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Derelict 18th Century building fire suspected arson

Alex PopeBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
News imageMatthew Foster Smoke coming out of an old red brick building, with a firefighter's ladder pouring water on it. There are bushes and trees in front of the building. Smoke is rising in the air. The building has a number of white window frames, with three windows without frames in them. Matthew Foster
Multiple crews from across Hertfordshire attended the blaze that broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning

Police have launched an arson investigation into a fire at an unoccupied 18th Century building.

Thames Valley Police said it had started an investigation into the cause of the blaze after fire crews were called at about 03:30 BST on Thursday to The Bury in Church Street, Chesham.

About 70% of one three-storey Grade II-listed commercial building was damaged, with all floors and parts of the structure affected, Buckinghamshire Fire Service said.

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

At the height of the incident, a large amount of smoke was seen in the area.

The blaze involved "two unoccupied commercial buildings", the fire service confirmed.

A police spokesperson said: "We are still supporting our fire colleagues at the scene but have now opened an investigation into the cause of the fire."

It confirmed no arrests had been made and asked anyone with any information to get in contact.

It is not known who owns the building.

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. Chimneys and windows are glowing among the flames.Rev Edward Bowes-Smith
About 11 fire crews were called to the scene

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

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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