Crowdfunding campaign launched to save historic Perches House following tragic fire

Perches House, a Grade II* listed 14th-century building on Windsor Place just off Castle Street, was left severely damaged after a fire broke out in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Now, Rose’s daughter, Jess Richards, has launched an urgent appeal to save the building her mother spent over four decades restoring.

Eleven fire engines attended the scene at 3.22 am, with crews displaying extraordinary bravery as they entered conditions that pushed their safety equipment to the limit. Despite their efforts, they were unable to save Mrs Roberts, who had lived in the property since the age of 37. From a flat across the street, Jess Richards and her family, including her eight-year-old daughter, watched in horror as the historic home was engulfed.

The building, famously used as Scrooge’s office in the 1984 film A Christmas Carol, was not merely a local landmark; it was Rose’s life’s work. A self-taught expert in historic architecture, she had project-managed restorations across the county and earned a Civic Award for her tireless labour in preserving the medieval mansion. For the community, it was a piece of Shrewsbury’s soul, but for Jess, the house and her mother were "completely intertwined."

The fire began on the ground floor and swept through the original wattle-and-daub walls and ancient oak staircase. The damage is described as catastrophic, with the roof completely incinerated and the upper floors saturated with water, leaving the structure perilously unstable. Jess describes a heartbreaking scene where, from her own kitchen, she can now look straight through the historic building to the open sky.

Building Control has confirmed that the house can be saved, but only with immediate and substantial intervention. An initial sum of £100,000 is needed to stabilise the structure, provide emergency propping, and secure the site before any restoration can begin. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the house and its contents were uninsured at the time of the fire due to complex circumstances beyond the family's control.

This loss has struck a double blow to the family, as the building also housed Jess’s business, Shrewsbury Arts & Crafts. Without a financial safety net, the campaign is the only hope for preserving Rose’s legacy and preventing the loss of an irreplaceable part of Shrewsbury’s medieval fabric. Jess intends to rebuild the property as "The House That Rose Rebuilt," with the goal of eventually reopening it as a cultural space and gallery.

The Richards family has expressed profound gratitude for the support received so far. They are now calling on the public to help them secure the site through emergency structural work and specialist heritage inspections. Every donation is intended to keep the building standing as a living tribute to a woman who dedicated her life to the craftsmanship and history of her town.

A crowdfunding page has been launched online at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-save-the-house-that-rose-re-built.