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Buildings hold our histories
Old buildings make a tremendous contribution to our street scene and to the landscapes of our world. They hold the stories of the people who created them and those who have lived in them. They link us to the stories of builders and architects and the materials and methods they used. Above all they carry the marks of human hopes and dreams. When old buildings fall into neglect we risk losing the material contexts of our human story.
This is when we need building preservation trusts to intervene as a last resort. If no one else can act, the unique resources of these trusts provide a safety-net.
The Ipswich Building Preservation Trust: funding
The Ipswich Building Preservation Trust was founded in 1978 with just this mission. Set up by the Ipswich Borough Council in collaboration with local enthusiasts, the Trust was generously funded in its early years with two interest-free loans of £40,000 to purchase, renovate, and sell-on Ipswich buildings at risk. This was a brilliant partnership bringing together the resources and experience of the voluntary sector and the expertise and oversight of the officers of the Borough Council. It was part of a national movement to conserve the best of the past. The era of wholesale demolition, slum clearance, and the brave new world of post-war reconstruction was undergoing a fundamental re-think to recognise the human value of the place and the familiar street.
Additional funding
In addition to the initial funding, the trust could draw on generous loans from the Architectural Heritage Fund and other sources which together provided the vital financial edge to tackle projects which would be loss-making for the commercial sector or private individuals. The scale of our funding in 1978 matched a property market in which a large Victorian house in central Ipswich could be yours for £15,000. Today things are very different.
IBPT projects
For more than thirty years we have worked steadily to identify potential schemes and restore historic buildings in the town. Any profits from the nine projects completed were ploughed back into the next scheme. For details of these projects, see the trust website and search IBPT Projects.
The number of buildings at risk in Ipswich has steadily declined. In 1978 there were 550 listed buildings, with 44 identified as being ‘at risk’. By 2020 there was a total of 650 listed buildings, but only 5 were considered ‘at risk’.
However, costs of renovation today place most of these well beyond our means. Near derelict buildings currently include the iconic Tolly Cobbold Brewery and County Hall.
The Freehold Land Society Project
We decided to search for a smaller domestic property. Some 700 Victorian and later houses in the town were built by the Freehold Land Society before 1920, and often bear the ‘FLS’ plaque. The FLS was the predecessor of the Ipswich Building Society and played a significant role in enabling Ipswich people to become property owners, and electoral voters. Our aims were to demonstrate how to care for such a house, insulate to the highest possible standards while retaining all historic features, and involve the community in the project. This meant working with students and making a permanent video record of the scheme. We also hoped to tell something of the human story of the house.
I’m sad to say that we have not yet been able to identify a suitable property. Finance is the problem. For instance our most recent feasibility study of a fine Victorian FLS semi in London Road revealed a shortfall of £100K, even at the most optimistic estimate of the potential selling price.
So we have had to recognise that even smaller properties may not be available to purchase, or prove unviable. We looked at the Old Bell Public House over Stoke, and buildings at the southern end of Lower Brook Street, and it is good to see now that commercial concerns have brought both back into use. We recognise that even aiming just to break even financially, it is difficult to compete in today’s market. As a charitable trust with public funding we are always obliged to work to the highest professional standards. In addition, funding from grants has virtually disappeared.
This situation has required a radical re-thinking of our purpose.
New directions for IBPT – Caring for your Vintage House
To follow the spirit of the trust we now aim to develop access to ‘virtual heritage’ in the era of climate change. We have a great potential in our website. We want to link this to social media so that we can help Ipswich people to fully appreciate their older houses and access the best technical advice about renovation, insulation and heating while conserving their original character. We want to develop a vibrant community hub with everyone welcome. We want to create a place where people can share experiences and find out about the human stories of their homes.
Initially we intend to publish regular posts to engage interest and build followers. We will publicise the page through local media and a network of contacts. We hope to engage owners and tenants of vintage houses, both FLS and others.
The Ipswich Building Preservation Trust and Heritage Open Days
The Trust meets regularly at Pykenham's Gatehouse in Northgate Street. This Grade I listed, 15th century building was restored by the Trust in 1983 and is leased from the Ipswich and Suffolk Club. The Gatehouse is opened to the public by volunteers on certain weekends in the summer months, notably on Heritage Open Days in September.
See our Links page for useful Ipswich Borough (and other) links.
Note: Ipswich Building Preservation Trust isn’t able to give direct advice, but aims to start a conversation, inform people of current ideas with arguments for and against.