This former grand home is now more than ever in need of care.

In the Victorian period this area along the Penn Road was were the wealthy people of the town built their grand houses, and today very few now survive in their original design.

Muchall Grove is one of the many now existing only as care homes. and even in this guise it has an uncertain future as this article in the Express and Star states.

Muchall, means Great Hall, and was one of the outlying hamlets of the Village of Penn.

It is spelled in various ways in the Parish register: Migehall, Mushall, Muchale, Mycholl and Mitchell. Muchall Hall stood at the corner of Mount Road (at one time called Cuckoo Lane) and Manor Road.

It was bought in 1815 by William Thacker, a solicitor.When he died in 1854 the estate was sold in 30 lots. Lots 5-15 lay on the south eastern side of the Penn Road.

On part of this land Charles Clark was to build Muchall Grove about 1860.

The roadway through the land became Muchall Road.

On the opposite side of the Penn Road lots 16-30 became the land on which Wynn Road was to be built.

From a diary found in a deed box in Penn Church was a notice  dated; January 29th, 1863.

This morning Mr Charles Clark of Muchall Grove J.P. and alderman of Wolverhampton put a period to his existence in a fit of temporary insanity; to the great grief of his family and sincere regret of his friends .

As a sincere well wisher to the Working Classes his loss will be greatly felt in the district.

Later Randle S Warner and Richard Warner had votes for Muchall in 1868, at the latter end of the nineteenth century Mr A. E. Thompson lived there.

Residential Estate known as Muchall grove.

On the death of Mr Thompson. To give us some idea of the large extent of this property we  have the sale details  provided by auctioneers Nock & Joseland and printed by John Steen of the Old Grammar School Works St John’s Street Wolverhampton, for his widow Mrs L.H. Thompson.

The sale is to take place at The Star & Garter Hotel, Wolverhampton.

As you can see Together with other large plots of land.

A slight hiccup occured at the printers a fortnight before the sale.

After the war as we said before a lot of these larger Houses were sold off and in the case of Muchall Grove to the Town Planners this story continues.

A Good Turn, A  Parting Gift, and Back on the Bumpers.

It was Christmas Eve, my pal Lennie and I, were spending this last afternoon before the big night, up the fair, on Brick kiln patch.

Dropping the Bombs - My favourite sideshow.

We hadn’t any money for the rides, but just to be around the fairground, with the calls of the Showmen, the noise of the traction engines, music and the lights from the side shows. It was a mesmerising spectacle for two kids of eight years old in the bleak mid winter of 1945.

I had been up the fair previously with my father, when it was all covered over by canvas during the war years, and that first experience was heaven to me, and whenever Pat Collins came to town I wanted to be there.

All the Fun Of The Fair.

Of the many attractions at the fair, our favourite was the bumping cars. Len and I would just stand and wait to see if we could get a free go with anyone riding alone.

The ride cost you a shilling whether or not there was a passenger; so if you asked the lone rider politely he/she, might let you share the car with them.  This is what we did until we decided to make our way back home, around 4.30p.m.

Our usual route home to the north side of St Peters, took by way of  School Street and  Skinner Street. Then on our way up Townwell  Fold we decided to have one last look at the Christmas Grotto in James Beatties which for the past three weeks had been in the basement there.

Townwell Fold 1960's.

We went through the doors, down the stairs, and looking toward the grotto we could see it was closed and staff were already dismantling the effects. So, reluctantly, we left – climbing the stairs back up in the fold.

As we were approaching the top of the stairs, a lady, followed closely  by a gentleman, stumbled on a higher flight, dropping some of her parcels as she slipped, we stooped to pick them up for her, and the gentleman, who already had his hands full, asked us to help carry more packages to their car, which we did.

In  conversation that followed, the gentleman asked us were we had been. We told him we had been down to  have a look at the grotto.  He then said “Come with me”; and took us back down the down the stairs and into the basement, where he had a quick word with one of the storemen, before thanking us for our kindly deed and then he left.

The storeman led us towards a wonderfully decorated four foot Christmas tree standing by the door.  He picked it up by the tub whilst exclaiming “Mr Beattie say’s you should have this”, and gave us the tree.

Darlington Street at night.

Crossing Darlington Street, we were so thrilled , it never entered our mind how we were going to share this  gift, but as it happened this problem would never arise, for as we crossed the top of the market patch, we placed the tree down and stopped for a rest.

Within a couple of minutes, after explaining how we had come by the tree to a market trader a friend of my fathers’ we were offered  five shillings for it.

My cousin Janet on the bumpers.

I don’t think len or myself  had ever actually been in possession of five bob before; and this proved to be an offer we couldn’t refuse. So, clutching half-a-crown each; without a thought for anyone or anything else, we raced back down to Brickkiln patch, to Pat Collins fair, and another five bob’s worth of joy on the bumping cars.

It seemed to us kids growing up between the wars in Wolverhampton that every park, public square  or open place in and around town had its horse trough or drinking fountain.

Though by the late thirties, the Corporation had stopped building troughs, as the automobile was gradually replacing the horse but more drinking fountains were provided in schools and parks with the old pewter cups replaced by jets of water as these were seen as more hygienic.

Charles Benjamin Manders fountain 1861.

Over the years several ornamental fountains were provided by Wolverhamptons private munificence. Amongst these was this one I remember well on the corner of the Retail Market, North Street donated by Charles Benjamin Mander in 1861.

The little park at Newbridge circa 1940.

The junction with Newhampton Road, fronted by the three retired pensioners on the bench was another little oasis for a thirsty child in the years between the wars. This small piece of greenery on the Tettenhall Road has a special significance for my dear friend Richard Rhodes, to which this post is dedicated.

Robert Rhodes with his family at Wrottersley Park early 1900s.

Richards Grandfather, Robert Rhodes, was the secretary of the Wolverhampton Automobile Club at the dawn of the motor vehicle, and he acquired the first ever number plate issued in Wolverhampton in 1903 – DA1. Here is Robert in his Ariel Tonneau outside Wrottersley Park with his family aboard. He died in 1936.

A group of Wolverhampton's great and good at Newbridge 1927.

In 1927 looking as proud as punch, a group of Wolverhampton dignatories gather in the small park at Newbridge, to celebrate the presentation of a drinking fountain.

The cast iron structure, which had been engraved in stunning detail, was donated by Wolverhampton Solicitor Robert Rhodes, who is fourth from the left in the picture. On the day it was handed over many of the city’s leading lights gathered for the ceremony.

You can gather from the line up how important the day was. Beside Mr Rhodes; the tall gent fifth from the left is Frank Myatt, who was the owner of the Grand Theatre and also the Victoria Hotel next door. Mr Myatt was born in Wolverhampton in 1876, and founded a brewery at one time in Peel Street, it later became Holt Breweries and Mr Myatt was director. In 1934 he purchased Bridgnorths Cliff Railway.  He entered Wolverhampton Council in 1908 as a conservative and had a prominent role in public life for 30 years, he was mayor from 1917-18.

The mayor of the day standing in the middle is Frederick Willcock, who owned a chemists shop in Victoria Street opposite the Star & Garter. The gentleman with the rolled up newspaper was Thomas Dickenson who lived at Palmers Cross Farm in Tettenhall. Next to him is R.D. Lewis who lived in Tettenhall Court, opposite Danescourt Cemetery, Wergs Road .

Mother and child at the fountain circa 1930.

A curious child checks out the fountain  in the 1930s. It should have stood in the park for decades, but today all that remains is the concrete base and metal stand after a dead tree blew over and demolished it during the Second World War.