World-famous film studios could have stake driven through its heart.
Long before the slasher movies and torture porn that now constitutes movie horror, one name stood severed head and bare shoulders above the rest: Hammer. In its 60-year history, Hammer’s Bray Studios were the spiritual home of the British horror movie industry, the cradle from which cult classics as The Mummy, The Curse of Frankenstein and – most famous of all – the Dracula series starring Christopher Lee in the titular role, were torn.
But it now appears that the studios days are numbered, demolition crews bringing its illustrious career to an end as assuredly as van Helsing’s stake through the Transylvanian Count’s cold, black heart.
Earlier this month, the Maidenhead Advertiser reported that current owners the Bray Management Company says the the operation is struggling to keep up with technological advancements. A planning application was recently submitted to the Royal Borough for repairs to Grade II listed Down Place, the site’s central building. The application notes that the studios, formerly used to provide offices and facilities in connection with the film business, have been hit hard by the economic downturn and are no longer a viable business – and hinted at plans to turn the historic site into housing.
The plans to level the site for housing came to light in an application to replace the roof and windows of Down Place which were discussed and approved at a Bray Parish Council meeting earlier this month. The documents discussed revealed a further application is likely for extensive work to convert the site into housing.
Fans of Hammer Films and British film history have moved swiftly to highlight the threat, starting a Facebook campaign group, blog and Twitter to raise awareness about the studios’ plight.
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