The Sycamores Listed Building Old Skegness

By Angela Gooch on February 19th, 2008

THE SYCAMORES, probably the oldest house in Skegness and one of its few listed buildings, has fallen into such a bad state of repair that it will have to be demolished.
It is owned by the Salvation Army, who cannot afford the £8,000 or more it would cost to renovate it.
The Sycamores — 42 High Street — is joined on to the Citadel above an alleyway which runs between them. It formed part of the original village before the resort was built over 100 years ago and was made a listed building, of architectural or historical importance, in 1976.

Photo: The Sycamores - the only building on High Street Skegness which has never changed.

listed building the Sycamores High Street Skegness

The tenant is Miss Doris Gibbins, who lives there with her brother, Royston. They came with their late parents in 1920 — eight years before the Citadel was built — and have always refused the Salvation Army’s offers to install electricity, preferring the gas mantles in every room.
The only modernisation has been an upstairs bathroom their father put in and some alterations to the scullery.
The kitchen still has a big brick fireplace and a water container in its massive black lead front. The red brick floor has a deep channel apparently worn by the footsteps of the servants over the ages.REPUTATION
There are six bedrooms. At the top of the stairs narrow landings go off in opposite directions, one to the former servants’ rooms and the other to the family bedrooms, one of which had the reputation of being haunted.
The front door is actually at the back. Once it was served by a drive leading to the stables, situated where the shoppers’ car park is now. There used to be tennis courts there and the house was served by a well and a pump.
The Salvation Army Property Department in London have applied to have the house demolished.
Referring to the statutory notice to this effect in The Skegness Standard, Coun Albert Thompson told the town council’s Finance and General Purposes Committee on Wednesday week that it would appear that the council’s comments were not necessary.
We have very few historical or listed buildings in Skegness,” he said. “I don’t think it’s right it should be demolished like that.”
It had been sadly neglected. A lot of money had been spent in Louth on maintaining historical buildings. “But I’m not saying we should spend money on this,” he added. “It’s the Salvation Army’s job to put this house in order.”
Coun Eric Haywood took a different view. He said he would willingly press the demolition button. The house was ” a disgrace to Skegness” and the sooner it was out of the way the better.
Coun Thompson pointed out that it had never been properly maintained.

QUOTATION
The Salvation Army would have to get planning permission to demolish it, said Coun Ron Scott.
The town clerk, Mr Pat Bayley, said he would make sure it came before the next Planning Committee.
Capt Laurie Brown, the Skegness Salvation Army Corps’ commanding officer, said that only one builder in the town had given a quotation for renovating the Sycamores. They said it would cost £8,000 but were not prepared to undertake the work.
The tree which fell on it earlier this year had done £500 damage to the roof but, though most of this would come from insurance, there was a danger that the walls would collapse under the weight of a new roof.
The timber had perished, the brickwork was rotten, there were holes in the bedroom floor and the house suffered from rising damp, woodworm and rot.
“If the council want us to preserve it would they be prepared to grant something towards its upkeep? ” he asked.
Capt Brown said the occupants were now willing to be re-housed.
” We don’t want our tenants to suffer in any way,” he said. ” We don’t want it botched up …. It’s not a case of being hard and brutal but of being logical.”
He added that the preservation order was only a second-class one as it was only the exterior which was of interest.
It would be possible to use the space as a car park for the Citadel or, if they could raise the money, for another hall.
Mrs Captain Brown said all their activities had to take place in the one hall and another hall or even a prefabricated room would enable them to extend their young people’s work.

A 1979 Skegness news story

The Sycamores was eventually demolished and the ensuing car park still remains today, though the site is currently being considered for redevelopment.