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Since 1969 the aims of the Cornish Buildings Group have been to stimulate interest, appreciation and knowledge of good building in Cornwall, and to encourage the erection, protection, repair and recording of such buildings.
Like any amenities group, we depend on numbers, strength and support of our membership, who provide the force and knowledge that have made us effective for over fifty years.
We encourage the protection and repair of historic buildings whether these are listed buildings or simply good examples of traditional building. We aim to encourage good architecture and to raise the general standard of building throughout the county. We hope that our generation may leave behind it buildings which will be looked back on with that same pleasure and enjoyment that we experience when we look at the architecture of past ages.
NEWS
NEWS
CORNISH BUILDINGS GROUP AWARDS 2026
CORNISH BUILDINGS GROUP AWARDS 2026
Applications are now open for the 2026 Cornish Buildings Group Awards.
Applications are now open for the 2026 Cornish Buildings Group Awards.
The Group has made Awards each year since 1981 and during this period over 150 buildings have been recognised with an Award or a commendation. Any project is eligible, whether a structure as small as a bus shelter, or a housing estate or a large public building. The deadline for entries is 31st March each year and any building which has been erected or restored in the preceding two years can be entered. Anybody can enter a building: owner, architect, builder or somebody unconnected with the building but who has recognised something special.
Please visit the Awards page of this website to download an application form. Full details of what to provide in your application are included on the form.
Full details of all of our previous awards, including for 2025, are can also be found on the awards page of our website.
The deadline for applications is the 31 March 2026. Winners will be notified in June.
THE FORMER GANGES RESTAURANT, 18 CHAPEL STREET, PENZANCE
THE FORMER GANGES RESTAURANT, 18 CHAPEL STREET, PENZANCE
An update...
An update...
Following objections from us, the Georgian Group and others, Cornwall Council refused the application to demolish, citing failure to provide sufficient information and evidence, including an adequate Heritage Impact Assessment and up to date structural report to justify the total loss of the Grade II listed building. It was also noted that the application had not demonstrated that total loss is necessary to achieve public benefits that outweigh that loss. It was also noted in the decision notice that the loss of the building would destroy the character and appearance of the part of Chapel Street where the building stands therefore harming the Penzance Conservation Area. Although it might be possible for the applicant to remedy the documentary deficiencies, it is unlikely that the objections of harm caused could be overturned, so this is a good result. We will continue to monitor the situation. The most important next step is for a viable future plan for the building to be developed, which we will encourage.
THE CORNISH BUILDINGS GROUP STRONGLY OPPOSES THE PROPOSED DEMOLITION OF ST PAUL’S CHURCH, TRURO
THE CORNISH BUILDINGS GROUP STRONGLY OPPOSES THE PROPOSED DEMOLITION OF ST PAUL’S CHURCH, TRURO
An update...
An update...
The Diocese of Truro proposes demolition of the Grade II-listed St Paul’s Church, Tregolls Road, Truro after years of neglect which have left the historic Cornish church in a state of considerable decay.
The Diocese of Truro proposes demolition of the Grade II-listed St Paul’s Church, Tregolls Road, Truro after years of neglect which have left the historic Cornish church in a state of considerable decay.
The Church commissioners are considering their final decision, following the completion of the consultation process. The outlook appears grim as there has been no sign from the Church Commissioners and the Diocese of a plan for preservation of the building. If demolition takes place this will be one of the most conspicuous failures of conservation of historic buildings in Cornwall and a deeply worrying precedent for the future of historic churches in Cornwall.
>> Our petition to save St Paul's from the wrecker's ball is still live. Please sign it if you have not done so already, and encourage others to. We have exceeded 3,000 signatures but there is no reason to stop now!
BOOKS!
BOOKS!
'The Cornish Buildings Group: First 50 years'
'The Cornish Buildings Group: First 50 years'
Dedicated to the four Council members we have sadly lost since 2019 - Hugh, Jenny, Nick and John - this book tells the full story of the CBG's battle to encourage good design and preserve Cornwall's rich built heritage over the years 1969 to 2019.
Our members will have received a complimentary copy of our new publication, celebrating the first 50 years of the CBG.
To buy a copy for £15 including P&P please email us.
'The Distinctiveness of Cornish Buildings'
'The Distinctiveness of Cornish Buildings'
Conference Papers Marking the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Cornish Buildings Group Presented at St Austell in 2019
Conference Papers Marking the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Cornish Buildings Group Presented at St Austell in 2019
The 15 papers in this richly-illustrated volume were presented at a conference marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Cornish Buildings Group, held at St Austell in 2019. They cover a broad range of subjects including the uniqueness of Cornwall’s building materials, the domestic and ecclesiastical architecture, the advent of new schools after the Education Act of 1870, the new cathedral at Truro in 1876, the contribution of several architects of distinction to the county’s buildings, and the challenges of meaningful conservation today. Archaeology is also featured, with a major essay on the recent excavations at Tintagel, and there is a comprehensive index.
For details of the contents and how to buy a copy, please follow this link to our Buildings at Risk blog.
BUILDINGS AT RISK PROJECT 2020-2023
BUILDINGS AT RISK PROJECT 2020-2023
Between 2020 and 2023, the Cornish Buildings Group led a three-year Historic England / Cornwall Heritage Trust grant-funded project to identify and campaign for Cornish buildings at risk. The Group has maintained a register for buildings at risk since 2014, but this has been done with volunteer support only. The funding supported a case officer who dedicated time to champion buildings at risk in the county, the aim of the project being to identify and monitor buildings at risk and seek solutions for neglected, redundant or derelict listed buildings.
All project news was communicated through a BLOG which will remain live now that the funded project has ended, as a record of its outcomes.
The CBG will continue to monitor and campaign for Buildings at Risk, building on the good work enabled by the project. This will reported on through the Buildings at Risk section on this website (currently being revised).
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