World’s first amusement park in Essex among most “endangered” buildings
The Victorian Society's annual top 10 list of buildings and structures in need of rescue was described as "terrifying" by the society's president, comedian Griff Rhys Jones
Last updated 29th May 2024
The world's first purpose-built amusement park situated in Essex has been ranked among the most "endangered" Victorian buildings by a charity dedicated to their preservation.
The Victorian Society's annual top 10 list of buildings and structures in need of rescue includes the Kursaal in Southend-on-Sea.
It is believed to be the world's first purpose-built amusement park with a circus, ballroom, arcade, dining hall, billiard room, zoo and ice rink.
Designed by architect George Sherrin and opened in 1901, a lonely Tesco Express is all that occupies the Grade II-listed site today after it was forced to close in 1986 following an unsuccessful campaign to save the attraction.
There have been talks within Southend-on-Sea Borough to take ownership of the building and restore it for public use.
Cllr Matt Dent, Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Business, says he’s passionate about giving the site a "fresh lease of life."
He said: “The site of the Dome on top of the Kursaal is one of those images of Southend that people know and love. It's been everything through its history over 100 years. It's been a ballroom, a fairground, and more recently a bowling alley and function venue. All the different bits of it are now closed, except for the Tesco Express.
“It's been sitting empty, and I have great concerns about the maintenance being done to the building. Recently, the leaseholder has boarded up the glass windows on the Dome and it looks a rather sorry state at the minute.”
Cllr Dent continued: “It's something that's very dear to my heart as a representative in Kursaal Ward, and since it's shut, I have been working to get it reopened. That's the long-term aim to get it fixed up and reopened to the public in whatever form will work best.
“At the moment the most we can do is negotiations with the leaseholder to firstly try and fulfil their obligations to maintain the building, but ultimately what I would quite like is for them to surrender the lease back to the Council so that we can make an effort to give it a fresh lease of life.
Cllr Matt Dent explained that taking over the lease of the Kursaal building would be costly.
He said: “Buying back the lease would be expensive and then the amount of work that's needed to the building to bring it up to scratch would cost millions of pounds. It's something that I have been exploring alongside local groups, whether we can look at various different heritage funding to do it, but the initial hurdle is going to be getting back that lease.”
The top 10 list for 2024 is:
- Kennington Boys' School, London
- The Kursaal, Essex
- Jesmond Dene Banqueting Hall, Newcastle
- Former Bramcote Tennis Pavilion, North Yorkshire
- St Luke's Chapel of Nottingham City Hospital, Nottinghamshire
- St Martins (formerly Roslyn Hoe), Devon
- Chances Glassworks, West Midlands
- St Agnes' Vicarage and Hall, Liverpool
- Former Education Department Offices, Derbyshire
- Cardiff Coal Exchange, Cardiff