400 sign petition to save old Bridgnorth gaolhouse

The campaign has been launched to secure the immediate future of The Old Gaol House, which is suffering from subsidence and has been boarded up.

The signatures were collected in the space of two weeks after resident Adrian Taachi read about the building on the Bridgnorth Past Facebook page.

Two old cells remain on the site at 5 Whitburn Street but the main gaol house was demolished in the 1920s. Much of the building was built over a dry moat, which has caused the subsidence problems.

But the biggest problem is tracing who the owner is. The petition asks that the owner be traced and for the reason why the building has been allowed to fall into disrepair explained.

Mr Taachi, of Dunval Close, Bridgnorth, has handed the petition to Bridgnorth mayor Councillor Edward Marshall. He has said an investigation will take place to determine whether the building would be worth restoring and how much such a project would cost.

Mr Taachi said: "Gordon Grubb posted photos of the Old Gaol House on the Bridgnorth Past website and that sparked interest in the building.

"We invited people to put their names to a petition and two weeks later over 400 people had signed it.

"That shows people are fed up of the property vandalism that is taking place in the town."

"This is an important and historical building which we would like to see preserved for future generations and it could be a fantastic tourist attraction."

Mr Tacchi, a former town councillor, said that the Old Gaol House had come up at several council meetings he attended. Hea dded: "I believe money was ring-fenced to reinstate the building when the Smithfield was developed and I have asked the mayor to investigate why this was not done."

Councillor Max Mackenzie, a town councillor and member of Bridgnorth Past, said: "I am sure this building could be put to a better use."