Some of these buildings have empty retail units at street level but have occupied apartments on upper floors. With some, it’s the other way around. There are however, a multitude of Listed Buildings that have been empty for a considerable time. Arson, some connected with insurance claims, has been known to happen over the past few years. These images are a fraction of the overall state of empty buildings in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
A stroll up Frenchgate in Richmond, North Yorkshire, famous for its Georgian architecture. The C17th/C18th brought huge prosperity via the wool trade. Virtually all the buildings shown here date from mid-C18th and are Grade 2 Listed. Richmond (French: Riche Monte – strong hill) was founded in AD1071 by Breton Alan Rufus, at the time the richest man in England with his wealth valued at £81 billion in today’s money). The land was given to him by William the Conqueror for his assistance at Hastings in AD1066. By AD1086 Rufus had built a castle complete with an enclosed walled market. Now Richmond is a famous tourist destination and a gateway to The Yorkshire Dales. …
‘A fort alongside a river crossing’. Castleford has been around for a long time. A Roman garrison was here. Mining and support services occurred for centuries and attracted rural folk into the city. This is the first ‘market town’ I’ve visited where I saw first hand the ravages of Tory rule over the past 13 years. Poverty, drugs, alcoholism were all clearly visible in the city centre. There is literally ‘nothing to write home about’.
St Everilda Church, Nether Poppleton, North Yorkshire. Only two churches are dedicated to St Everilda, an Anglo Saxon Saint who set up a monastery nearby. Although this church dates back to AD1160 the lands around the church show evidence of the abbey and a large estate. In AD1778, galleries were added on the north and west side of the nave, and part of the north wall was rebuilt in brick. Further alterations took place in the C19th. The stained glass dates from the AD1300s. There are three C17th memorials to members of the local Hutton family. In the east wall of the vestry is a carving of a cross, believed to date from the C13th. It was a delight to discover the upper gallery and box pews. Such a wonderful surprise!
Quite a few churches I visit are closed. Either they only open on Sundays, are repurposed as residential homes or are locked due to thieves and remote location. Here’s a taste of some of these magnificent buildings..
Paul A. McKendrick UK 