Top ten most endangered buildings in England and Wales

Image 1 of 10

A charity that works to preserve historical architecture has revealed its list of the ten most endangered buildings in England and Wales.

The Victorian Society has published the list in order to raise awareness of derelict or at-risk buildings of historical, architectural or cultural significance across the country.

The society is calling on local authorities or owners to find the resources to maintain the buildings it has highlighted, and others like it, to preserve their valuable heritage.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

For instance, despite being a Grade II* listed building with a distinctive half-timbered exterior and notable stained glass windows, St Paul's Church in Chester is set to be closed by the Church of England due to a shrinking congregation and the need for serious repairs.

Another building included on the list is Red Barns, in North Yorkshire, a 19th-century arts and crafts style home designed by architect Philip Webb which later became a bar and hotel before falling into disrepair several years ago.

The house also has a historical legacy as the former home of the pioneering female explorer Gertrude Bell, who played an influential role in early 20th-century British policy in the Middle East, drawing up the borders of present-day Iraq.

The society's vice president, actor Griff Rhys Jones, says the buildings they have chosen for inclusion on the list are "in dire need of help". He argues that restoring and preserving an area's historical architecture can be "a catalyst for wider regeneration".

"I hope people living near these buildings will seize this opportunity and campaign to save them," Jones added. "Ultimately, it is the support of local people which will ensure that they are not lost forever."

Click on the gallery above to see the ten most endangered buildings.