MORE than half of Warrington's buildings listed in the 'architects bible' have been knocked down since 1968.

The newly updated edition of The Buildings of England says the changes have: "Done much to destroy the pleasant Georgian character of the town."

Author Richard Pollard told the Warrington Guardian: "This is happening all over the country, but to lose more than half is an unusually high amount."

Mr Pollard was speaking at one of his favourite Warrington buildings - the town hall - at a signing of the Liverpool and South West Lancashire volume of the book on Thursday.

The original volumes were written by Nikolaus Pevsner between 1951 and 1974 and cover the whole country.

They are gradually being updated by architects such as Mr Pollard.

Katie Harris, assistant publicity manager for the publishers Yale University Press said: "It's the absolute bible for architectural historians."

Mr Pollard lamented the changes in Warrington, especially the 'disgraceful destruction' of the interior of The Academy, (the Warrington Guardian offices), when it was moved in the 1980s.

But he approved of many new buildings - he said The Royal Mail depot in Lingley Mere is the best since 1968.

He also liked the 'light and generous design' of the Peace Centre and, unexpectedly, the 'witches hats' of Burtonwood Service Station.

"The architects were trying to do something different," he said. "They might not have succeeded, but they tried."

However, the recent suburban builds did not meet his approval; distribution centres like those in Birchwood are 'styleless, scaleless nowheresville sheds', and most new houses are the 'usual pastiche boxes'.

He said Warrington should preserve what it has, and said for future buildings: "You should avoid pastiche and go for something contemporary.

"I think the modern look works well with the old buildings. You just need to have the confidence to go for it."

The Good:

Fiddlers Ferry Power Station:

'A truly sublime building overpowering a flat and featureless landscape.

Hurst Hall Barn, Glazebury:

'A fascinating, important and enigmatic fragment of a medieval timber-framed hack of rare construction'.

Barclays Bank Depot,

Kingsland Grange, Woolston:

'An utterly functional fortress designed with the help of the MoD to sustain rocket attack.

St Elphin's Parish Church, Church Street, town centre:

'The magnificent spire is the third highest parish steeple in the country.

The Bad:

Burtonwood:

'An ugly featureless village'.

Bewsey New Hall, Old Hall:

'A half-timbered monstrosity. Almost certainly built for Lord Lilford.

.. and the Ugly:

New Town House, Dial

Street, town centre:

'Unredeemingly brutal'.

* Click here to see more of the Warrington arcitectural exmaples used in the book.