Historic Gloucester building 'at risk'

ONE of Gloucester's standout historic sites has been placed on a national register of crumbling buildings.

But its owner and guardians of the city's heritage say work is being done to preserve the Old Judges House in Westgate Street for the future.

The Grade I listed building at number 26 has a Georgian frontage and behind that lies more than 500 years of history.

But English Heritage has added it to its latest at risk register, which has 105 sites in Gloucestershire, because it says it's in "poor" condition.

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"It's acknowledged as the finest timber-framed merchant's building in the country," said Phil Moss, of Gloucester Civic Trust, which is in contact with owner John Winfield over building work.

"It has a very complicated history and is quite an incredible building.

"Quite a lot of work has been done on it, including repairing the roof."

Mr Winfield, whose family has owned the former seed shop building since 1896, said he was initially unhappy about the building being on the register.

"My architect tells me it should bring more attention to this important building and it needs to be looked after," he said.

"It was rather a frightening term but I feel more positive about it now, having spoken to English Heritage."

He hopes to find a tenant for the shop floor, which closed as a seed shop in 1989, then was the home of a bookshop until two years ago.

Mr Moss said it was owned by Alderman John Brown and his wife Sarah in the 1560s but its history goes back around 100 years before that.

It joins several Gloucester buildings on the register, including Llanthony Priory, the Tanners Hall, and the Fleece Hotel.

The 13th Century hall at the corner of Hare Lane, Gouda Way and Worcester Street is the city's oldest secular building.

Historians rediscovered it in 1976 during a search through ancient records ahead of the building of the inner relief road. Since the early 90s, when the road was built, its poor condition blighted the area.

Planning permission has been granted to incorporate it in to an innovative flats scheme.

Gloucester City Council is spending £350,000 to rejuvenate The Fleece Hotel, in Westgate Street, so an investor can take it on.

The Grade I listed building has a 12th Century stone undercroft and it is said to be one of the finest in northern Europe.