Smethwick pub in top 10 of endangered buildings
A landmark pub which was famed for its underground steak restaurant has been named as one of the most endangered buildings in England and Wales.
The Waterloo Hotel in Smethwick has been included in the top 10 of the list compiled by the Victorian Society.
It comes as it was revealed the pub, which marked 100 years in 2008 and closed in 2010, will go under the hammer at an auction later this month.
Across the country historians, enthusiasts and local campaigners suggested Victorian or Edwardian buildings at risk in their local area.
The importance of The Waterloo was recognised by English Heritage in 1999 when it upgraded the pub to Grade II* listed status.
However, it has fallen into decline in recent years and has been a victim of lead thefts.
Chris Costelloe, director of the Victorian Society, said: "The Waterloo needs protection from weather, thieves and vandals.
"Such a memorable relic of Edwardian England deserves this at the very least. Looking into the future, it also needs a plan that retains its use as one of the most stunning pubs in the West Midlands."
Other buildings on the at-risk list include Ipswich's blighted and vandalised former County Hall, a rare and very early Victorian station in Derbyshire and an ornate Victorian dock pumphouse on Merseyside.
The Waterloo Hotel site was once a favourite haunt of the region's business leaders.
It will be offered for auction at Villa Park on October 31 with a guide price of just £50,000.
The building, in Shireland Road, Cape Hill, is also on English Heritage's Historic Buildings at Risk register.
