Wolverhampton's Architectural Heritage :
Buildings and Architecture in Wolverhampton


Timeline of events 1600 - 1990
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1600
Northicote Farm built Click here for more  
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1661
King Charles II refused help  
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1687
Wolverhampton's first Town Hall built
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1700
Wolverhampton's first workhouse built
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1734-8
New Merridale Farm built
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1747
Thomas Bradney inherits Penn Hall estate
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1751
Theatrical performances at the Town Hall
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1760
Court order against Thomas Bradney
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1761
John Wesley preaches in the yard of the Swan Inn  
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1763
Sedgley Park Hall used as a Roman Catholic School
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1782
Thomas Bradney died
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1788
The first recorded occupant of Merridale Farm
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1795
Penn Hall completed
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1811
Merridale Farm changes its name to Merridale House.
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1818
Jeremiah Chubb arrives in Wolverhampton
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1820
Chubb opens a factory in Temple Street,
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1832-1834
Royal Commission on the Poor Law
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1834
Poor Law Amendment Act
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1838
Chubb moves factory to Railway Street
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1839
New workhouse built
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1840
A company was raised to build a new theatre
 
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1843
Penn Hall owned by William Bradney Persehouse
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1845
Theatre Royal Wolverhampton opened
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1848
Mayoral Chair presented to the first Mayor of Wolverhampton  
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1849
Thomas Bantock arrives in Wolverhampton  
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1850
James Baker opens his factory boots and shoes
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1851
Thomas Thorneycroft buys estate at Tettenhall
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1851
John W Sparrow an Ironmaster living at Penn Hall  
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1860's
A music hall built in Wolverhampton
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1865
Prince of Wales Theatre later called the New Theatre Royal opens Click here for more  
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1865
Initial idea for a new Town Hall  
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1867
Merridale house sold to Thomas Bantock  
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1869
Wolverhampton Councilors decide to build a new Town Hall Click here for more  
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1869
Wolverhampton's first Public Library opened
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1870
The central clock for Town Hall bought  
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1871
New Town Hall opened Click here for more
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1872
Library moved to Garrick Street. Click here for more  
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1872
Bilston Town Hall built Click here for more  
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1876
Barclays Bank Building built Click here for more  
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1879
Lloyds Bank Building built Click here for more  
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1882
Extensions to Bilston Town Hall Click here for more  
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1894
Theatre Royal closed Click here for more  
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1894
Grand Theatre opened Click here for more  
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1896
Thomas Bantock dies Click here for more  
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1896
Albert Baldwin Bantock becomes the new owner of Merridale House Click here for more
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1897
Bilston School of Art opened Click here for more  
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1898
Chubb builds new lock works in Railway Street
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1898
Villiers Cycle Components Co founded
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1898
Empire Palace of Varieties built  
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1900
Westminster Bank Building built Click here for more  
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1900
The foundation stone to the Central Library laid
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1901
J Marston Ltd move production of Sunbeam motorcars to Blakenhall Click here for more  
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1902
The Central Library officially opened
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1906
Bilston Town Hall in dangerous condition
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1908
Model Housing Exhibition  
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1909
The earliest known cinema in Wolverhampton
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1910
The Electric Theatre opened
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1913
Price of Wales Theatre damaged by fire  
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1914
Guy Motors Ltd founded Click here for more  
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1915
Extensions to Sunbeam works Click here for more  
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1916
The Electric Palace became known as the Imperial Playhouse  
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1918
Imperial Playhouse closes

 

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1920
Chapel at Northicote Farm demolished 1920 the chapel at the farm was demolished  
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1920's
Goldthorn Hill Estate built Click here for more  
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1922
Northicote Farm bought by Mr & Mrs Lees
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1921
Woods Palace Cinema Bilston opened 1921
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1921
Empire Palace reopened as The Hippodrome  
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1928
Star Engineering moves to Bushbury  
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1931
Theatre Royal converted into a cinema  
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1935
Regal Cinema Wednesfield built Click here for more

 

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1936
Woods Palace becomes the Bilston Odeon
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1936
Extension to the Central Library Click here for more  
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1937
Bilston Library moves to new location  
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1938
Mrs Bantock donates part of the Bantock House and its surrounding acres to Wolverhampton Corporation  
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1938
Chubb moves factory to Wednesfield Road

 

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1940
Mr Edwin Lees of Northicote Farm dies

 

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1941
Mrs Bantock donates all of Bantock House and its surrounding acres to Wolverhampton Corporation  
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1943
J Marston Ltd open new factory at Fordhouses  
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1943
Tettenhall Towers sold  
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1948
Wolverhampton Corporation acquire Penn Hall  
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1948
Mrs Jessie Sankey officially opens Bantock Museum

 

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1948
Theatre Royal renamed as the Clifton Cinema

 

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1949
Bilston School of Art becomes Bilston College of Further Education  
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1955
Merridale Court built  
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1956
The Hippodrome damaged by fire  
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1960's
Redevelopment of town centre shopping  
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1962
Regal Cinema Wednesfield closed

 

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1963
Vauxhall estate wins a Civic Trust award  
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1964
Bilston Odeon closes as a cinema

 

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1966
Clifton cinema converted to a Bingo Hall

 

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1966
Chetton Green and Boscobel estates receive commendations  
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1970
Bilston Art School becomes an annex to the Bilston College of Further Education  
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1974
Penn Hall becomes school for physically handicapped children  
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1970's
James Baker boot and shoe factory closes  
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1975
Vehicle production ceases at Guy Motors Ltd

 

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1981
Extension to Lloyds Bank Building

 

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1981
New school for handicapped children at Penn Hall  
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1981
Demolition of the Clifton Cinema  
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1983
Grand Theatre was completely refurbished and reopened  
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1983
Northicote Farm becomes a country park  
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1985
Restoration of Penn Almshouses

 

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1990
Law Courts move to Pipers Row

 

 
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