Two of the top 10 most endangered Victorian buildings are here in the West Midlands

Some of the Victorian architecture on this list is rather stunning

Icknield Street School in Birmingham
Author: Ellis MaddisonPublished 14th Dec 2021
Last updated 14th Dec 2021

Two places in the West Midlands have made it onto the 2021 list of most endangered Victorian buildings in England and Wales.

Icknield Street School in Birmingham and an Indoor Market in Burslem, Stoke on Trent, are on the list of the top 10 historic, Victorian buildings most at risk and in need of funding.

Birmingham's Icknield Street School, a Grade II listed structure built in 1883, is in urgent need of repair, with water leaks from the roofs and gutters causing damage to the building.

Griff Rhys Jones, Victorian Society President, said: “Icknield Street School is a beautiful building that is at risk of being lost if essential repairs are not carried out. The rain damage will only continue to get worse.

"The council must act soon to both deal with the damage to the fabric of the building it is the custodian of and to find new occupiers to make the most of its wonderful Victorian space.”

Ruins of one of the shops in the Burslem Indoor Market

The Indoor Market in Stoke-on-Trent, built in 1897, still has some of the original, faded advertisements from the Victorian age.

It closed its doors in 2003 after rubble fell from the ceiling, making it unsafe for shoppers, and it's now in vital need of repair, with the historic iron and glass roof in danger of collapse.

“Like many Victorian markets across the country, Burslem Indoor Market was a busy part of the town", Griff Rhys Jones said.

"Now it stands empty and crumbling, a sad sight for those who still remember it bustling with life. Funding must be secured to repair this public building, which could create new job opportunities, and revive a community space."

See the top 10 most endangered Victorian buildings in England and Wales:

Coal Drops, Halifax

Halifax Coal Drops were built for the Ovenden and Halifax Junction Railway Co. in 1874 and are an important part of the town's industrial history.

Horncliffe House, Lancashire

Horncliffe House was originally built in 1869 as a private dwelling for Henry Hoyle Hardman, a local mill owner and businessman,

Healings Flour Mill and Warehouses, Tewkesbury

Healings Flour Mill and Warehouses was designed by W.H. James of Tewkesbury for Samuel Healing and Son and was built circa 1865.

Icknield Street School, Birmingham

The Icknield Street School was designed by J.H. Chamberlain of Martin and Chamberlain in 1883 who created several of Birmingham's now listed or lost Victorian buildings.

Indoor Market, Burslem, Stoke on Trent

Burslem indoor market's gothic design and ironwork that was built in 1897 is reminiscent of King's Cross station in London.

Jones & Higgins Department Store, London

The Jones and Higgins Department store opened on the corner of Rye Lane and Peckham High Street in 1867 and formed a key part of a 'Golden Mile' of shops that rivalled Oxford Street. The clock tower was designed by Southwark architects Henry Jarvis & Sons.

Minley Home Farm, Hampshire

The Minley Home Farm was completed circa 1896 to the designs of Arthur Castings, associate to the renowned George Devey, who worked on other buildings in the estate.

Oldham Equitable Cooperative Society (Hill Stores), Oldham

Oldham Equitable Cooperative Society (Hill Stores) commissioned Thomas Taylor to build what would be one of the largest buildings in the area, it was then completed in 1900.

Church of St Helen, Biscathorpe, Lincolnshire

The Church of St Helen, Biscathorpe was rebuilt on the site of the old church in 1847 by W.A. Nicholson in a fanciful Gothic style.

Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff

Architects Oatley and Skinner of Bristol designed the hospital with its ornate interiors in 1902. It first opened in 1908 as 'Cardiff Lunatic Asylum', in the typical style for medical facilities.

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