Victorian Society flags Hackney disinfecting station and Parndon Hall in latest at-risk list
A former public-health building in Hackney, East London, is among the most striking entries on the Victorian Society’s latest endangered buildings list, which also includes a derelict mansion in Essex with hidden wall paintings and the Grade II* listed Tees Transporter Bridge, now facing an estimated £60 million repair bill.
The Hackney site, a Victorian disinfecting station built in 1901, was designed for a grimly practical purpose: steam-cleaning bedding and soft furnishings to curb the spread of infectious disease. Smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever and measles were among the illnesses it helped contain. In its first year alone, the station treated the contents of 2,800 rooms, totaling more than 24,000 items. It also provided temporary shelter for poor families while their homes were stripped.
James Hughes, director of the society, said the building tells “a powerful story of how society responded to crisis.” Griff Rhys Jones added that recent epidemics show how vital and ground-breaking the initiative was, and argued that the building must be reused.
The society’s annual endangered buildings list has been published since 2010, and this year’s selection underscores how broad the preservation challenge has become. Parndon Hall in Harlow, Essex, built in 1867 by Loftus Arkwright, is one example. The mansion is used only for storage by Princess Alexandra hospital and has been unoccupied since repairs following a flood in 2024. Inside, it contains hidden wall paintings by Elizabeth Arkwright, including nymphs, mermaids and rosy cherubs.
Taken together, the list links architectural loss to public health, industrial history and the fragile afterlife of Victorian buildings. It is a reminder that preservation is rarely only about appearance; it is also about finding a future for structures whose original purpose has long since vanished.
