Allotment huts placed on ‘At Risk’ register
Eight Victorian summerhouses on a Midlands’ allotment site have been listed on a national ‘At Risk’ register. Located in Grade II listed Stoney Road allotments near Coventry, the structures were part of a historic council initiative to provide green space and recreation to city dwellers without gardens.
Although maintained by allotment holders, the huts, which are rare examples of their kind, are in declining condition and in urgent need of more substantial restoration work, according to independent conservation campaigning body SAVE Britain’s Heritage (SBH).
Built in around 1853, all are made of brick, with pitched roofs, but with a range of different architectural details. The buildings are included in SBH’s latest Buildings at Risk Catalogue, Revive and
Survive, featuring 100 empty and neglected buildings around the UK needing urgent attention to ensure their survival. Also included is Panshanger Orangery, one of the last remaining features in the grounds of Panshanger House, near Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, which was demolished in the 1950s.
The site is currently owned by Tarmac, which is looking to conclude sand and gravel extraction on surrounding land.
Revive and Survive: Buildings at Risk 2018-19. Price: £15, plus p&p. Visit www. savebritains heritage.org; tel: 020 7253 3500.