Hope Bakers (Former), 6-10, Mar Street, Alloa

2-storey commercial premises with 6-bay pilastered shopfront at ground and 3-bay residential accommodation above, in terraced street, with early 19th century baking oven to rear. Rendered, squared and coursed stone. Painted shopfront. Base course, continuous fascia and cornice. 12-pane timber sash and case windows; grey slate roof; single cast-iron rooflight: coped skews; stone stack to left mutual gable, removed to right. Fascia declaring the establishment of Hope bakers in 1810 (as at date of listing).

The survival of the brick oven is particularly interesting: it may well be the oldest oven still in use (1994) in Britain. The pilastered shopfront, 12-pane timber windows and unbroken roofline are themselves meritorious. (Historic Environment Scotland List Entry)

2000: The bakery closes and is marketed for sale. June 2001: Local planners report that demolition consent has been refused. A Hope's Bakery Trust has been formed by local residents to explore uses for the building. A feasibility study is subsequently undertaken with a view to opening the building as a bakery visitors' centre. 30 January 2003: The Wee County News reports that the bakery was bought by Alloa businessman Robert Johnston in November last year. Extensive works have been carried out, including the removal of internal equipment. The ground floor is likely to become a restaurant with flats above. The original ovens, said to be the oldest working coal-fired ovens in Scotland, are subject to a preservation order and cannot be removed without explicit permission. January 2004: Local planners report that the owner's first proposals for the building were viewed as unacceptable. The owner is now working up new proposals that respect the original ovens and retains more of the internal features. There has been some unauthorised removal of interior fittings, those these remain on site. The building is included in the proposed extension of the Alloa Glebe Conservation Area.

November 2008: External inspection finds the building vacant with the shopfront windows boarded up. Despite lying empty, the building appears to be in good condition.

February 2010: External inspection finds the building remains disused. The ground floor windows are boarded over. There is plant growth in the gutter. It appears, externally, to be in fair condition.

11 April 2013: External inspection finds no significant change from the previous site visit. There are some buddleia growths now on the chimney head and above the shopfront.

11 June 2015: A member of the public notes deterioration continues at the site.

5 April 2019: External inspection finds the building remains in much the same condition as seen previously. Plant growth is establishing above the fascia. In 2015 Clackmannanshire Council served an enforcement notice concerning a dangerous chimney at the property (15/008/DBN).

2 September 2022: A member of the public advises that the rear of the property continues to deteriorate and water ingress is of concern.

14 March 2024: A member of the public advises property appears to suffer from unauthorised access.