Shrewsbury fire: Drone video reveals damage from blaze which killed beloved grandmother as Salopians pledge more than £10,000 to rebuild historic home in her memory
New aerial footage shows the huge extent of the damage left behind after a devastating fire tore through a historic building and claimed the life of a beloved grandmother.
Rose Roberts, aged 81, died on Tuesday (January 27) after the blaze engulfed Perches House in Shrewsbury town centre - the home she had spent decades lovingly restoring.
Now her daughter, Jessica Richards, has vowed to rebuild the home her mother loved so much, and Salopians are backing her in their droves.
As of 12pm on Friday, more than £10,000 had been donated to a crowdfunding campaign to rescue the building, which famously was used as Ebenezer Scrooge’s office in the 1984 film A Christmas Carol.
See the fundraiser and donate here
Jessica said: “Perches House was my mum’s home and also home to my own business Shrewsbury Arts & Crafts.
“Many visitors to Shrewsbury still recognise it as the setting for Scrooge’s office in the 1984 filming of A Christmas Carol.
“Mum spent over 40 years saving, restoring and opening this house to the public, for which she was awarded a Civic Award.
“I am asking for help to stabilise and rebuild the house she dedicated her life to, so her legacy — and an irreplaceable part of Shrewsbury’s history — is not lost forever.
"Building Control has confirmed that the house can be saved, but only with immediate and substantial intervention.
“The shop is still largely intact but smoke damaged. Already, around £100,000 is needed just to stabilise and secure the structure — and this is before any restoration work can even begin.”
Shrewsbury town centre was brought to a standstill on Tuesday morning after the fire, which happened at about 3.30am.
Floral tributes have since appeared, with well wishers offering their condolences to Rose’s family.
It comes after hundreds of people shared their sadness and happy memories of Rose online, from those who had known her for many years to people whose days she had brightened when visiting shops in the town centre.
The drone footage shows how the blaze has torn away a huge part of the roof, with slates missing and charred timber beams exposed, as well as burned rubble all over the top floor.
Scaffolding is now up so workers can safely stabilise the building and carry out repairs. The property has been fenced off to the public.
“At the time of the fire, due to complex circumstances, the house and its contents were left without cover,” Jessica said.
“That means there is no financial safety net for the building, for its restoration, or for the loss of my mum’s lifetime of work and my only source of income.
“The shop frontage and the private residence at 35A Castle Street are two entrances to the same historic building, and both have been severely affected.
“I have lost my beloved mum, my home, my livelihood and a building that holds centuries of Shrewsbury’s history.
“But I refuse to let this be the end of her story.
“Mum could do anything. She wasn’t a qualified architect, but she drew plans, project-managed restorations across Shrewsbury and beyond, and had an instinctive understanding of historic buildings.
“She believed in craftsmanship, in doing things properly, and in preserving the past for future generations.
“I want to rebuild Perches House as her legacy — The House That Rose Rebuilt.
“My hope is not just to restore it as a home, but eventually to reopen it to the public once more — as a place of history, art, memory and creativity.
“Perhaps an art gallery, perhaps a cultural space — but always a living tribute to the woman who saved it once already.
“This isn’t just about me, it’s about saving one of Shrewsbury’s most important historic buildings.
“Every pound helps keep the building standing while we await full reports and permissions,” she said.
“If you are able to donate, share, or simply help spread the word, you are helping to save not only a building — but a story, a legacy, and a piece of Shrewsbury’s soul.
“The figure we are currently seeking to raise is at present a ballpark figure. We will be updating this as we have specific information and an estimation of the amount needed to stabilise and rescue this historic building (engineers, scaffold, emergency work, planning, etc).
“We will be completely transparent in this and will update our supporters as and when information comes in.
“Let’s build this back - for Rose, for Perches House, for Shrewsbury and our historic heritage.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
