The Victorian Society
@thevicsoc
The national charity fighting to save our Victorian & Edwardian heritage. Join us! linktr.ee/victoriansociety Non-Governmental & Nonprofit Organization in England and Wales
Griff Rhys Jones, our President, is in today's @telegraph.co.uk with a piece on the Mack in Glasgow - and why it needs to be rebuilt. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08...
The Park is one of Birmingham’s oldest and most cherished green spaces. It was the second public park to open in the city in 1857. Painting by Samuel Lines Snr depicting the opening of Calthorpe Park, Birmingham, England, by Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, on 1 June 1857. Public Domain
It is not the first park lodge in Birmingham to have met this fate. There has been no park keeper living there for some time.The property appears to be perfectly reusable. After the fire: Elliott Brown Before: Lee Bank Walk by Ted and Jen CC BY 2.0
The Vic Soc is concerned to see that Calthorpe Park Lodge in Edgbaston has been the subject of an apparent arson attack sometime around the 7 - 8 August. After the fire: Elliott Brown Before: Calthorpe Park Lodge by ahisgett is licensed under CC BY 2.0
We will then take a brief tour of the area and stop for lunch. In the afternoon, we discover All Saints Church, its long history and the interior work by Bodley and then Comper. Read more and book: tinyurl.com/23bc3f6v
Join us as we discover Little Holland House in Carshalton on 10 September. This is the former home of Frank R. Dickinson (1874-1961), who built his house in the English Arts and Crafts style. 🧵
The former Marine Hotel in Penarth, South Wales is still for sale a year after we placed it on our Top Ten Endangered Buildings list 2025. The hotel has been empty and decaying since the early 1980s, whilst the busy Penarth Marina has developed around it. tinyurl.com/4hhdx5dr 🧵
Enjoy a stroll discovering the architectural heritage of London’s bridges. Starting at Westminster Bridge, our expert guide will discuss the history of these Victorian and C20th structures, looking at the architects, engineers + workers who came together to create them. tinyurl.com/5n8vrc6p
Kirkton is an Arts & Crafts villa, with contrasting brickwork and statement chimneys. It retains historic features inc decorative brickwork and stained glass. It forms a key pair with its C19th neighbour. A GP practice, then a law firm it is adjacent to Storyhouse + Northgate. 📷 Brian P CC BY-SA 2.0
The building is a good example of late C19th residential developments and contributes positively to its setting and the wider Conservation Area. The planning application is for 19 flats over five storeys. L: Keith Hobbs CC BY-SA 3.0 R: visualisation Cassidy and Ashton
Vic Soc is concerned at the proposal to demolish Kirkton House, a Victorian villa, in Chester's City Conservation Area and we've objected. Object now: planning@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk use reference no 26/01658/FUL. 📷 L: Jaggery CC BY-SA 2.0 R: Jeff Buck CC BY-SA 2.0
The conservation of Rochdale Town Hall in Greater Manchester is on a shortlist of 4 projects for the inaugural RIBA Conservation Award. The project was lead by DIA. The winner will be announced at the Stirling Prize ceremony on 15 Oct. tinyurl.com/3z2but5y Town Hall Staircase 📷 James Newton, DIA
For Sale: www.allsop.co.uk/lot-overview... Photo from sales particulars: Allsop
Our thanks to 'Inside Croydon', whose tireless reporting has kept the neglect of these buildings in the public eye. Read more: tinyurl.com/4c5r3f3e Photo: N J Cole
Two of our Top Ten Endangered Buildings have just been put up for sale. The Rockwell Green Water Tower, and the former Leslie Arms are both in need of sympathetic new ownership. 🧵 📸 Right - The Former Leslie Arms, Allsop Rockwell Green Water Tower, The Vic Soc
The sole objective must be the faithful reinstatement of the Mackintosh Building as the integrated work of architecture that Mackintosh conceived. Photo: Glasgow School of Art 52. Wikimedia Commons
The Building is widely recognised as Rennie Mackintosh's architectural masterpiece. It is internationally celebrated not simply as an outstanding historic building, but as one of the defining achievements of modern architectural design. Original postcard c.1910. Creative Commons. 📷 Mark Crombie
Read our full statement on the future of the Mackintosh Building in Glasgow here: tinyurl.com/79ch8bvn 🧵 Main Entrance Glasgow School of Art, July 2009 no 2. Photo: Jörg Bittner Unna
Join us on a visit to ‘The Cathedral of Sewage.' Constructed 1859-1865, designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette and Charles Henry Driver. Inc a guided tour, a chance to see the engines ‘in steam’, a ride on the narrow gauge railway. Vintage bus pick-up at Abbey Wood Station on the day tinyurl.com/ze9a57md
📩 Our latest newsletter is out now! Read it here: tinyurl.com/5c928zd3 Our lead story - the new campaign to rebuild Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art. 📷 Front North Facade Glasgow School of Art Photo: Ad Meskens CC by SA 3.0
Join us on a guided evening guided walk around Peabody’s Chelsea Estates. The tour, from Pimlico to Chelsea, led by Christine Wagg looks at a variety of social housing provision, including developments by early organisations as well as some significant Peabody estates. Book: tinyurl.com/mrvnxzw5
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service have asked members of the public to please be careful during this ongoing heatwave with anything that could start a fire, whether in the countryside, or in urban areas. The warm, dry conditions mean fires can start easily and spread very quickly. 📷 Peter Ellis
Tragically the church was recently cleaned inside and this had brought out the polychrome brickwork and delicate stencilled patterns on the walls which pollution obscured. 📷 Peter Ellis
St Andrews was an unaltered Sir G G Scott church that survived in an area that has changed out of all recognition since it was built in 1860-62. 📷 Peter Ellis
Fire crews attended to tackle the large blaze throughout the night. The roof of the Grade II* church was severely damaged by the fire. The church's spire and distinctive rose window appear to have survived largely intact. The cause is accidental.
The Society express our sadness and concern following last night's fire at St Andrew's Church in Jarrom Street in Leicester. Our thoughts are with the congregation and the fire crews. We are relieved to hear no one was hurt. 🧵 BBC News: tinyurl.com/mr2dupez 📷 Leics Fire and Rescue Service
The Victorian Society placed the building on our 2025 Top Ten Endangered Buildings list. The building is Grade II*-listed, built in 1900-1903 designed by Ewen & J. Alfred Harper. Read more about the building's history here and why we put it on our Top Ten two years ago: tinyurl.com/msm9wxxf
The Hall will be run on a public-benefit model, with revenue from venue hire, hospitality, studios and events paying for public access, cultural programming, artist development and long-term sustainability. Read the Civis Foundation's statement here: civis.org/project/cent...
🌞Excellent News! US not-for-profit, the Civis Foundation, have purchased the Methodist Central Hall in Birmingham. It is the charity's first UK acquisition and restoration project. 🧵 Read more: tinyurl.com/4y2fep4k 📷 Tim Bridges