This in from the Friends of Frank James, in their own words. Ed
Representations have been made by the Friends of Frank James to English Heritage to correct the current statutory listing of the former Frank James Memorial Hospital in Adelaide Grove, East Cowes.
Friends of Frank James and Chartered Surveyor, Ian Pickard, said
“We’ve asked English Heritage to correct the listing which states the building was constructed in 1903 when in fact it was built in 1893 – a full ten years before it’s officially recorded as such.
“This puts the building slap bang in the period when Queen Victoria was in residence at Osborne House and probably explains why her daughter, Princess Beatrice, became the hospital’s patron after the Queen’s death.
“It is important that this error is corrected otherwise Frank James cannot officially be called a Victorian building.”
Campaign to upgrade listed status
The Friends are now in the process of drafting a further submission to English Heritage to try and get the building’s Grade II listed status upgraded to possibly Grade I or Grade II*.
If successful this could open new channels of funding to kick start a restoration of the nationally important listed building which has remained empty and abandoned since being sold by the Island’s NHS Trust to a group of property speculators in 2002.
Mr Pickard went on to say,
“There are also questions as to why the Isle of Wight Council previously allowed new homes to be built in the grounds without securing the restoration of the listed building first.”
Image: © Josh Aitken
