These historic allotment buildings have just been labelled 'at risk'

[dutchman]

They are set in an area of allotments which is a Grade II* listed park and garden



Allotment huts in Coventry have been identified as being among the architectural treasures in Britain deemed to be officially at risk.

The huts or summer houses are located in Stoney Road Gardens.

They are set in an area of allotments which is a Grade II* listed park and garden.

In all there are eight small summer houses, each of which is individually listed.

Stoney Road Gardens was built to give green space and recreation to city dwellers.

It is all that remains of several areas of detached town gardens laid out in what was once Cheylesmore Park.

Many of the plots are separated by hedges and gravel paths wind through the allotments.

The huts are in declining condition although they have been maintained by the site’s allotment association.

However, there is now a need for more substantial restoration work, according to the organisation SAVE Britain’s Heritage.

The organisation has included the Stoney Road Gardens huts in its latest Buildings at Risk Catalogue, Revive and Survive , which is due to be published on June 27.

It features 100 empty and neglected buildings gathered from all round the country which need a fresh start to give them renewed life and to ensure their survival.

Stoney Road Gardens, also known as Park Gardens, formed part of a group of small pleasure gardens laid out for owners of town houses in Coventry that did not have gardens.

They were created soon after 1853 and by 1887 the northern half of the site had been laid out as small gardens enclosed by hedges and divided by tracks and walks.

Of the eight remaining summerhouses, there are a variety of designs. All of them are built of brick with pitched roofs but they have differing decorative details.

One has pretty bargeboards and stone details, two others are gothic in design, another retains a tiled floor and a cast-iron fireplace.

Liz Fuller, SAVE Britain’s Heritage’s building at risk officer said: “All over the country there are countless numbers of disused historic buildings which could be revived with new uses to ensure their survival.

“In preparing this year’s buildings at risk catalogue “Revive and Survive” we have unearthed a treasure trove of beautiful buildings which tell the story of this country but need action to be taken if they are to survive.”

Speaking about the Stoney Road Gardens allotment huts Ms Fuller said: “The little houses are in declining condition although they have been maintained over the years by the allotment association which is responsible for them.

“However, there is now a need to do some more substantial work.

“These wonderful and charming survivors now need help to be preserved for generations to come.”

[dutchman]

I thought "summer houses" were specifically prohibited on allotments, as opposed to "tool sheds" which just look a lot like summer houses?

[Melisandre]

As far as I know as long as its wood it not a permanent structure but seems some of these are brick too but then some do date back to the 1800s or there abouts before silly rules applied.

There a lot of homes that need upgrading which people have to live in and dont get done .

[dutchman]

Historic England grants £63,000 to Coventry allotment buildings



Nationally important allotment buildings are to be restored after a preservation trust grant was approved.

Historic England has awarded the funds to Coventry City Council for three original summer houses at Stoney Road Allotments.

The allotments are one of only five such spaces on the National Heritage List for England.

The listed buildings were a "hidden gem" in the city, said the council.

The site is set to benefit from £63,000 to enable the repair of the Grade II listed buildings that had been at "increasing and immediate" risk of loss, said the regional director of English Heritage.

The site was "an important community resource which has been the backdrop to many people's gardening lives for nearly 90 years," Louise Brennan said.

It had "retained its wonderful hedged structure which shows how it originally developed as detached gardens with mature fences, rather than allotments with little or no boundaries," she added.

The small buildings form part of the plots laid out for use as town gardens, and acquired by the city council in 1935.

The features reflect how the site was developed not only to provide a garden away from home for people living in crowded urban areas, but also as a place in which people could take pride, said English Heritage.

The buildings featured a variety of styles and materials but were all constructed in a traditional way with either a masonry or timber frame, with some decorative components, the organisation explained.

The announcement of the funding has been made to coincide with national allotments week.

"The summer houses really are a hidden gem in our city, said David Welsh, council cabinet member for housing and communities.

"While they have been maintained over the years by the allotment association, this funding will help preserve them for years to come."

[dutchman]

Work approved to restore 19th Century summerhouses



Work to renovate and restore a series of 19th Century summerhouses on a Coventry allotment has been approved.

Located at Stoney Road Allotments in Cheylesmore, the three summerhouses originally called urban pleasure gardens - have fallen into disrepair, but Historic England have now approved a grant to fund their restoration because of their national significance.

The site, which is Grade II* listed with Historic England, contains the last remaining plots of the Park Gardens, established on the Cheylesmore Estate, 200 years ago. It is also one of only four remaining detached Victorian town gardens that are listed on Historic England’s Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

The site is still actively used as allotments and sub-tenanted by the Stoney Road Gardens Association (SRGA).

A Grant from the Historic England has funded a condition survey and feasibility study and now they are funding the repair works.

Coventry City Council had a grant approved by Historic England and it’s expected that work will start on Wednesday this week, 2 October 2024.

The grant funding for the work is £235k. The Council is contributing a further £20k for the work.

The summerhouses include features like chimneys, fireplaces and internal panelling, providing evidence that some of the plotholders lived in these houses during part of the year.

Formerly the pride of the allotment holders, most of the sites have fallen into disrepair.

[dutchman]

And "just like that" £63,000 suddenly becomes £235,000!

[rebbonk]

Is Harrabin involved?

[dutchman]

Not as far as I can tell?

[dutchman]

Listed summer houses' restoration nears completion



The renovation and restoration of three 19th Century summer houses in Coventry is expected to be completed by the spring, the city council says.

The Grade II listed buildings are within the Grade II* Registered Park and Garden at Stoney Road Allotments in Cheylesmore.

Having fallen into disrepair, the summer houses are the last remaining plots of the Park Gardens, established 200 years ago.

The site is one of only four remaining detached Victorian town gardens that are listed on Historic England's Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

Historic England provided a £250,000 grant for the restoration of the buildings.

Councillor Naeem Akhtar, cabinet member with responsibility for heritage, said: "It's wonderful to see the work that is being done and I am really looking forward to returning once the restoration is completed.

"We are really grateful to Historic England for their generous support. We also value the support of the Railway Heritage Trust and Network Rail.

"There has been a lot of interest in this project, and it highlights the value we have for a wide range of heritage buildings in the city."

The site is still actively used as allotments and sub-tenanted by the Stoney Road Gardens Association (SRGA).

Louise Brennan, Historic England's regional director for the Midlands, said: "It is amazing to see the original features of the gardens restored.

"The Heritage at Risk funding has meant that three of the grade II listed Summerhouses have received complete repairs to the building structures, including replacement roofs, new windows and doors, reconstruction of walls with lime mortar and original bricks, timber frame restoration, and other internal repairs.

"And it's brilliant that it's all been achieved using traditional methods and materials, restoring the summerhouses to their original form."