London building named one of the country's most endangered Victorian sites
The Jones & Higgins Department Store once rivalled shops on Oxford Street
Last updated 14th Dec 2021
A building in London has made the list of the Top 10 most endangered sites in the country, according to the Victorian Society.
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, who also built Dulwich Hospital and the Walworth Town Hall.
They took their inspiration for the building's façade from the Clock Tower in St. Mark's Square in Venice.
The original store closed its doors in 1980 and part of the building has since been demolished to make room for the Aylesham Centre.
The rest of the building was taken over by the Peckham Palais nightclub until it closed almost 10 years ago.
Without an occupier or purpose, the building is falling into ruin. Though in 2015 local architect Benedict O'Looney received funding to repair the clock that had been out of service since 1980.
The former department store was intended to become a new pub or club venue but remains unused. There is cause for serious concern about it and, on top of that, the clock has stopped again.
Some other buildings in the South and South west making the list were also the Healings Flour Mill in Gloucestershire and the Minley Home Farm in Hampshire.
Victorian Society president Griff Rhys Jones said: "There is a feeling of nostalgia for this beautiful building in the local community, many of whom still remember it as an important part of the high street.
"The building's architectural credentials, with its clock tower and design that is an ode to Venice, make it a valuable heritage asset.
"Its local connections with other buildings that were built by the same Southwark architects make it a vital part of a larger heritage context."
Mr Jones also warned that the former department store is at risk of falling further into disrepair.
"Surely a use can be found for this striking building in what was described by the New York Times as 'The Beating Heart of London's Most Dynamic Art Scene'?" he added.
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.