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Derelict Victorian hotel on most endangered list

Eleri Griffiths
BBC News
Morgan Ellis Leah Close up image of the Marine Hotel. It is a large light brown brick building with greenery growing out of many of the windows. On the fence surrounding the building is a green 'for sale' sign. Morgan Ellis Leah
Marine Hotel, in Penarth, Cardiff, was built around 1865 and is now for sale at £2.25 million

A Grade II listed hotel has been placed on a list of the 10 most endangered buildings in the UK.

Marine Hotel in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, dated back to about 1865 as part of the Mercantile Marine Offices and played a central role in the town's industrial, maritime, and social history.

Despite the surrounding area's transformation into a thriving marina and past proposals for redevelopment, the hotel remains derelict.

Now on sale for £2.25m, the Victorian Society, which compiled the list, said it may be the "final opportunity to restore a vital piece of Penarth's maritime and architectural heritage".

Griff Rhys Jones, president of the Victorian Society, also expressed disbelief that the "handsome hotel" in a "posh and sought-after" area still awaits restoration.

He said the "elegant" building was a valuable heritage asset in need of care.

According to Mr Jones, Penarth's rise as a prosperous Victorian town began with the construction of its docks in 1865, which also helped it thrive as a seaside resort.

Built at the same time, Marine Hotel served dock workers, tourists, and likely Allied forces during World War Two.

Vacant since the early 1980s, the once-grand Grade II listed building has remained derelict for over 40 years as previous redevelopment plans, including a £6m boutique hotel scheme, have failed to materialise.

Morgan Ellis Leah Image of the Marine Hotel taken from further back. It is a large light brown brick building with greenery growing out of many of the windows. On the fence surrounding the building is a green 'for sale' sign. Morgan Ellis Leah
The hotel served dock workers, tourists, and likely Allied forces during WWII

James Hughes, Director of the Victorian Society, said Marine Hotel is an "irreplaceable link to Penarth's proud dockside past".

"After four decades of decay, this sale is a last chance to bring the building back from the brink and give it the future it deserves," he said.