Description

WOLVERHAMPTON

SO99NW UPPER VILLIERS STREET
895-1/5/41 (West side)
Torrington International including
Sports and Social Club

GV II

Includes: Nos.1-30 Imex Business Park MOORFIELDS ROAD
Blakenhall.
Car factory. c1906. For Sunbeam Motor Car Co. Brick with
ashlar dressings; slate roofs and brick stack. 2 storeys;
7-window centre flanked by 9-window range to left and 7-window
range to right, with further single-storey, 8-window range to
right. Centre has cornices to both floors, and coped parapet
with end Dutch gables; flanking ranges have windows recessed
between piers, except end windows. Central segmental-arched
throughway has keystone and iron gates; flanking round-headed
recesses have rusticated voussoirs, that to left with C20
entrance and flanking windows, that to right with flanking
segmental-headed recessed brick panels; 1st floor has
single-chamfered-mullioned and transomed windows, that to
centre with large round-headed light, flanking 2:3:2-light
windows. Flanking ranges have paired windows to ground floor
with cornices over one-over-4-pane horned sashes; 1st floor
has segmental-headed windows with moulded arches and keystones
over casements, narrow end windows; end segmental-arched
throughways with imposts and keystones, that to left with C20
infill for Sports and Social Club. Single-storey range has
segmental-headed windows with imposts and keystones over
tripartite sashes with small-paned overlights. Right return to
Sunbeam Street has 9 coped and panelled gables; 3 windows in
segmental-headed recesses to each gable, most with small-paned
iron glazing; similar elevation to Moorfield Road to left of
corner garage; 16 asymmetrical gables and C20 entrances and
windows.
INTERIOR of sheds has lattice girders on iron columns, with
similar roof trusses. One of the earliest purpose-built car
factories in England, also representing an important local
industry. It is also one of the first to use an open-plan
design instead of the C19 courtyard plan. Cars were made here
until 1935, and commercial vehicles until 1960s.
(Collins P: Notes on buildings of interest in Wolverhampton:
1990-).

Listing NGR: SO9121997124

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26581008

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets