BaR News Round Up April 2024

SAVE is seeking Regional Volunteer Photographers to support our Buildings at Risk Register and join the fight to save historic buildings across the UK.

Nothing communicates the plight of neglected historic buildings more effectively than a striking image.  SAVE’s work is already strongly supported by many from across the UK who highlight buildings at risk within their communities and work with us to campaign for them and promote new uses. We want to build our regional network of photographers to assist in bringing help to buildings in their area.  We have in the past benefitted from the work of talented photographers whose skills have so stunningly conveyed the character and beauty of threatened historic buildings.  We are grateful to them all.

In June 2024, SAVE will add around 90 new entries to our Buildings at Risk Register from a range of counties across the country.  To prepare for the launch, we are therefore seeking volunteer photographers in Arbroath, Berkshire, Caerphilly, Cheshire, County Durham, Devon, Dundee, Essex, Gwynedd, Herefordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Manchester, Norfolk, Northern Ireland, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, West Yorkshire, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire.

Beyond the Buildings at Risk launch, we would love to hear from Regional Volunteer Photographers elsewhere to help with updating existing entries and other campaigns.

To find out more and to volunteer, please get in touch with Buildings at Risk Officer, Liz Fuller: liz.fuller@savebritainsheritage.org.  To help us with images for the Buildings at Risk launch, please get in touch by 15th April.  

Volunteers should have the use of a DSLR or mirrorless camera with at least a 24MP sensor (or similar) and be proficient in advanced photography techniques and post-processing.
 

Wales

Old School, Mount Pleasant, Talgarth, Powys, LD3 0BB

The Old School in Talgarth was built following the Education Act of 1870. It was unusual as most schools in Wales at this time were of one religious denomination or another. However as it was set up under the Education Act, which gave rise to the building of Board Schools all over England, Talgarth’s so-called British School was non-denominational.

The school buildings were built in a Gothic style of local stone and stand near to the Old School House and grade II* listed church with which it forms an attractive group. Talgarth is a beautiful village within the Brecon Beacons National Park and the school sits on a narrow lane with the mountains forming a dramatic backdrop.

We added it to our register in 2019.  The Council had been considering the options for redeveloping the site and there were concerns that the old school building might be overwhelmed with new development.  Since then some interesting community uses have been put forward including one to produce a source of renewable energy

It was announced in the local press at the end of March 2024 that a partnership of local groups (Black Mountains College, Talgarth and District Regeneration Group and Talgarth Town Council) has obtained funding from the Community Ownership Fund to help this much-loved building. Click here to read the announcement. 

Worcestershire

Scala Theatre and The Corn Exchange, Angel Street, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR1 3QT

The Scala Theatre closed in 1973 and was gutted internally.  Dating from 1922, its life as a cinema was relatively short.  It has been doing service as an amusement arcade and retail unit since that time but was vacant when we added it to our register in 2019.  It occupies a prominent corner site in the centre of Worcester and has a strikingly elegant façade in an Edwardian Baroque style.  

Next door on Angel Street, the grade II listed former Corn Exchange in Worcester is a formidable edifice dating from 1848. Pevsner describes this as ‘a mighty job ... with truly colossal pairs of Tuscan columns in antis.’ Inside, the roof is partially glazed meaning that the interior is extremely well lit.

In 2021 Worcester City Council was awarded a £17.5m grant for Future High Streets Fund for a transformation of the northern end of the city centre in which the two buildings are located. After this the Council took steps to buy both buildings.  Now in Council ownership, planning permission and listed building consent has just been granted for the conversion of the Scala into three separate flexible performance spaces and the conversion of the next door Corn Exchange into a theatre cafe.  Click here to see the press report.