Charles Dickens and his family moved a lot depending on their circumstances. A couple of times he lived in this charming Georgian house in Fitzrovia, just a few yards from the Workhouse.
Those that are asking for more now however are not poor working lads but rather developers who wish to pull down the Georgian buildings and build modern expensive apartments that sell for a couple of million.
Dickens fans, historians, local community groups and lots of other Londoners have been trying to save the historic buildings and character of the area. What has been achieved is that the workhouse building has managed to get a heritage order placed on it. Everything around it however will be demolished and a high rise apartment building will go up behind it. The developers plan to gut the workhouse and create luxury apartments inside the facade.
To view the application and leave comments you still have a couple more days to have your say.
For details and links visit here.
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| the workhouse |
10 comments:
It is quite a handsome old building, despite its plainness and disrepair. I am not sure the Georgians could really build anything that wasn't even a bit elegant.
Oh, the picture you took of Dickens' house jogged my memory and made me wonder if it is a little shop that does all kinds of hand made buttons or something like that. Can't remember exactly what it was - but I think I remember looking through the window and thinking it was rather quaint.
Very interesting story 😀
Developers are everywhere with £ and $ signs in their minds eye!
I've always liked the film Oliver ... and more is needed for the ordinary folk!
Always good to see your photo's
Take Care
All the best Jan
Wow. I am very happy to see this pic. Thank you for sharing the picture of the house where Charles Dickens lived...
It was ever thus with developers, even in Dickens day.
However I suspect the price indicates many of these properties cannot be filled.
There is a limit on how many overpaid numpties can afford to live in London,even Rich Arabs, Chinese and Russians canny fill all those flats.
I suspect however in a hundred years time some will wish to keep them for 'heritage' sake...
I am so tired of developers who want to tear things down and put up "luxury" apartments and condos in its place. I fear that at the rate the gap between rich and poor is growing, workhouses might be making a come back.
Developers for the most part are consumed with greed and have little regard for character of an area. There are some that are an exception, but quite few.
Everyone above has echoed my initial thoughts. I love our heritage - and we are so lucky to have it. An alternative take is that I guess we can't hang onto everything forever; rather like clearing out old clothes, Christmas cards and so on. Of course, if you keep things long enough, they tend to become too valuable to dispose of!
Certainly seems worth retaining! Thank you for the photographs - it could be all that's left :/
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