian Society’s Top Ten Endangered Buildings list 2023
The former Office for the Board of Guardians of Walsall Poor Law Union is on The Victorian Society’s Top Ten Endangered Buildings list 2023. The building is now in urgent need of...
Blackborough House mansion that became a hostel for the homeless on Top Ten Endangered Buildings list 2023
Blackborough House in Kentisbeare in Devon is on The Victorian Society’s Top Ten Endangered Buildings list 2023. The house is one of Devon’s finest architectural gems set in the Blackdown Hills...