HISTORIC England has spurned an attempt to list the Farnham Memorial Hall as a war memorial on the grounds that it ‘lacks architectural interest’.

The Memorial Ground was gifted to the community by Farnham United Breweries in 1921 in memory of its five employees who lost their lives during the First World War, and is currently maintained by Waverley Borough Council.

With Waverley set to refurbish the hall to provide a new home for the Brightwell Gostrey Centre, Farnham resident Angie Minns felt moved to apply for the building to be added to the National Heritage List for England, formally acknowledging its status as a war memorial.

However, Historic England, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, rejected her application for the following reasons:

• Architectural interest: the building is typical of its type and date, demonstrating little further architectural interest or innovation.

• Level of alteration: the building has undergone several phases of extension or alteration externally and most of the windows are later replacements.

• Landscape interest: as a sports field, the land associated with the hall does not have the historic or design interest to merit inclusion on the Register of Parks and Gardens.

If Angie Minns’ application had proved successful, the listing of the Farnham Memorial Hall would have ensured its “essential character and interest” be maintained for future generations, and required listed building consent be approved for any changes that might affect its special interest.