The Gower building - frontage

Image: © Richard Law Taken: 9 Apr 2017

The front view of what was originally built in 1873 as The Granville Hospital, a cottage hospital for the workers of the nearby Lilleshall Company at Snedshill (signs of that business are long gone), and changed to use as a school in 1879. School use persisted right through until the late 1950s, and then in the mid 1960s it became a youth and community centre, until eventual closure in 2006. It was given a Grade II listing in 2014 https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101418616-gower-street-school-former-cottage-hospital-telford-st-georges-and-priorslee after threats of demolition were made, for the site to be used for yet more housing and a supermarket. It is considered a rare example of a largely intact 19th century cottage hospital, and many of the original interior features and rooms survive, albeit converted during its time as a school. Update November 2019. Local press reports suggest that the building could be brought back into full community use (not sure quite what that means) including a bar and outdoor space, provided the scheme is backed by the public. Two local councils have offered funds of roughly £1.2m to pay for the work, subject to community consultation.

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