A Once Stately Home For Foxes

Frontpage Forum People & Places of Wolverhampton A Once Stately Home For Foxes

  • This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 1 year ago by Mira.
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    • #4079

      Billy

      Participant

      Cleveland Hall / House

       

      Cleveland House Demise - 12.05.2014

      For the last twenty years or so it has been a glorious pigeon roost and of late the temporary home for a family of urban Foxes.

      First shown on the 1842 tithe map, the construction of this house must post-date the 1828-30 town road improvement scheme which created Cleveland Road and Steelhouse Lane from which the house was accessed.

      Cleveland House Map - Circa 1870s

      It is thought to have been owned originally by the Duke of Sutherland, however, in the Wolverhampton Post Office  Directory of 1847,   John Barker Esq. ( listed in Bridgens 1838 directory as lronmaster, Dudley Road) is now residing at at Cleveland House.

      Of John Barker it was said he was a partner in the Chillington Iron Works, became the High Sheriff of the County in 1846, and his obituary notice in 1851 said, this honour was a just reward for the hard work and integrity of an honest, upright and God-fearing nonconformist.

      The house itself originally had a lodge on Steelhouse Lane at the eastern end of the property, but by 1852, following the construction of the hospital on Cleveland Road to its north, a second lodge was constructed on a newly created access from the NW.

      The area to the west of the house remained as allotment gardens until the new street layout was created at the end of the 19th Century.

      By 1902, both lodges had been removed, and much of the landscaped grounds of the house had been developed with terraced housing.
The original exterior detail of this three-storey brick house was very plain, giving a rather austere impression.

      Finally this was an unusually large house to be built on  this eastern side of Wolverhampton.

      The loss of its extensive landscaped grounds and  its former lodges, and the the extremely unsympathetic extensions over the years obscuring  the main entrance to the house, have brought about its inevitable destruction by the new 2014 Tesco development.

      Cleveland House Gone - 16.05.2014

      Urban Fox - 20.05.2014

      Below the old cellar head.

    • #4084

      Billy

      Participant

      The reason I posted this topical little story is because these buildings that once belonged to the Royal Hospital, were situated adjacent to my office that fronts the old Printing Business of John Neave in Gordon Street, All Saints.

      As I mentioned in the story. The site and the buildings have stood neglected for the last 20 years since the Royal Hospital transferred its business  to  New Cross.

      During which time John and I have looked on and endured the noise and nuisance as  the once fine Cleveland House and its  adjoining buildings  have been  torn apart inside by numerous metal thieves and, as I said before; with doors and windows broken and removed it became of late the roost of pigeons and the home of urban foxes

      Below the old cellar head.

    • #4787

      benny

      Participant

      Dear Billy
      I have just seen this article and cannot believe that house has been demolished. I was only thinking about it the other day and thought it would have been saved as it had been built so long ago. How sad to see it is no longer there. Wonder who lived in it over the years. What date is the map that you produced for the article. I do hove an old map of the area but it’s not as old as that one.
      My aunt used to visit that building in the mid 70’s for radiotherapy on her breast being treated for cancer. I remember maybe mid to late ’60’s lots of work going on in the grounds the whole of Gordon St was lit up through the night I think it may have been to put in all the equipment for the radiotherapy department.
      Sad another building with history gone. Some people unless they lived in the area would never have known it was there.

      Best wishes.

      Paul

      Ps I shall give your site a bit of a plug on the Facebook page of Wolverhampton Family History Group

    • #4788

      Billy

      Participant

      Hi Paul

      Thank you for your comment, As I mentioned I have my office next door to the old radiotheraphy buildings in Gordon Street at my friends printing works. that once fronted Cleveland House.

      Tesco are still working on improving the  old Hospital, but whats going to become of the whole site is now in the hands of God.

      I look forward to your future comments.

      Billy

      Below the old cellar head.

    • #6028

      brian robertsons

      Participant

      They have good economic plan for the area, I just wish they have also find a good and reliable rehabilitation for those animals that needs also a place to they stay and now for long.

      Regards,
      Jake Robertsons|http://caldwells.com/

    • #17147

      Mira

      Participant

      The story you shared is very interesting, it helps me to know more information about this area

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