Fresh start for hidden gem?

An application was made 18 months ago for Government protection for 19th century Puxton Mill but nothing was heard until a letter from Whitehall arrived showing it was listed on March 8.

"This was out of the blue," said Nigel Gilbert, of Kidderminster Civic Society. "It is a hidden treasure. It's a beautifully proportioned building. It is hidden away down a cul-de-sac never trodden by most people. If it could be brought into public use, it would be a building to be proud of."

He said the Grade II listing was just the first step and the town has seen many listed buildings pulled down before.

"The listing will be pointless unless the community produces some ideas for its usage," he said. "Other towns have given modern purpose to their industrial mills and there is no reason why we should not do so."

Elaine Pearce, of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said it was a fine mill building, bordering the river against a steep sandstone cliff. Four floors were visible to the front and only one-and a half to the roadway.

The river front had five symmetrical bays with a central door and round-arched windows and there was a three-storey boilerhouse built on.

She said it was unfortunate the machinery had been taken out but there were "relatively few examples" remaining in Kidderminster.

Mr Gilbert, who has written a book on the town's vanished buildings, said Puxton Mill was built by Francis Jellyman around 1875 and used for making tarpaulins. It later switched to carpet making and it is now on land leased by Bond Worth since the 1960s.

Peter Mills, operations director for Bond Worth, said it had no plans for the building.

"We're not in the habit of knocking things down," he said. "We have considered various uses in the past but it's a big building and I'm not sure what use could be made of it."

He said they would be pleased to discuss any future use with the Civic Society or other interested parties.