From 1950, the building took on a more mundane role in city life as an office base for Lancashire County Council, but the authority moved out in 2011.
Since then, plans to restore it to its former glory have come and gone – and now the latest of them, to create a 65-room ‘apart-hotel’, have been held up over a planning wrangle.
Preston City Council last week cut through the red tape in the hope of fast-tracking the scheme before the landmark is lost forever. And as Lancashire Post photographer Michelle Adamson found, refurbishment cannot come a moment too soon.
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There are fears the former hotel may not be standing for much longer if renovation work does not begin soon. Photo: Photographer Michelle Adamson
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The upper floors of the building are completely exposed through smashed windows. Photo: Photographer Michelle Adamson
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Preston City Council is worried the building will either become beyond repair - or even burn down. Photo: Photographer Michelle Adamson
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The building has been the backdrop to Miller Park for over 140 years. Photo: Photographer Michelle Adamson