Victorian Society Adds Ten At-Risk Sites To Endangered List

The Victorian Society, a UK charity that is dedicated to preserving Victorian and Edwardian built heritage, has added ten new buildings to its Endangered Buildings List. BBC News reports that all of the new additions are at least Grade II listed, and in need of significant restoration. 

Although listed status affords the buildings a degree of protection from demolition or unsympathetic renovations or alterations, the owner of the building is not legally obliged to maintain it to certain standards. 

If the building is deemed to be at serious risk of deterioration, the local authority may serve an urgent works notice to instruct the owner to carry out the necessary repairs. If the owner does not comply, the local authority may carry out the works themselves and recover the costs from the owner, or seek a compulsory purchase order to acquire the property. 

However, campaigners argue that the regulations do not go far enough, and that many UK buildings that are deemed to be of historical or architectural importance are in danger of falling into ruin. 

The Victorian and Edwardian era was notable for some fine examples of architectural design, both of the exterior and interior of buildings. It was a time of great change as the industrial revolution and the advent of the railways opened up more advanced construction methods and access to a wider range of materials.

Earlier Victorian architecture was influenced by the classical style, while later on the Gothic Revival style became more popular. The Arts and Crafts movement influenced the interior design of buildings, with an emphasis on quality hand-made products with high standards of craftsmanship. 

Victorian and Edwardian homes with original features such as fireplaces, parquet flooring, ceiling roses and cornices are highly sought after today for their spacious interiors and character. Some of the buildings on the list of the Victorian Society include a former boarding school, a banqueting hall, and one of the world's first purpose-built amusement parks. 

Griff Rhys Jones, Victorian Society President, said: “As always, this sad (but fascinating) list of buildings is a testament to the excitement, variety and invention of the Victorian Age. Nobody should dismiss the 19th-century British for their social and political achievements, or their legacy. There is so much to cherish.”

He added: “How terrifying to see buildings I have known loved or used all my life in Southend and Cardiff in need of rescue. But come on. Look at the character on display here. They all add colour and story to any urban landscape. Their restoration and reuse make huge commercial sense. They are attractions in themselves.”

Other buildings on the list include the former Bramcote Tennis Pavilion in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, and St Luke’s Chapel, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottinghamshire. The list was drawn up from public nominations across England and Wales. 

To qualify, the structures must have been built between 1837 and 1914, and be representative of the industrial, domestic, religious, or civic architecture of the era to a nationally significant degree.

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