Two Greater Manchester buildings are included in a new list of at risk buildings by the group Save Britain’s heritage as it marks its 50th anniversary
The Griffin Hotel in Wigan stands on Standishgate, a throughfare at the heart of historic Wigan, lined with some gracious houses and historic inns.
The grade II Griffin Hotel was built in 1905 in a style the listing entry describes as Edwardian Baroque. Eye-catching double-height stripped ionic half columns frame the two curved bay windows on the second floor and support semi-circular pediments with modillioned cornices. The central door seems restrained by comparison with pilasters either side and tiled panels reading “Griffin” on one side and “Hotel” on the other.
This is a building which is seriously proud of its identity! The loss of such an individual building so particular to its location and with so much personality would be a blow to Wigan.
Meanwhile The Old Trafford Bowling Club Pavillion id described is an absolute treasure of a building.
Listed grade II in 2023, the entry describes it as representing “the pinnacle of bespoke buildings for amateur bowls clubs”. The building is still in use for its original purpose, but it is in need of extensive work and desperately needs to raise funds to finance it.
Thousands of historic buildings nationwide are standing empty and without a use. Here we highlight just three of the fifty that we’re adding today which exemplify the incredible variety and interest as well as potential of these buildings. They embody the stories of those who built them, the people who used them and the places in which they stand – but in many ways they also tell the story of a nation
