AN IMPORTANT piece of Swindon’s railway heritage has been removed from an endangered buildings list.

Built in 1873, the historic Chain Test House was at the heart of the old GWR works. The Victorian building was where workers checked the strength of the thick steel chains.

After falling into disrepair when the GWR works shut its doors in the 1980s, the Rodbourne building was placed on the Heritage at Risk register in 1999.

Almost two decades later, government heritage inspectors Historic England have taken it off the register of endangered buildings.

The move, which has been welcomed by developers and heritage campaigners, comes after a multi-million pound redevelopment by Thomas Homes.

Chris Brotherton, a director at Thomas Homes, said: “We bought the site in 2007 not knowing exactly what we would do with it. Loads of developers had walked away from it.

“There isn’t anything like it anywhere else in the country.”

He praised Swindon Borough Council’s planning team for working with them on the project.

“We really enjoy working on listed buildings,” Chris added.

“It’s been great fun and a really positive thing for Swindon. I think it’s a really good example of how a local authority can work with a developer.”

The Chain Test House had been restored as a “museum piece”, he said. It would be opened four times a year by the nearby Steam Museum. The building is at the centre of a residential development, with 56 flats.

Across the South West, 91 historic sites have been removed from the Heritage at Risk register.

However, 71 sites have been added to the list – after Historic England heritage experts grew concerned about their condition.

They include the Wellington Monument near Taunton, owned by Rodbourne-based charity the National Trust.

One of Swindon’s most famous buildings also remains on the list.

Grade II* listed Mechanics' Institute was added to the register of endangered buildings in 1999, in the same year as the Chain Test House.

Built in 1853-55, the large gothic hall remains empty. In 2010, urgent works were put in place to stabilise the building’s crumbling shell.

Daniel Rose, director of the Mechanics' Institution Trust, which hopes to find a solution for the building, said: “The biggest concern to us all is the fact the Mechanics' Institution remains a high-profile ‘At Risk’ building, not just in the region but in the country.

“I do feel that the future is looking more positive than it has been for years as we build upon the proposals the trust unveiled last year for the building and wider area.”

Early next year work will start on detailed business planning to help fund the building’s future use. This work is supported by the Architectural Fund.