Two Haringey sites added to Heritage at Risk Register

Two buildings in Haringey have been added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. 

The Dominion Centre, a former cinema in Wood Green, and Church of St Bartholomew in Stamford Hill were added to the list due to concerns around their deteriorating condition. 

The list also includes sites like Hornsey Town Hall and 7 Bruce Grove, the former home of pioneering meteorologist Luke Howard. 

The Gaumont Palace Cinema opened on Wood Green Broadway in 1934. Like many former cinemas it was divided up and later used as a bingo hall, nightclub and today as a church, the Dominion Centre.

The Grade II listed building was designed in the Moderne style by architects William Edward Trent and Ernest F Tulley. It ran as a cinema for another 50 years, ultimately closing in 1984 with Walt Disney’s Jungle Book – the last film shown on the main screen. 

Today, the main auditorium serves as the central worship space. However, in 2018 a piece of the high-level cornice from the façade fell to the street below. Following this, the distinctive ‘Gaumont Palace’ letters were removed in order to investigate the condition of the parapet and cornices. In 2020 it was discovered that the steels supporting the high-level decorative details were extensively corroded.

Church of St Bartholomew in Stamford Hill, which was designed by Arts and Crafts pioneer W D Caröe and completed in 1904, has also been added to the list due to urgent repairs needed on the roof. 

According to Historic England, the church has been built and rebuilt multiple times and has stood in three different locations. The current Grade II listed building is in a free Tudor style. It replaced a 19th-century church on Moor Lane, which itself replaced Christopher Wren’s St Bartholomew by the Exchange. 

The Dominion Centre and Church of St Bartholomew are two of 17 structures added to the register in 2022, which identifies sites that are most at risk of being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development.

The regional director of Historic England, Emily Gee, said: “It is central to Historic England’s mission that we pass on to future generations the rich legacy of historic buildings and places that we have inherited from previous generations. 

“Our Heritage at Risk programme is a key contributor to this ambition. With the help of local communities and partners, imaginative thinking and business planning, we can continue to regenerate historic places in London.”

In total, there are currently 631 entries across London on the 2022 Heritage at Risk Register, 21 of which are in Haringey.