Victorian Society publish list of top 10 most ‘at risk’ buildings.

They say the buildings on the list, which is published anually, have all reached a ‘critical point of dereliction’ where only urgent action can save them from being lost forever.

The buildings include a Victorian seaside winter gardens, a set of seven London gasholders, a Victorian jam factory and attached village, and a former orphanage that was at the centre of a 2006 terrorist scandal.

The full 2018 top ten is below.

The Winter Gardens, Great Yarmouth (1878-81)  – A glass and iron structure that has been a ballroom and roller-skating rink. It’s currently owned by Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

The Winter Gardens, Great Yarmouth

Bromley-by-Bow gasholders, London (1872) – A patch of seven Victorian gasholders.

Merseyside Centre for the Deaf, Liverpool (1887) –  A gothic chapel which was built for the Merseyside deaf community. For twenty years after its closure in 1986 it was run as a successful community centre for the Igbo community, but rising costs and an ageing membership forced them out in 2007 and it has been closed ever since.

Hartley’s Village, Aintree, Liverpool (1886-95) –  A former jam factory.  On the site of the factory, founder Sir Hartley built an entire village of 49 houses for his workers and in 2011 the whole site was declared a Conservation Area. Whilst the houses have enjoyed successful reuse, the remaining listed factory buildings have been neglected and are now largely derelict.

Hartley’s Village, Aintree.

Former Legat’s School of Ballet, nr Rotherfield, East Sussex (1865) – A Victorian mansion that was originally built as a girls’ orphanage and until recently its most famous incarnation was as a ballet school from 1970-90.

Oldway Mansion, Paignton, Devon (1873) – Built as the private residence for American inventor Isaac Singer, this mansion was drastically remodelled by his son in the early 20th century in the style of the Palace of Versailles.

John Summers Steelworks, Shotton, Wales (1907) – This former office building of the John Summers Steelworks.

Langley Maltings, Sandwell, West Midlands (1870) – In use until 2006 but was a victim of arson in 2009 which caused significant damage.

Brandwood End Cemetery Chapels, Birmingham (1898) –  Neo-gothic mortuary chapels that have been closed for over 30 years, they suffered a serious arson attack in 1995 which gutted the north-east chapel.

St Mary’s Convent Church, Leeds (1852) – Closed as a church for almost 30 years, it has had various planning applications attached to it – including an approved residential conversion scheme in 2007 – but nothing has come to fruition.

St Mary’s Church, Leeds.

You can read more about the buildings on the list here.

Christopher Costelloe, Director of the Victorian Society, said: ‘This is certainly one of the most interesting top 10 lists we have had for some time, particularly when you look at the range of buildings in terms of their architecture and original uses.

‘We’re very grateful for the continued support from the general public who nominated many of the buildings for the list, and without whom we wouldn’t know what dire straits they are in.

‘Each building tells its own story of neglect, but there’s no denying they all have fantastic potential to be regenerated and reused for the benefit of the community.’