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Large blaze tears through 18th Century building

Alex PopeBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
News imageRev Edward Bowes-Smith A night-time shot of a large fire in an old mansion building, showing flames rising inside it. There is no roof left. You can see chimneys and windows glowing amongst the flames.Rev Edward Bowes-Smith
Fire crews were called to Chesham in Buckinghamshire in the early hours of Thursday

Firefighters have spent hours tackling a blaze at an unoccupied 18th Century building close to a church.

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue crews were called to The Bury in Church Street, Chesham, at 03:30 BST.

The service said the fire was producing a large amount of smoke, and asked people to avoid the area and keep windows and doors closed.

Historic England said the Grade II-listed site dated from 1716 and was built for William Lowndes, secretary to the Treasury in the reign of Queen Anne.

News imageRev Edward Bowes-Smith A fire engine with a massive crane is parked in front of the building's grand entrance, while flames and ash spew into the air. Rev Edward Bowes-Smith
The Bury dates from the 18th Century and is Grade II-listed

Peter Hawkes, from Chesham Heritage, said it was a "terribly sad day for Chesham".

"We can only hope that it is salvageable, and that some good use is found for the building," he said.

He added that the site was the home of the Lowndes family until it was requisitioned by the government in World War Two, but in recent times it had been "sitting empty a couple of years".

News imageChesham Heritage A black and white image of a large number of firefighters outside the brick building. They have carts with them and are all wearing metal helmets and uniforms. Two men are standing on a ladder. Chesham Heritage
An image from 1911 shows local fire crews posing outside The Bury for a photoshoot

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