One of Brightlingsea’s most iconic buildings, the University Community Sailing Club (UCSC) on Waterside, has been left seriously damaged after a major fire on Good Friday.
The Grade II listed former sail loft caught fire sometime after 11am and the blaze quickly spread to the first floor and roof space, as well as the roof of a neighbouring house. Nobody was in the clubhouse at the time.
Essex Fire and Rescue Service crews Brightlingsea, Colchester, Clacton, Tiptree and Weeley attended, and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the building to deal with the blaze. Firefighters also carried out gas cylinders from the building, which had to be cooled down to prevent the risk of explosion.
By 1.15pm, the Incident Commander confirmed that firefighters had contained the fire and were working to fully extinguish it and prevent any further spread. By 2.15pm, crews remained on scene damping down hotspots, both internally and externally.
By late afternoon, fire investigators confirmed that the cause of the blaze in the timber-framed building was accidental.
Speaking at the scene, UCSC vice commodore Ian Muckle said that he had been in the clubhouse earlier in the day. He left and returned a short time later to find the building ablaze.
Station Manager Quentin Sage, from Brightlingsea fire station, said: ““We know this has been a really difficult incident for the local community – as a Grade II listed building, it holds a lot of history and a special place in the town.
He added: “Although the fire started off small, it escalated quickly due to a failed external gas pipe and the fact it was a timber-framed building. Our crews worked incredibly hard to save artefacts and other important items, as well as to stop the fire from spreading further. But unfortunately, both this building and the house next door has been left with significant fire damage.”
According to the Historic England website, the building was notable for its timber framed, weatherboarded construction. It is shown on postcards from the late 19th century, but is believed to be considerably older. It was once the Swedeborgian Church in Queen Street, and was relocated to its current site when the New Church of Jerusalem was built in the late 1860s.
