Like many towns Kidderminster suffered greatly in the 1960s onwards through demolition of many old buildings of character. Whilst many towns now take every opportunity to exploit their history and to create an environment of interest for residents and visitors alike, this is by no means yet the case in Kidderminster.

The recent listing and renovation of the Piano Building met with opposition, as did the listing of 18th century bombazine cottages in the Horsefair.

By contrast the steady loss of buildings continues unabated with little hindrance. In 2006 two fine mid-eighteenth century houses, the Gordon House Hotel, in Comberton Hill were pulled down. In early 2007 the Tumbling Sailor pub (lately Milligans) was demolished. Other buildings are under threat including two pubs – the Freemasons Arms (or lately the Barrel) in Bromsgrove Street and the Prince Albert in Bewdley Street – and the old workhouse building on the hospital site in Sutton Road.

Much of central Kidderminster was destroyed by the building of the ring road from the mid-1960s to 1984. Notable losses included the Playhouse theatre. Whole streets were lost, including the fine weavers cottages of Hall Street.

Mill Street was effectively finished as a street of any distinction. At the town end a row of listed 18th century town houses was destroyed as was the listed Methodist chapel.

In fact in Kidderminster listing of buildings has been no guarantee of safety. Other listed buildings have been destroyed, such as Broomfield Hall on Franche Road, the Bell Hotel in Coventry Street and the Fox Inn in Swan Street.

Relentless redevelopment of the town centre led in 1968 to the abominable destruction of historic vaulted cellars beneath Harveys wine merchants’ premises. These would now be crucial to understanding the town’s history, but were discarded for the Swan shopping centre, a development of no distinction at all.

Many great mansions, built with the proceeds of the cloth or carpet industry, have been steadily pulled down from the 1920s onwards. Such was the fate of Franche Hall in 1924, Greatfield Hall and Summerhill in the 1930s, and after the second world war Blakebrook House, the Lakes and Broomfield Hall, to name a few.

School board schools in Coventry Street, Hume Street and Bennett Street have been lost.

The steady reduction in the number of well-built industrial buildings has continued. In 1994 a four-storey office block in 1884 built by Richard Smith & Sons was demolished. In 2001 the fine Brintons wool hall was abruptly destroyed after the failure of listing, when it should have completed an imposing trio of mills for the Weavers Wharf development.

Finally, the most controversial demolition of them all occurred in late 1992. The row of buildings in Market Street comprising the library and schools of art and science were pulled down, even though it was known English Heritage considered them worthy of listing. For their commitment to wanton destruction Worcestershire County Council and Wyre Forest District Council jointly received the Macmillan Award from Private Eye for the most philistine local authority.

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Greatfield Hall

Demolished in 1934, this was once a handsome and imposing residence.

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