Heritage campaigners have drawn up a list of buildings that they believe could end up knocked down or falling into disrepair if action is not taken.

And while some are instantly recognisable, others are less obvious. But they all form part of the Black Country and Staffordshire’s history, and experts say there is no reason to get rid of them.

The SAVE group, which is marking its 40th anniversary this year, is about to release its latest catalogue of at risk buildings.

And English Heritage recently compiled a list of sites that are vulnerable to making way for developments.

Smethwick Toll House has been a fixture on the High Street since 1820 but it unlikely that the majority of shoppers or commuters pay it much attention each day.

But it is among five sites in the West Midlands chosen by SAVE in its latest investigations.

The toll house and associated coach house is Grade II-listed and served the Birmingham, Dudley and Wolverhampton turnpike which was formed in 1760.

At first floor level in the middle bay is a blind recess with a pointed head, probably for a toll board.

According to the listing entry, it was known as The Blue Gates from which a nearby inn took its name.

The toll house and former coach house were most recently let as an art gallery, but have now been vacant for a number of years.

It is on a busy main road between Oldbury and Birmingham and Smethwick Rolfe Street Train Station, and is currently available for let for commercial use, though agents have warned it needs plenty of renovation.

Meanwhile Langley Maltings is steeped in the history of the Black Country’s brewing industry.

Originally dating from 1870, but substantially rebuilt in 1898, the maltings are a well known landmark in this part of Sandwell.

The site was built for the nearby Showell’s Crosswell Brewery, with the 1898 buildings designed by Arthur Kinder Son, notable brewery architects.

Although the brewery changed hands several times, remarkably the maltings were still in use as late as 2006 and it was one of the last to use the traditional floor malting process.

An arson attack in 2009 caused considerable damage to the buildings, but English Heritage concluded that ‘despite some unstable masonry, repairing the building would be relatively straightforward’.

An application for demolition was submitted by the owner in 2012, but the council rejected the plans after an outcry from residents.

Businessmen Lehmber Singh and Harbhajan Singh Dhadday, who run DS Enterprises, bought the property for £1 million in 2007.

Mr Dhadday said they were still hoping to submit a planning application to build housing.

“We will see what the demand is. We don’t want the structure demolished, but the way it is going is very difficult,” he said.

“We don’t want to demolish it unless the worst comes to the worst. The amount of fires there is really bad, but we will try and retain what we can.”

In Staffordshire, Heron Court has been singled out as an example of Tudor Gothic architecture.

The building, in Heron Street, Rugeley, was constructed in 1851 at the time that Rugeley was expanding from a market town to a coal mining centre.

It was used as a convent and more recently as the home of a billiard club.

The site is now up for sale and, while it is in relatively good condition, there are fears it will be difficult to find a new use for it that will keep its historic features.

Cannock Chase Council has invested £700,000 to preserve frontages in the town, with some being spent on Heron Court.

Cannock Chase Council’s head of planning and regeneration Bob Phillips said: “It is hoped that the investment in Rugeley and the work taking place will encourage other building owners to invest in their own properties, resulting in more widespread improvements and encourage economic regeneration in the area.”

Meanwhile English Heritage has named two well-known Dudley churches on its list of landmarks under threat. St Thomas and St Luke’s Church in High Street, Dudley, known as Top Church, is a shock new addition to this year’s Heritage at Risk register. St John’s Church in Dudley is now also on the list.

A total of 195 sites across the Black Country, Staffordshire and North Worcestershire have now been identified as being at risk in the latest survey. Five new buildings in the area, all of them churches, have been added.

However, nine buildings have been removed after finding a more secure future. St Thomas and St Luke’s Church is considered to be Dudley’s premier church and is used for civic functions. The Grade II listed building, built between 1815 and 1818, is said to be in ‘poor’ condition.

Ten years ago £528,000 was spent restoring its spire.

Meanwhile, St John’s Church in St John Street closed in 2002 for safety reasons after structural problems were discovered.

Since then, the congregation has met at the church hall.

Worcester Diocese, which owns the building, initially said it may be declared redundant and demolished. However, the St John’s Church Preservation Group was formed in 2007 to save the building, and it was granted Grade II-listed status in 2009.

William Perry, better known as The Tipton Slasher, who was England’s bare-knuckle boxing champion from 1850 to 1857, and Marion Richardson, a well-known author of children’s handwriting books, are among those buried in the churchyard. Deb Brownlee, group chairman, said she was pleased the church had been included as it highlighted the importance of getting it restored.

However, she said the group was in talks with Worcester Diocese about taking over the lease of the church with a view to restoring it.

“I would hope that by this time next year we will have taken over the lease and will have begun the restoration of the church, so it can come off the list,” she said.

Other entries on the register include the Church of St Michael at Witley Court, near Stourport-on-Severn, and St James’s Church in Hartlebury, near Kidderminster.

St Michael’s, based in the grounds of the Earl of Dudley’s former residence, is famous for its spectacular Italianate style guilded decorations and paintings by Antonio Bellucci.

While St James’s Church in Quarry Bank, Hartlebury, was mostly built in the 19th century, although it has retained its 16th century tower.

And in Wolverhampton St Luke’s Church in Upper Villiers Street is at severe risk as its condition is deteriorating rapidly, English Heritage says.

It is described as in ‘very bad’ condition and as being ‘of immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric’.

Built by GT Robinson of Leamington in 1860, the church’s huge, decorated spire is a local landmark in the Blakenhall area.

The problem of dry rot was addressed some years ago, but many other issues remain.

The city’s Church of St Leonard, in Church Street, has leaking gutters that are damaging the stonework and causing water damage inside. It still has a number of original features from when it was built in 1825, but English Heritage says they could be lost if repairs are not carried out.

Birmingham city centre has plenty of historic buildings that have stood the test of time, but one that has an uncertain future is Unity House in the Southside district.

The locally listed site dates from 1900 and is the work of William Jenkins, who was a pub architect receiving commissions from Mitchells and Butlers brewery.

Originally a pub called the Rose and Crown, it later became offices for several trade unions.

But it has been in a parlous state for many years. Windows have been left open to the elements and two side ranges have been partially demolished.

Its current plight is the more striking considering its location at the heart of one of the city’s theatre and nightlife districts which hums day and night. The National Trust’s Back to Backs Museum is just one street away and tells the story of 19th and 20th century life in Birmingham. Campaigners say they hope the public will realise how important these buildings are.

Liz Fuller, SAVE’s buildings at risk officer, said: “The catalogue aims to introduce buildings at risk to those with the determination and imagination necessary to save them.

“We also hope to inspire the many individuals and groups around the country who campaign to save buildings by highlighting those which make the places they are in special. A great deal more is needed to save a building at risk than just falling in love with it, but it is a good place to start.”

Mike Fox, SAVE caseworker, added: “With 100 new entries covering so many different building types, Falling In Love should offer something for everyone interested in architectural heritage and buildings at risk.

We hope our readers will fall in love with these new entries and take up the challenge of restoring them to former glories.”

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