A look at how endangered Victorian and Edwardian buildings in Birmingham and the wider region are being saved, stalled or left to decay, as the Victorian Society invites public nominations for its 2026 “top ten” at-risk list. From Chance’s Glassworks and Central Hall to a village church and a shuttered market, the piece asks who pays, who decides, and what gets lost if these landmarks finally fail.
00:01Across the West Midlands, Victorian buildings are slipping into disrepair while repair bills climb.
00:07These places once anchored local life, yet many now sit behind fences as councils, charities and owners struggle to decide what to save.
00:16The Victorian society is asking the public to nominate endangered Victorian and Edwardian sites for its 2026 list.
00:23It wants buildings in Wales and England that still matter to face loss through decay.
00:28Stalled plans or rising costs.
00:31Chances glassworks in Smevik shows the scale of that choice.
00:35The factory once made glass for lighthouses and landmark buildings.
00:39Today, the surviving workshops are listed fragile and part of a £25m regeneration bid backed by heritage and lottery funding.
00:48Burslum's indoor market in Stoke-on-Trent shows what attention can unlock.
00:52It's shut after seeding failures, then kind-listed status and a £1m grant for urgent roofworks after years of campaigning.
01:01St Andrew's Church in Temple Grafton has no heating, a leaking roof and only a fraction of the money needed for repairs.
01:08Winter services are limited and the longer the delay, the higher the cost.
01:12In Birmingham, Methodist Central Hall remains stuck between stalled redevelopment and worsening structural concerns.
01:19The Grade 2-star landmark risks further damage each season.
01:23It sits empty.
01:24Heritage campaigners argue that reuse supports local economies, while ministers point to national funds spent on dozens of at-risk sites.
01:33Between those positions sit the buildings themselves and communities deciding whether these landmarks will see a second life or slide further into neglect.
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