An amusement park, a Gothic seaside villa, one of the world’s first tennis pavilions and a former schoolhouse have been named as some of the most at-risk Victorian buildings in the country.
The 10 sites on the list, compiled annually by the Victorian Society, are those which the charity says are most in need of saving.
All are at least Grade II listed, signifying their historical or architectural significance.
Their listed status means the structures are already subject to protection, but the company warned the regulations may not be enough without further measures.
Victorian Society president Griff Rhys-Jones urged people to get behind the buildings.
“Look at the figure on display here. They all add color and story to any urban landscape,” he said.
“It makes huge commercial sense to restore and reuse them. They are attractions in themselves. They are already destinations. They should be part of local pride.
“What do we want? A parking lot? A faceless block in their place? A flood of new carbon pollution?
“When they already have so much color and continuity and history on their side?”
The 10 Victorian buildings at risk on the 2024 list are:
- Kennington Boys’ School, London
- Kursaal, Essex
- St Martins (formerly Roslyn Hoe), Devon
- St Luke’s Chapel at Nottingham City Hospital, Nottinghamshire
- Vicarage and Hall St Agnes, Liverpool
- Chances Glassworks, West Midlands
- Former Department of Education Offices, Derbyshire
- Former Bramcote Tennis Pavilion, North Yorkshire
- Jesmond Dene Banquet Hall, Newcastle
- Coal Exchange, Cardiff
Kennington Boys’ School, Lambeth
Kennington Boys’ School, described by Historic England as “a large symmetrical building of seven sections”, was built in 1912 by TJ Bailey.
It has “intricate roofs including spirelets”, red brick, stone and terra cotta cladding, varied windows and “wall enrichments”.
The building later became home to the Charles Edward Brooke School for Girls until it moved.
Water seeping into the building caused significant internal damage and no future occupant has been identified.
Kursaal, Southend-on-Sea
The Kursaal in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, opened in 1901 and is believed to be the world’s first purpose-built amusement park.
A circus, ballroom, arcade, dining hall, pool table, zoo and ice rink were available to the public before falling into permanent decline.
Designed by architect George Sherrin, the site is now occupied by Tesco Express.
St Martins, Ilfracombe
St Martins in Torrs Park was built in the Gothic style by WM Robbins of Ilfracombe, North Devon.
It was first introduced in 1994.
A plaque above the entrance bears the date 1880 and is first mentioned in the 1881 census.
From 1885 it served as a school for girls.
Formerly known as the Roslyn Hoe, it became a small hotel in the 1930s.
The house was described by a local architect as an “exercise in symmetry”.
St Luke’s Chapel at Nottingham City Hospital
image source, Paul Tarry through Historic England
St Luke’s Chapel was probably completed in September 1902 and was originally a private chapel for the use of Nottingham prisoners and staff.
The site of the almshouse became the site of Nottingham City Hospital and the chapel remained open to workers and patients, closing when the new one was opened.
It then served as a warehouse for the hospital.
Vicarage and Hall St Agnes, Liverpool
The rectory at the rear of St Agnes’ Church in Greenbank, Liverpool was built in 1887 by Norman Shaw.
It is noted for its stone columns, angled bay windows and sunken entrance.
Chances Glassworks, West Midlands
Chances Glassworks in Smethwick was established in the early 1800s and produced window, optical and specialty glass – including window glass for the Houses of Parliament.
The site is known to have significant archaeological survival areas, including the foundations of up to six kilns and the main tunnels and flues, providing potentially the most extensive area of surviving Victorian glassmaking in the country.
Former Department of Education Offices, Derby
image source, Mark Somerfield via Historic England
The former Derby Board of Education was built in the Renaissance style in 1893.
The building’s roof, which boasts molded architraves with pilasters and a truncated conical roof topped with iron cladding, is now decaying.
Bramcote Tennis Pavilion, Scarborough
The former Bramcote Tennis Pavilion, built in Scarborough in 1885, is listed for its social and architectural interest.
Described as a “charming” Arts and Crafts-influenced building, it is also “an especially fine example of the verandah bungalow style sporting building that epitomized the late Victorian and Edwardian periods”.
And because it has locker rooms for both sexes, the building illustrates “a particularly significant socio-historical aspect” of the sport.
Jesmond Dene Banquet Hall, Newcastle
The Jesmond Dene Banqueting Hall in Newcastle, which originally contained a water-powered organ, was built for Lord William Armstrong by John Dobson in 1860.
Lord Armstrong wanted a hall large enough to entertain many guests, both VIPs from around the world and his own staff.
It was subsequently extended by Norman Shaw in the following decade to include a gatehouse, reception hall and exhibition room.
The hall was last used for events in the 1970s and has been earmarked for restoration by the Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust.
Coal Exchange, Cardiff
The first recorded million pound business deal was done on the coal exchange.
The Stock Exchange closed in 1958 but the impressive early 20th century architecture and interiors remain, reflecting Cardiff’s important position in the coal trade.
It previously operated as a music venue, but was declared unsafe and in danger of collapse by Cardiff Council in 2013.
It reopened as a hotel this March.