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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Ted Hennessey, PA & Lorna Hughes

Top 10 most endangered buildings in England and Wales revealed - including UK's first lager brewery

The top 10 most endangered buildings in England and Wales have been revealed - including a circus theatre, the UK's first lager brewery and a gothic-towered police station.

The Victorian Society's annual list also highlights the Grade II listed Brighton Hippodrome, designed by renowned theatre architect Frank Matcham and converted into a circus in 1901.

The building features a circular auditorium as part of its richly decorated ceiling in the form of a panelled tent.

A former Anglo-Bavarian Brewery in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, claimed to be the country's first lager brewery, also makes the list.

The building is in a very poor condition and is on Historic England's Heritage at Risk register.

Also on the list is the striking gothic-towered former Bavaria Place Police Station in Bradford, built in 1877, which has been empty for many years.

The list has been described as "both upsetting and enlightening" by the society's president Griff Rhys Jones, who called for the heritage to be restored.

Mr Rhys Jones said: "Many of our Victorian gems have a depressing recent story. Often profit takes priority, and buildings are neglected until they have reached a complete state of dereliction.

"These buildings were built with great skill, and they brighten their urban environment. We know that restoring heritage of this kind adds value to an area.

"Never has there been a time, with the retail sector dealt another blow and the town centre fading as a business hub, for us to recognise that if we want our city centres to continue to be useful, visited and adored they had better look great."

Ten most endangered buildings and structures for 2020

  • Samaritan Hospital for Women, London
  • Brighton Hippodrome, Brighton
  • Former Anglo-Bavarian Brewery - Shepton Mallet, Somerset
  • Former Captain Cook Pub - Teesside, Middlesbrough
  • Northgate Malt House Building - Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
  • Bracebridge Pumping Station - Worksop, Nottinghamshire
  • Ex-Prudential Assurance Company Offices - Oldham, Greater Manchester
  • Former Bavaria Place Police Station, Bradford
  • Darlington Street Methodist Church, Wolverhampton
  • Plas Alltran - Holyhead, Wales
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