A listed Victorian rectory is in danger of collapse after its millionaire cocaine addict owner allowed it to become overgrown and delapidated . The home in Columb Major , Cornwall is considered one of the most important buildings from the Gothic Revival movement , but it is now uninhabitated and has fallen into a state of extreme disrepair . Its owner , a property dealer who was jailed for drugs possession , has refused to renovate it - but the local council has not exercised its legal powers to force him to take action . Overgrown : The Old Rectory in Columb Major , Cornwall is almost inaccessible because it is so neglected . Rubbish : The house is full of old furniture and other debris despite its Grade II* listing from English Heritage . Damage : Holes in the roof and ceiling are causing water damage to the historic Victorian structure . The Old Rectory , which is Grade II*-listed , was built in 1851 by architect William White , who trained with the great Gothic Revival master George Gilbert Scott . It was originally designed to be a palace for a bishop , before being downgraded to a rector 's home and later becoming a hotel in recent years . But despite the building 's heritage , it is now derelict , filled with piles of rubbish and surrounded by overgrown plants , while major water damage has been caused by holes in the roof . Photographs taken a few years ago show broken furniture piled up inside , with peeling walls and exposed ceiling beams . Greenery has grown up all around the outside of the house , potentially threatening its structure . Cornwall Council has not taken legal action against the Old Rectory 's owner , property tycoon James Brown , who was sent in prison in 2012 after police found a large haul of cocaine hidden in his Bentley convertible . Neglected : The home was built in 1851 by William White and is considered a Gothic Revival masterpiece . Warning : Campaigners are lobbying Cornwall Council to force the rectory 's owner to make repairs . Debris : Photographs taken a few years ago show the shocking state of the listed building . The Victorian Society , which promotes the cause of 19th-century architecture , recently launched a campaign to save the building from its 'shocking state of disrepair ' . Director Chris Costelloe said : 'Cornwall Council must take action now or this irreplaceable Grade II*-listed example of domestic Gothic Revival architecture will be lost . 'Further delay will result in much of the historic fabric being unsalvageable and the repairs will become enormously expensive . ' The society claims that Cornwall Council has been aware of the threat to the building for at least four years , but has failed to act . Officials insisted that they could not take action while Brown was in prison , because it would breach his human rights . Peeling : Paint is coming off the walls in the 19th-century home , which was built as a bishop 's palace . Abandoned : No one is living in the house and plants are climbing up around the walls . Heyday : This historic postcard shows how the Old Rectory looked in its prime . Owner : Property tycoon and cocaine addict James Brown is the legal owner of the Old Rectory . The council has the power to impose an 'urgent works notice ' which would force the owner to repair the house , but it has done nothing more than try to talk to the owner . A spokesman said : 'The council is once again trying to make contact with the proprietors of the building to open a dialogue in regard to its current state . As yet the council has not had a response from the proprietors of this building . ' English Heritage has joined the calls to save the Old Rectory , calling it 'an incredibly important site and an architectural gem ' , and has been urging the council to take action . Inspector Simon Hickman said : 'The site is on our English Heritage South-West Heritage At Risk register and we are doing everything we can to ensure it is saved . 'Now the owner is no longer in prison we have advised Cornwall Council serve a repairs notice as soon as possible . We have offered to underwrite the repairs notice and to support them any way we can . ' Locals in the small village say they are scared to speak out about the derelict house - one told MailOnline that he had been harassed on the Internet after raising awareness of the issue . Brown retired at the age of 26 after making millions of pounds as a property developer , but his life spiralled downhill when he became addicted to cocaine . The businessman took so much of the drug that his nose collapsed , and in 2012 he was sentenced to five years in prison for possession of class A drugs and a collection of handguns .
Old Rectory in Columb Major , Brown was built in 1851 by William White . It is considered one of the finest Gothic Revival masterpieces in Britain . But after being bought by property tycoon James Cornwall it is completely overgrown with holes in the roof and piles of old furniture . Council refused to take action against Cornwall while he was in jail for cocaine possession .