Buildings at Risk
The national register of Buildings at Risk is restricted to Grade 11* listings(although churches only require Grade 11) can be accessed through English Heritage's website. What I want to do here on a local basis is include all listed buildings that are under threat, plus, buildings that are of historical and or architectural interest that are vacant, in a state of disrepair etc, that aren't listed. I know there are people on the forum who take an interest in this and some who have been actively involved in protecting historic buildings in the city(Jane, in particular) Hopefully this list will highlight some buildings that are at risk and will bring them to the notice of a wider public. Anyone who has an in interest in the historic environment will be aware that we cannot rely on our local authorities and English Heritage to safeguard the future of some of these buildings.
Eldon Grove
Eldon Grove is three storey tenement block located in the Scotland Rd area. The building is Grade 11 listed but is in a delapidated state. In fact it is probably beyond any commercial restoration project and possibly even structurally beyond saving. If it can be rescued from the jaws of the bulldozer it will certainly be an expensive undertaking.
Eldon Grove in an historical context. It was built in 1911 and along with the nearby terraces of Summerseat and Bevington St, which were part of the original scheme,comprise the oldest surviving examples of municipal housing in the city. When built, this and about a score of similarly designed blocks erected between 1905 and 1912 and located in the Scotland Rd and Toxteth areas were palatial(indoor toilets) in comparison to the court housing that surrounded them. The majority of the courts weren't cleared for another 25 years after Eldon Grove was built.
Liverpool has a proud record in pioneering municpal housing in Britain. In the 1860's the corporation built St Martin's Cottages(also in the Scotland Rd area)this tenement block , was one of the earliest examples of municipal housing provision in the country. Of course it can be said the city having the worst overcrowding problem in England necessitated some form of local corporation intervention. Nevertheless, the city led the country in this respect. Eldon Grove and the other blocks of similar design built in the early years of the 20thc around the central core of the city,were a progressive,humane example of housing for the poor. These blocks couldn't match the very high design standards of say, Port Sunlight, but, of the blocks that remained when architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner visited the city in 1967, all were individually commented on by him, and indeed, praised. Eldon Grove is a small but important part of Liverpool's history, so why has it been let get into this state?
In 2007, in his book 'Lost Cities of Britain' architectural historian, Gavin Stamp, singled Liverpool out for its neglect of its historic buildings , quote, " It's difficult not conclude that, in its relentless post-war decline Liverpool became consumed by a hatred of its past" In September of this year the city once again offended the dilettante sensiblities of Mr Stamp and was on the receiving end of another barbed attack from him.Ths time concerning the granting of planning permission to demolish a building in the city's historic Ropewalks area. Sniffily Stamp opined that such a thing wouldn't happen in a civilised city. I personally believe Mr Stamp has never seen the building in question. Although built in the 1770's it has been much altered and little remains of the original Georgian building. All things considered I think the decision to allow the application by the planning committee was the right one , the building is/ was expendable under the circumstances. Liverpool is one of Britain's poorest cities, this wouldn't have escaped the notice of even the likes of Mr Stamp (ensconced as he is in the world of Oxbridge academia)but Liverpool is an easy target for self-publicist Mr Stamp. I would find his 'concerns' about the plight of the city's Georgian heritage would have more crediblity if he had made overtures to English Heritage about the genuine Georgian buildings crumbling away on Duke St, in particular number 75, which isn't evn listed ! I emailed Mr Stamp about this, I'm still awaiting a reply some weeks later.
It's clear from Gavin Stamp's comments about the city's neglect(methinks he thinks it wilful ) of its historic environment he thinks there is an ideological dimension to it, Leftist apparently. There's absolutely nothing to supprt that theory whatsoever. The reality is more Duck Soup than Das Kapital, Groucho more than Karl, idiocy not ideology and there's no end in sight to it. hno:
The national register of Buildings at Risk is restricted to Grade 11* listings(although churches only require Grade 11) can be accessed through English Heritage's website. What I want to do here on a local basis is include all listed buildings that are under threat, plus, buildings that are of historical and or architectural interest that are vacant, in a state of disrepair etc, that aren't listed. I know there are people on the forum who take an interest in this and some who have been actively involved in protecting historic buildings in the city(Jane, in particular) Hopefully this list will highlight some buildings that are at risk and will bring them to the notice of a wider public. Anyone who has an in interest in the historic environment will be aware that we cannot rely on our local authorities and English Heritage to safeguard the future of some of these buildings.
Eldon Grove
Eldon Grove is three storey tenement block located in the Scotland Rd area. The building is Grade 11 listed but is in a delapidated state. In fact it is probably beyond any commercial restoration project and possibly even structurally beyond saving. If it can be rescued from the jaws of the bulldozer it will certainly be an expensive undertaking.
Eldon Grove in an historical context. It was built in 1911 and along with the nearby terraces of Summerseat and Bevington St, which were part of the original scheme,comprise the oldest surviving examples of municipal housing in the city. When built, this and about a score of similarly designed blocks erected between 1905 and 1912 and located in the Scotland Rd and Toxteth areas were palatial(indoor toilets) in comparison to the court housing that surrounded them. The majority of the courts weren't cleared for another 25 years after Eldon Grove was built.
Liverpool has a proud record in pioneering municpal housing in Britain. In the 1860's the corporation built St Martin's Cottages(also in the Scotland Rd area)this tenement block , was one of the earliest examples of municipal housing provision in the country. Of course it can be said the city having the worst overcrowding problem in England necessitated some form of local corporation intervention. Nevertheless, the city led the country in this respect. Eldon Grove and the other blocks of similar design built in the early years of the 20thc around the central core of the city,were a progressive,humane example of housing for the poor. These blocks couldn't match the very high design standards of say, Port Sunlight, but, of the blocks that remained when architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner visited the city in 1967, all were individually commented on by him, and indeed, praised. Eldon Grove is a small but important part of Liverpool's history, so why has it been let get into this state?
In 2007, in his book 'Lost Cities of Britain' architectural historian, Gavin Stamp, singled Liverpool out for its neglect of its historic buildings , quote, " It's difficult not conclude that, in its relentless post-war decline Liverpool became consumed by a hatred of its past" In September of this year the city once again offended the dilettante sensiblities of Mr Stamp and was on the receiving end of another barbed attack from him.Ths time concerning the granting of planning permission to demolish a building in the city's historic Ropewalks area. Sniffily Stamp opined that such a thing wouldn't happen in a civilised city. I personally believe Mr Stamp has never seen the building in question. Although built in the 1770's it has been much altered and little remains of the original Georgian building. All things considered I think the decision to allow the application by the planning committee was the right one , the building is/ was expendable under the circumstances. Liverpool is one of Britain's poorest cities, this wouldn't have escaped the notice of even the likes of Mr Stamp (ensconced as he is in the world of Oxbridge academia)but Liverpool is an easy target for self-publicist Mr Stamp. I would find his 'concerns' about the plight of the city's Georgian heritage would have more crediblity if he had made overtures to English Heritage about the genuine Georgian buildings crumbling away on Duke St, in particular number 75, which isn't evn listed ! I emailed Mr Stamp about this, I'm still awaiting a reply some weeks later.
It's clear from Gavin Stamp's comments about the city's neglect(methinks he thinks it wilful ) of its historic environment he thinks there is an ideological dimension to it, Leftist apparently. There's absolutely nothing to supprt that theory whatsoever. The reality is more Duck Soup than Das Kapital, Groucho more than Karl, idiocy not ideology and there's no end in sight to it. hno: